Short answer: Mounjaro (tirzepatide) has four licensed alternatives for weight management that we supply in the UK: the Wegovy injection (semaglutide, once a week), Wegovy tablets (semaglutide, once a day), Foundayo (orforglipron, once a day, licensed by the MHRA on 10 August 2026) and orlistat (a capsule with meals: 120mg as a prescription medicine, 60mg from a pharmacy). Each is licensed for weight management with its own rules on who it suits and how it is taken, as the UK product information (SmPC, sections 4.1 and 4.2) sets out, and a GPhC-registered pharmacist reviews every consultation. No supplement, patch or "natural GLP-1" is a licensed alternative, Ozempic is licensed for type 2 diabetes rather than weight loss, and retatrutide is not authorised in the UK.
This guide sets out, as of October 2026, what each alternative is, how it is taken and how it works, what each costs with us, how switching works, and what is not a licensed alternative. It is a short overview: each section links to the guide that goes into detail.
What are the alternatives to Mounjaro?
The licensed alternatives we supply are three GLP-1 medicines and orlistat, each used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity:
- Wegovy injection (semaglutide): a pen you use once a week.
- Wegovy tablets (semaglutide): one tablet a day, on an empty stomach.
- Foundayo (orforglipron): one tablet a day, at any time of day.
- Orlistat: a capsule with each main meal. Orlistat 120mg is a prescription medicine; orlistat 60mg (alli) is a pharmacy medicine, sold after a pharmacist consultation.
Like Mounjaro, the three GLP-1 alternatives are licensed for adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 or above with a weight-related condition (section 4.1 of each SmPC). Orlistat has its own rules, set out below. You can check your BMI with our BMI calculator. Which medicine suits you depends on your health, your other medicines and whether you would rather use a weekly injection or take a daily tablet.
Is Wegovy an alternative to Mounjaro?
Yes. The Wegovy injection is used in a similar way: like Mounjaro, it is a pen used once a week, at any time of day, with or without meals (SmPC section 4.2 of each). The difference is the medicine inside. Wegovy contains semaglutide, which acts on the receptor for one gut hormone, GLP-1; Mounjaro contains tirzepatide, which acts on the receptors for two, GIP and GLP-1 (section 5.1 of each).
The doses build up differently. Wegovy starts at 0.25mg and rises over 16 weeks to 2.4mg, with a higher 7.2mg dose for adults with a BMI of 30 or above after at least 4 weeks on 2.4mg (see Wegovy 7.2mg). Mounjaro starts at 2.5mg and rises in 2.5mg steps, after at least 4 weeks on each dose, to a maximum of 15mg.
The two have been compared directly. In SURMOUNT-5 (New England Journal of Medicine, 2025), 751 adults without diabetes took the highest dose they could tolerate of either medicine for 72 weeks; counting everyone who started treatment, average weight loss was 20.2% on Mounjaro and 13.7% on Wegovy. The trial was funded by Eli Lilly, which makes Mounjaro. Individual results vary. The full comparison, side effects included, is in Mounjaro vs Wegovy.
Is there a tablet alternative to Mounjaro?
Yes, two: Wegovy tablets and Foundayo, both taken once a day and both licensed in the UK for weight management with the same BMI rule as Mounjaro (SmPC section 4.1).
Wegovy tablets contain semaglutide, the medicine in the Wegovy injection. You take the tablet on an empty stomach after at least 8 hours without food, swallowed whole with up to 120 ml of water, then wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other medicines by mouth, because taking them sooner lowers how much semaglutide is absorbed (SmPC section 4.2). The dose starts at 1.5mg and rises, after at least a month on each dose, through 4mg and 9mg to 25mg.
Foundayo contains orforglipron, a non-peptide GLP-1 medicine from Eli Lilly, the company that makes Mounjaro. It can be taken at any time of day, without food or water restrictions (SmPC section 4.2), and the MHRA licensed it on 10 August 2026. It starts at 0.8mg and rises, after at least 30 days on each dose, to a maximum of 17.2mg.
For how each tablet compares with Mounjaro, see Wegovy tablets vs Mounjaro and Foundayo vs Mounjaro; for the two tablets side by side, see Foundayo vs Wegovy tablets.
Is orlistat an alternative to Mounjaro?
Orlistat is a licensed weight-loss medicine, but it is not a GLP-1 and it works in a different way. It acts inside the stomach and gut, blocking the enzymes that digest fat (lipases), so some of the fat you eat is not absorbed and passes out of the body (Xenical SmPC sections 4.2 and 5.1).
Orlistat 120mg is a prescription medicine; orlistat 60mg (alli) is a pharmacy medicine, sold after a pharmacist consultation. Take one capsule immediately before, during, or up to one hour after each main meal, up to three times a day. If you miss a meal, or a meal contains no fat, skip that dose. Orlistat 120mg may be suitable if you're aged 18 to 75 and have a BMI of 30 or above, or a BMI of 28 or above with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Orlistat 60mg is licensed for adults with a BMI of 28 or above (alli SmPC section 4.1).
We do not supply orlistat together with a GLP-1 medicine: our consultation does not supply orlistat to anyone using a GLP-1 medicine such as Mounjaro, and our pharmacist confirms with you that one has stopped before the other is supplied. Orlistat and the GLP-1 medicines were tested in different trials, so their results cannot be ranked against each other. More in orlistat vs Mounjaro and Wegovy.
