GLP-1 medicines are prescription medicines that act like a hormone your gut makes naturally [1]. Several are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for long-term weight management, used together with a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity [2, 3, 4, 5]. Here’s how they work, which ones are approved as of October 2026, and how they differ from the diabetes brands.
What GLP-1 medicines are
GLP-1 stands for glucagon-like peptide-1. It’s a hormone released by your intestine. It helps lower blood sugar after you eat, and it acts on parts of the brain that control appetite and food intake [1].
These medicines are called GLP-1 receptor agonists. A receptor is like a docking site on a cell, and an agonist is a medicine that switches it on. GLP-1 medicines attach to the same receptor as your own GLP-1 and activate it [2].
Your own GLP-1 is cleared within minutes [4], but the medicines are built to last much longer [2, 3, 4]. For example, the half-life of liraglutide (Saxenda), meaning the time it takes the body to clear half a dose, is about 13 hours, which suits a daily shot [4]. The half-life of semaglutide (Wegovy) is about 1 week [2].
What “GIP/GLP-1” means
Tirzepatide (Zepbound) also activates receptors for GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide), another natural hormone. Both kinds of receptors are found in brain areas involved in appetite, and studies in animals and the lab suggest that adding GIP may further help regulate food intake [3].
How they affect hunger, fullness and digestion
Appetite and fullness
GLP-1 receptors are found in several brain areas that help control appetite. In animal studies, these medicines reached those areas and activated nerve cells there [2, 3, 4, 5]. The labels say the medicines lower how much people eat, likely by changing appetite [2, 3, 5]. The liraglutide label adds that it doesn’t increase the calories the body burns over 24 hours [4].
In a study of 72 adults with obesity, people who took semaglutide 2.4 mg for 20 weeks ate 35% less at a lunch where they could eat as much as they wanted, compared with people on a placebo (a look-alike shot with no medicine). They also reported less hunger, more fullness and fewer or weaker food cravings. The study was sponsored by the medicine’s maker [6].
Slower stomach emptying
These medicines slow how fast food leaves the stomach [2, 3, 4, 5]. For tirzepatide and orforglipron (Foundayo), the labels say this effect is largest after the first dose and gets smaller over time [3, 5].
Slower emptying is one reason the labels ask you to tell your care team before any surgery or procedure that uses anesthesia or deep sedation [2, 3]. It may also change how some pills taken by mouth are absorbed, including birth control pills with tirzepatide and orforglipron [3, 5]; see GLP-1 medicines, pregnancy and birth control.
Blood sugar
When blood sugar is high, these medicines help the pancreas release more insulin and less glucagon, which can lower blood sugar [2, 3, 4]. The risk of low blood sugar is higher when they’re used with insulin or a sulfonylurea, a type of diabetes medicine [2, 3].
FDA-approved GLP-1 medicines for weight
As of October 2026, these GLP-1 medicines are FDA-approved to reduce excess body weight and keep it off long term. Each is meant to be used with a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity [2, 3, 4, 5].
| Medicine | Acts on | How it’s taken | Approved for weight in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semaglutide shots (Wegovy) | GLP-1 | A shot under the skin once a week, from a single-dose pen or syringe, or a 4-dose pen for the 2.4 mg dose | Adults, and teens 12 and older with obesity [2] |
| Semaglutide tablets (Wegovy) | GLP-1 | A pill once a day in the morning on an empty stomach, with up to 4 ounces of plain water; then wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other medicines | Adults [2] |
| Tirzepatide (Zepbound) | GIP and GLP-1 | A shot under the skin once a week, from a single-dose pen, a single-dose or multi-dose vial, or a 4-dose KwikPen | Adults [3] |
| Liraglutide (Saxenda, and generic liraglutide) | GLP-1 | A shot under the skin once a day, from a prefilled pen | Adults, and teens 12 to 17 with obesity who weigh more than 60 kg (132 pounds) [4, 7] |
| Orforglipron (Foundayo) | GLP-1 | A pill once a day, with or without food | Adults [5] |
The FDA approved Foundayo on April 1, 2026 [8]. The first generic liraglutide for weight management, a generic of Saxenda, was approved in August 2025 [7].
Compounded versions aren’t FDA-approved, which means the FDA doesn’t review them for safety, effectiveness or quality before they’re sold [9]. See brand-name vs. compounded GLP-1 medicines.
Other approved uses
- Wegovy (shots and tablets): to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death in adults who have cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight [2].
- Wegovy shots: to treat MASH (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis) with moderate to advanced liver scarring, but not cirrhosis, in adults [2]. MASH is a type of fatty liver disease with inflammation and liver damage [10]. This use has accelerated approval, which means continued approval may depend on the results of a confirming trial [2].
