Wegovy pill, Wegovy injection or Mounjaro: which works best?
Mounjaro produced the largest weight loss in every trial, 20.2% against 13.7% for the Wegovy injection in the only head-to-head study (SURMOUNT-5, 72 weeks). The Wegovy tablet matched the injection in its own trial (13.6% over 64 weeks in OASIS 4). The injection is the cheapest maintenance option in Germany, Spain and Italy; the tablet needs no fridge; Mounjaro costs most and loses most.
Three licensed medicines now compete for the same European patient: the once-daily Wegovy tablet (oral semaglutide 25 mg, EU-authorised 15 July 2026), the once-weekly Wegovy injection(semaglutide 2.4 mg, with a 7.2 mg dose approved in February 2026) and the once-weekly Mounjaro injection (tirzepatide, 5–15 mg). This comparison puts the trial results, the side-effect rates, the practical rules from the EU product information and the pharmacy list prices in Germany, Spain, Italy and France side by side. Register prices for the Netherlands, reported bands for Ireland and UK figures are added for reference. Every figure is dated and sourced so that it can be checked and cited.
The short version. In its own placebo-controlled trial the tablet lost about as much weight as the standard injection (13.6% over 64 weeks against 14.9% over 68 weeks). Mounjaro produced the largest mean loss of the three in its own trial and beat the Wegovy injection by 6.5 percentage points in the only head-to-head trial in obesity (20.2% vs 13.7% at 72 weeks). The tablet is the easiest to store and travel with but the strictest to take. On list price, the Wegovy pen and Mounjaro 5 mg are the lowest-priced maintenance options: level in Germany, Wegovy lower in Spain and France, Mounjaro 5 mg lower in Italy; Mounjaro 15 mg has the highest list price and the largest trial weight loss. Which one a doctor recommends depends on how much weight needs to come off, which side effects matter to you, and what is actually stocked and affordable where you live.
At a glance How they differ Trial results Head to head Side effects Fridge, travel, missed dosesWhat Europeans pay Availability by country What a doctor weighs up FAQ How to cite Sources
Wegovy pill vs Wegovy injection vs Mounjaro at a glance
| Feature | Wegovy tablet | Wegovy injection | Mounjaro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active substance | Semaglutide (oral, 25 mg) | Semaglutide (2.4 mg; 7.2 mg since Feb 2026); also licensed from age 12 | Tirzepatide (5, 10 or 15 mg) |
| Mechanism | GLP-1 receptor agonist | GLP-1 receptor agonist | Dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist |
| How often | Once a day, on an empty stomach | Once a week, under the skin | Once a week, under the skin |
| Mean weight loss in its pivotal trial | 13.6% at 64 weeks (OASIS 4) | 14.9% at 68 weeks (STEP 1); 18.7% at 72 weeks for 7.2 mg (STEP UP; 20.7% among those who stayed on treatment) | 20.9% at 72 weeks for 15 mg (SURMOUNT-1) |
| Stopped because of side effects | 6.9% (placebo 5.9%) | 7.0% (placebo 3.1%) | 6.2% at 15 mg (placebo 2.6%) |
| Fridge needed? | No | Yes before first use (no unrefrigerated allowance); 6 weeks below 30 °C once in use | Yes before first use (no unrefrigerated allowance); 30 days below 30 °C once in use |
| EU authorisation for weight management | 15 July 2026 | January 2022 (7.2 mg: 17 February 2026) | Obesity indication since 2023 |
| On sale, Oct 2026 | Germany and the UK; Denmark via parallel import; Italy announced 9 Oct, not yet in pharmacies; other EU countries pending | Marketed EU-wide (checked DE, ES, IT, FR, NL, IE) | Marketed EU-wide (checked DE, ES, IT, FR, NL, IE) |
| Maintenance list price, Germany | €277.60 per 30 tablets (25 mg) | €277.60 per 4-dose pen (4 weeks, 2.4 mg) | €490.01 per 4-dose pen (15 mg); €277.60 at 5 mg |
What is the difference between the Wegovy pill, the Wegovy injection and Mounjaro?
Two of the three are the same molecule, so oral semaglutide vs injectable semaglutide is a question of absorption, not mechanism. Semaglutide, whether swallowed or injected, acts on the GLP-1 receptor: it slows stomach emptying, dampens appetite signals in the brain and improves the insulin response to food. The tablet exists because semaglutide is a peptide that the stomach would normally digest; Novo Nordisk pairs it with an absorption enhancer, SNAC (salcaprozate sodium), that lets a small fraction, about 1% of the dose, cross the stomach lining, against close to 90% from an injection. That is why the tablet has to be taken on waking with up to half a glass of water (120 ml) and nothing else for 30 minutes, and why a 25 mg tablet every day is needed to match a 2.4 mg injection once a week. The full detail is in our guide to the semaglutide pill and on the Wegovy tablet page.