How do the alternatives compare?
The table sets each alternative beside Mounjaro: its form, how it works and the rule for taking it, from the UK product information as of October 2026 (SmPC sections 4.2 and 5.1). It does not rank them: the medicine that suits you depends on your health, and the pharmacist reviews that with you.
| Medicine | Form and how often | How it works | How to take it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mounjaro (tirzepatide), for reference | A KwikPen injection, once a week | Acts on the receptors for two gut hormones, GIP and GLP-1, which help regulate appetite | At any time of day, with or without meals |
| Wegovy injection (semaglutide) | A FlexTouch pen injection, once a week | Acts on the receptor for one gut hormone, GLP-1, which helps regulate appetite | At any time of day, with or without meals |
| Wegovy tablets (semaglutide) | A tablet, once a day | Semaglutide, the same GLP-1 medicine as in the Wegovy injection | On an empty stomach after at least 8 hours without food, with up to 120 ml of water, then at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other medicines by mouth |
| Foundayo (orforglipron) | A tablet, once a day | A non-peptide medicine that acts on the GLP-1 receptor | One tablet once daily, at any time of day, with or without food. Swallow it whole with water. Never split, crush or chew it. |
| Orlistat (120mg or 60mg) | A capsule with each main meal | Not a GLP-1: blocks the enzymes in the gut that digest fat, so some of the fat you eat is not absorbed | Take one capsule immediately before, during, or up to one hour after each main meal, up to three times a day. If you miss a meal, or a meal contains no fat, skip that dose. |
Is Wegovy cheaper than Mounjaro?
At our prices as of October 2026, the Wegovy injection's starting dose (0.25mg) is £64.99 a pen and Mounjaro's starting dose (2.5mg) is £127.99 a pen, and the price of each rises with the dose. The table gives the starting-dose price of each alternative we supply, in the same order as above.
| Medicine and starting dose | What you get | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Mounjaro 2.5mg | One KwikPen, 4 weekly doses | £127.99 |
| Wegovy injection 0.25mg | One FlexTouch pen, 4 weekly doses | £64.99 |
| Wegovy tablets 1.5mg | 30 tablets, one a day | £79.99 |
| Foundayo 0.8mg | 30 tablets, one a day | £79.99 |
| Orlistat 120mg | 84 capsules | £26.99 |
Delivery £2.99 (injection pens £3.99). The price for each dose is the same on your first order and every one after. No introductory prices.
Price is one thing to weigh: which medicine and dose suit you depends on your health and your other medicines, and the pharmacist reviews that in the consultation. Every dose's price is on each treatment page, and our price guides set them beside other UK providers: Mounjaro prices in the UK, Wegovy prices in the UK and Foundayo prices in the UK. For the tablet against the injection, see Wegovy pill vs injection. Each order is paid for on its own, with no subscription: how that works.
Not sure which alternative suits you? Start a consultation: a GPhC-registered pharmacist reviews your answers and recommends a medicine and dose, if treatment is right for you.
Check your eligibilityCan you switch from Mounjaro to Wegovy or a tablet?
Yes, after a pharmacist review: in the consultation you tell us which medicine you are on, your last dose and when you took it, and the pharmacist sets your starting dose on the new medicine from that.
The MHRA advises speaking to a healthcare professional before switching between GLP-1 medicines, even between brands of the same medicine, because they differ in strength and in how they are used, and switching without advice may increase side effects or make treatment less effective (MHRA, updated 5 February 2026). Two GLP-1 medicines are not used together (Wegovy SmPC section 4.5), so the new medicine replaces the old one rather than being added to it.
If your last treatment came from another provider, we may ask for proof of it, such as a photo of the dispensing label: switching to us explains what counts. How long it has been since your last dose matters too. See switching between Mounjaro and Wegovy and restarting after a break.
Is Ozempic an alternative to Mounjaro?
Not for weight loss. Ozempic contains semaglutide, the medicine in Wegovy, but in the UK it is licensed for adults with type 2 diabetes that is not well controlled, not for weight management (Ozempic SmPC section 4.1). Mounjaro itself is licensed for both (Mounjaro SmPC section 4.1). The semaglutide licensed for weight management is Wegovy, and we do not supply Ozempic. See Mounjaro vs Ozempic and Wegovy vs Ozempic.
This guide covers the medicines we supply. Your GP or a local NHS weight management service can talk you through other options.
Are there natural or supplement alternatives to Mounjaro?
No. No supplement, patch or so-called natural GLP-1 product is a licensed medicine for weight management, so none is an alternative to Mounjaro. Genuine GLP-1 medicines come as pre-filled injection pens or tablets (MHRA, updated 5 February 2026).
In July 2026 the Advertising Standards Authority upheld complaints about an advert for a "GLP-1 Patch". The company said its patches contained no semaglutide, tirzepatide or other active medicinal substance; the ASA found the advert presented the patch as having effects like GLP-1 injections, a medicinal claim for a product without the authorisation a medicine needs (ASA ruling A26-1333913, 15 July 2026). What is and is not licensed is set out in our guide to weight loss patches and appetite suppressants.
Is retatrutide an alternative to Mounjaro?
No. Retatrutide has not been authorised for use in the UK, and the MHRA warns that anyone selling it is doing so illegally, that these products have not been tested for safety, quality or effectiveness, and that there is no guarantee they even contain retatrutide (MHRA, 24 July 2026). More in retatrutide in the UK.