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What Are The Affordable Alternatives To Mounjaro?
What Are The Affordable Alternatives To Mounjaro?
Dr. Zoë Lees (PhD)
Dr. Sophie Dix (BSc, PhD)
13 October 2025 | Updated: 18 June 2026
18 June 2026
Mounjaro is one of the most effective weight loss treatments available, but recent UK price increases from Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Mounjaro, means many people are looking for affordable alternatives.
To help you learn more about your options, we’ve put together a list of the most popular treatments to see how they stand up against Mounjaro. But first, it’s important to understand what makes Mounjaro different.
What makes Mounjaro so effective for weight loss?
On average, people lose 20.9% body weight over 36 weeks and 25.3% body weight over 88 weeks, making it one of the most effective weight loss injectables available. [1]
One potential explanation for Mounjaro’s effectiveness is its ‘dual-action’ formula. Most injectable weight loss medications mimic the hormone GLP-1, but Mounjaro also mimics GIP.
- GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist') is a natural hormone in the gut that is produced after eating to help to control your appetite and make you feel fuller.
- GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) is another natural hormone produced in the gut. It helps regulate blood sugar by stimulating insulin release and influencing fat metabolism.
GLP-1 Alternatives to Mounjaro (tirzepatide)
As mentioned, GLP-1 treatments mimic a natural hormone in your gut, helping control your appetite and making you feel fuller for longer. When paired with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity or exercise, using these medications can result in effective, healthy weight loss. Here are some of the most popular.
Semaglutide
Semaglutide is arguably the best known active ingredient used for weight loss. It’s administered with a weekly self-injection pen, which, like other GLP-1s, supports healthy weight loss by reducing your appetite and making you feel fuller for longer.
An exciting development in the research surrounding semaglutide is that it can also benefit your heart health, it’s the first weight loss medication approved to cut heart disease risk by up to 20%*. A study found that people taking 2.4 mg of semaglutide, the highest dose of Wegovy, had fewer heart attacks or strokes. [2] The study also indicated that semaglutide can lower blood pressure and improve cholesterol levels.
One of the potential downsides to choosing semaglutide-based treatments over tirzepatide (Mounjaro) is that you may be more likely to experience common side effects such as nausea, constipation and diarrhoea. Most people find these side effects subside as they adjust to their treatment.
Thinking about trying semaglutide? Here are two treatments that include it.
Wegovy
Wegovy is a cost-effective alternative to Mounjaro that could help you lose 15% of your weight on average. [3] Both treatments are highly effective, but studies [4] show that Mounjaro can provide more weight loss and better blood sugar control. Despite this, many people still choose Wegovy for its lower price and proven results.
Rybelsus
Rybelsus is an oral form of semaglutide used to control blood sugar and treat type 2 diabetes, but it can be prescribed off-label for weight loss, as it has shown promising results. It’s a suitable alternative for those who would prefer not to use injectables, and may be less likely to cause side effects than other semaglutide treatments such as Ozempic and Wegovy.
Liraglutide
Liraglutide is an injectable medication primarily used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. It's often sold under the brand names Saxenda and Nevolat. The key two differences between these treatments and Mounjaro are that they’re taken as a daily injection (as opposed to weekly) and some side effects may be more common, such as nausea, constipation and diarrhoea. However, it’s important to note that both medications have very similar side effects.
Other Alternatives to Mounjaro (tirzepatide)
Xenical, Alli (Orlistat)
Orlistat isn’t a GLP-1 or GIP receptor agonist, but it can help you lose 50% more weight than dieting alone. [5]
It’s available unbranded, but is also sold under the names Xenical and Alli.
It works by preventing the amount of fat your body absorbs, typically one third. Instead of your body absorbing this fat, it disposes of it as waste via the digestive system.
To take Orlistat safely, you must have a starting BMI over 30. It’s also available for people with a BMI over 28 who have additional weight-related health concerns, like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and raised cholesterol.
Starting or switching weight loss treatments
Whatever your reason for exploring alternatives, MedExpress makes it straightforward to compare your options. Our clinical team can guide you through any switch, whether you're moving from Mounjaro to injectable Wegovy or the Wegovy Pill (coming soon) or trying weight loss treatments for the first time.
References
- Tan B, Pan XH, Chew HSJ, Goh RSJ, Lin C, Anand VV, et al. Efficacy and safety of tirzepatide for treatment of overweight or obesity. A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Obesity [Internet]. 2023 Aug 1;47(8):677–85. Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-023-01321-5
- A. Michael Lincoff, Kirstine Brown‐Frandsen, Colhoun HM, Deanfield J, Emerson SS, Sille Esbjerg, et al. Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes. The New England Journal of Medicine [Internet]. 2023 Nov 11;389(24). Available from: https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2307563
- Jastreboff AM, Aronne LJ, Ahmad NN, Wharton S, Connery L, Alves B, et al. Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity. New England Journal of Medicine [Internet]. 2022 Jun 4;387(3). Available from: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2206038
- Aronne LJ, Horn DB, le Roux CW, Ho W, Falcon BL, Gomez Valderas E, et al. Tirzepatide as Compared with Semaglutide for the Treatment of Obesity. New England Journal of Medicine [Internet]. 2025 May 11;393(1). Available from: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2416394
- Over-the-counter weight loss with orlistat? Evidence-Based Nursing. 2010 Jun 28;13(3):98–100.
Next scheduled review date: 18 June 2029
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Authors
Written by: Dr. Zoë Lees (PhD)
Dr. Zoë Lees is a medical writer at MedExpress specialising in obesity and health communication. She completed her PhD at the University of Glasgow, where she investigated adipose tissue (fat tissue) function in pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes. Her work focuses on translating complex clinical evidence into clear, engaging and evidence-based health information for patients and the public. At MedExpress, Zoë contributes to clinical content, educational resources and media communications across areas including weight management, GLP-1 therapies and metabolic disease. Zoë is particularly interested in improving public understanding of obesity as a chronic condition and ensuring patients have access to accurate, accessible health information grounded in current scientific evidence.
Medically reviewed by: Dr. Sophie Dix (BSc, PhD)
Dr. Sophie Dix is Head of Medical Affairs at MedExpress. A behavioural neuroscientist by training, Sophie has spent 30 years working at the intersection of medical research, pharmacology, technology and patient communication across the pharmaceutical industry, health technology and charity sectors. At MedExpress, Sophie's role is to ensure that everything the organisation does is grounded in the most current science. That means translating complex clinical evidence into accessible health information across the website, clinical pathways and media communications. It also means working with external press and broadcast media as a named expert commentator, making the science behind weight management and GLP-1 treatments understandable to a general audience. A core part of Sophie's work is building MedExpress's Real-World Evidence (RWE) programme: learning systematically from patient outcomes to understand what works in practice, not just in clinical trials. This patient-level insight feeds directly into improving patient experience and health outcomes. Sophie believes that patients make better decisions when they have access to accurate, evidence-based information. As an advocate for meaningful change in how obesity is understood, Sophie works to reduce stigma and raise awareness of the condition as an illness. This includes reframing the conversation around GLP-1s from aesthetics to public health, while highlighting the health benefits of weight loss and weight management.
Note from the experts
Remember: This blog shouldn’t be regarded as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We make sure everything we publish is fact checked by clinical experts and regularly reviewed, but it may not always reflect the most recent health guidelines. Always speak to your doctor about any health concerns you have.