- Zepbound: to treat moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity [3]. In obstructive sleep apnea, the upper airway gets blocked many times during sleep, which reduces or stops airflow [11].
The heart approval rests on a trial of 17,604 adults aged 45 or older with cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity, but not diabetes. Along with standard heart care, they took placebo or Wegovy shots, raised to 2.4 mg a week (or a lower dose if that wasn’t tolerated). Over a median of about 3.5 years, 6.5% of the Wegovy group had a heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death, compared with 8% of the placebo group [2].
Weight brands vs. diabetes brands
Each of these active ingredients is sold under different brand names for different uses [2, 3, 4, 12, 13, 14, 15].
| Active ingredient | Brand approved for weight | Brands approved for type 2 diabetes |
|---|---|---|
| Semaglutide | Wegovy (weekly shot or daily tablet) | Ozempic (weekly shot or daily tablet) and Rybelsus (daily tablet) [12, 13] |
| Tirzepatide | Zepbound (weekly shot) | Mounjaro (weekly shot) [14] |
| Liraglutide | Saxenda (daily shot) | Victoza [15] |
The diabetes brands are approved to improve blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, and some are also approved to lower the risk of heart or kidney problems in people with type 2 diabetes [12, 13, 14]. Doses differ, too. For example, the highest Ozempic shot dose is 2 mg a week, while the usual Wegovy maintenance dose is 2.4 mg, and some adults may go up to 7.2 mg [2, 12].
Using a diabetes brand only for weight loss, in someone who doesn’t have type 2 diabetes, is off-label use [12, 13, 14, 16]. Clinicians may prescribe a medicine off-label when they judge it medically appropriate. But for an off-label use, the FDA has not determined that the benefits outweigh the risks [16]. The labels also advise against taking two GLP-1 medicines at the same time, such as Wegovy with Ozempic [2, 3, 4, 5].
Starting low and going up slowly
Each medicine starts at a low dose that’s raised in steps. The labels say this step-by-step increase, called dose escalation, is meant to lower the risk of stomach and bowel side effects [2, 3, 4, 5].
- Wegovy shots start at 0.25 mg and step up every 4 weeks. The usual adult maintenance dose is 2.4 mg (or 1.7 mg), and some adults may go up to 7.2 mg after at least 4 weeks on 2.4 mg if more weight loss is needed [2].
- Zepbound starts at 2.5 mg and goes up 2.5 mg at a time, at least 4 weeks apart, to a maintenance dose of 5, 10 or 15 mg [3].
- Wegovy tablets start at 1.5 mg and step up every 30 days to 25 mg [2].
- Foundayo starts at 0.8 mg and steps up at least 30 days apart, to a maximum of 17.2 mg [5].
- Saxenda starts at 0.6 mg and goes up each week to 3 mg [4].
If a step brings side effects that are hard to handle, the labels allow your clinician to wait longer before the next increase or, for some medicines, to use a lower dose [2, 3, 4]. After several missed doses, you may need to restart at a lower dose [2, 4, 5]. Learn more in starting a GLP-1 and GLP-1 side effects.
Meant for the long term, alongside diet and activity
The labels pair these medicines with a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity [2, 3, 4, 5]. They don’t replace healthy habits: weight-management medicines work best as part of a lifestyle program [15].
Obesity is a chronic disease [15]. If a medicine is helping and you don’t have serious side effects, your clinician may advise staying on it indefinitely, and people who stop are likely to regain some weight [15]. Progress is also checked along the way. For example, the Saxenda label says adults should stop if they haven’t lost at least 4% of their starting weight after 16 weeks [4]. Results vary by medicine and by person [15]. See what to expect, eating well on a GLP-1 and stopping a GLP-1.
When to get medical care
- Call 911 for signs of a serious allergic reaction, such as swelling of your face, lips, tongue or throat, problems breathing or swallowing, fainting, or a very rapid heartbeat [2, 3, 17]. Also call 911 for chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath or other signs of a heart attack [18].
- Stop the medicine and call your clinician right away, or get same-day care, for severe stomach pain that won’t go away, with or without vomiting. It may spread to your back and can be a sign of pancreatitis, an inflamed pancreas [2, 3].
- Call your clinician right away for pain in your upper stomach, fever, yellowing of your skin or eyes, or clay-colored stools. These can be signs of gallbladder problems [2, 3].
- Get same-day care if nausea, vomiting or diarrhea won’t stop, or if you have signs of dehydration such as strong thirst, dark urine, urinating less than usual, or dizziness. Dehydration can lead to kidney problems [2, 19].
- Tell your clinician about a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing or shortness of breath [2, 3]; vision changes if you have type 2 diabetes [2]; or a racing or pounding heartbeat at rest that lasts several minutes [2].
The bottom line
GLP-1 medicines act like a natural gut hormone: they affect appetite and blood sugar, and they slow stomach emptying [1, 2, 3]. As of October 2026, semaglutide (Wegovy shots and tablets), tirzepatide (Zepbound), liraglutide (Saxenda and generics) and orforglipron (Foundayo) are FDA-approved for long-term weight management with diet and activity [2, 3, 4, 5, 7]. Ozempic, Mounjaro and Rybelsus are approved for type 2 diabetes, so using them for weight alone is off-label [12, 13, 14, 16]. Doses start low and rise slowly, and the medicines are meant for long-term use, so talk through the benefits, risks and costs with your clinician [2, 15].
References
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Requests Removal of Suicidal Behavior and Ideation Warning from Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist (GLP-1 RA) Medications. FDA Drug Safety Communication. 2026. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-communications/fda-requests-removal-suicidal-behavior-and-ideation-warning-glucagon-peptide-1-receptor-agonist-glp
- Novo Nordisk. WEGOVY (semaglutide) injection, for subcutaneous use; WEGOVY (semaglutide) tablets, for oral use: prescribing information and Medication Guide. DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Label effective June 18, 2026. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=ee06186f-2aa3-4990-a760-757579d8f77b
- Eli Lilly and Company. ZEPBOUND (tirzepatide) injection, for subcutaneous use: prescribing information and Medication Guide. DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Label effective August 28, 2026. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=487cd7e7-434c-4925-99fa-aa80b1cc776b
- Novo Nordisk. SAXENDA (liraglutide) injection, for subcutaneous use: prescribing information and Medication Guide. DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Label effective February 25, 2026. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=3946d389-0926-4f77-a708-0acb8153b143
- Eli Lilly and Company. FOUNDAYO (orforglipron) tablets, for oral use: prescribing information and Medication Guide. DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Label effective July 29, 2026. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=8ac446c5-feba-474f-a103-23facb9b5c62
- Friedrichsen M, et al. The effect of semaglutide 2.4 mg once weekly on energy intake, appetite, control of eating, and gastric emptying in adults with obesity. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. 2021. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33269530/
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2025 First Generic Drug Approvals. FDA. 2026. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-and-biologic-approval-and-ind-activity-reports/2025-first-generic-drug-approvals
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Novel Drug Approvals for 2026. FDA. 2026. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/novel-drug-approvals-fda/novel-drug-approvals-2026
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA’s Concerns with Unapproved GLP-1 Drugs Used for Weight Loss. FDA. 2026. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/fdas-concerns-unapproved-glp-1-drugs-used-weight-loss
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Definition & Facts of NAFLD & NASH. NIDDK, National Institutes of Health. 2021. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/liver-disease/nafld-nash/definition-facts
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Sleep Apnea – What Is Sleep Apnea? NHLBI, National Institutes of Health. 2025. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep-apnea
- Novo Nordisk. OZEMPIC (semaglutide) injection, for subcutaneous use: prescribing information. DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Label effective June 1, 2026. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=adec4fd2-6858-4c99-91d4-531f5f2a2d79
- Novo Nordisk. RYBELSUS (semaglutide) tablets, for oral use; OZEMPIC (semaglutide) tablets, for oral use: prescribing information. DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Label effective January 30, 2026. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=27f15fac-7d98-4114-a2ec-92494a91da98
- Eli Lilly and Company. MOUNJARO (tirzepatide) injection, for subcutaneous use: prescribing information. DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Label effective August 27, 2026. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=d2d7da5d-ad07-4228-955f-cf7e355c8cc0
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Prescription Medications to Treat Overweight & Obesity. NIDDK, National Institutes of Health. 2024. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/prescription-medications-treat-overweight-obesity
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Understanding Unapproved Use of Approved Drugs “Off Label”. FDA. 2018. https://www.fda.gov/patients/learn-about-expanded-access-and-other-treatment-options/understanding-unapproved-use-approved-drugs-label
- MedlinePlus. Anaphylaxis. MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine. 2025. https://medlineplus.gov/anaphylaxis.html
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery. CDC. 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/about/heart-attack.html
- MedlinePlus. Dehydration. MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine. 2023. https://medlineplus.gov/dehydration.html
This article is for education only and isn’t a substitute for advice from your own clinician.