Tirzepatide, the substance in Mounjaro, is a different molecule. It activates the GLP-1 receptor and a second gut-hormone receptor, GIP. The dual action is the leading explanation offered for its larger weight loss against semaglutide 2.4 mg; in the one direct comparison fewer people stopped it for gastrointestinal effects (2.7% vs 5.6%) despite the larger weight loss. All three are licensed in the EU for adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with at least one weight-related condition, as an addition to diet and physical activity. The Wegovy injection is additionally licensed from age 12, and its EU product information carries the SELECT cardiovascular-outcome results (a separate cardiovascular indication exists only in the US); the tablet and Mounjaro have neither. The criteria are the same for every GLP-1 medicine in Europe. (Our BMI calculator gives the number the licence refers to.)
Is the Wegovy pill as effective as the injection? What the trials show
Yes, within about a percentage point: the 25 mg tablet produced 13.6% mean weight loss over 64 weeks (OASIS 4) against 14.9% over 68 weeks for the 2.4 mg injection (STEP 1), and no trial has compared the two forms directly. None of the pivotal trials was designed to be compared with the others: they ran for different lengths (64, 68 and 72 weeks), in different populations, and the placebo groups lost different amounts. The table gives each trial's "treatment-policy" figure first, counting everyone randomised whether or not they stayed on the medicine; that is the conservative number regulators use and the one to quote. The on-treatment ("trial-product") figure follows in brackets where it is published.
| Trial (journal, year) | Medicine | Participants | Duration | Mean weight loss, medicine | Mean weight loss, placebo | Lost ≥20% | Stopped for side effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OASIS 4 (NEJM, 2025) | Wegovy tablet 25 mg daily | 307 | 64 weeks | 13.6% (16.6% among those who stayed on treatment) | 2.2% (2.7%) | 29.7% (34.4%) | 6.9% vs 5.9% |
| STEP 1 (NEJM, 2021) | Wegovy injection 2.4 mg weekly | 1,961 | 68 weeks | 14.9% | 2.4% | 32.0% | 7.0% vs 3.1% |
| STEP UP (Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol, 2025; EU approval Feb 2026) | Wegovy injection 7.2 mg weekly | 1,407 | 72 weeks | 18.7% (20.7%); 2.4 mg arm 15.6% (17.5%) | 3.9% (2.4%) | 50.9% (trial product; 2.4 mg arm 35.1%); 33.2% lost ≥25% | All-cause not released; 3.3% for gastrointestinal effects (2.4 mg arm 2.0%, placebo 0%) |
| SURMOUNT-1 (NEJM, 2022) | Mounjaro 15 mg weekly | 2,539 (four arms) | 72 weeks | 20.9% (15 mg); 19.5% (10 mg); 15.0% (5 mg) | 3.1% | 57% (15 mg); 50% (10 mg) | 6.2% (15 mg) vs 2.6% |
Three things stand out. First, the tablet and the 2.4 mg injection are about a percentage point apart once the placebo effect is subtracted (estimated treatment differences of 11.4 and 12.4 points); that is within trial-to-trial variation, and no trial has tested the two forms against each other. Second, the 7.2 mg injection closes much of the gap to Mounjaro, at the cost of more nausea and a sensory side effect, dysaesthesia (altered skin sensation, typically tingling), reported by 22.9% on 7.2 mg in STEP UP (6.0% on 2.4 mg) and listed on the US Wegovy label. Third, Mounjaro's 5 mg dose, its lowest-priced maintenance dose, produced a near-identical raw result to the Wegovy injection (15.0% against 14.9%; 11.9 against 12.4 placebo-adjusted), which matters when cost is the deciding factor.
Wegovy vs Mounjaro: the only head-to-head trial in obesity
In SURMOUNT-5, the one direct comparison, Mounjaro produced 20.2% mean weight loss at 72 weeks against 13.7% for the Wegovy injection, a 6.5-point gap. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine in May 2025, it randomised 751 adults with obesity and no diabetes to the highest dose they tolerated of either tirzepatide (10 or 15 mg) or semaglutide injection (1.7 or 2.4 mg) for 72 weeks. The trial was open-label, so participants knew which pen they were using.
| Outcome | Mounjaro (tirzepatide) | Wegovy injection (semaglutide) |
|---|---|---|
| Mean weight loss | 20.2% (22.8 kg) | 13.7% (15.0 kg) |
| Lost at least 10% | 81.6% | 60.5% |
| Lost at least 15% | 64.6% | 40.1% |
| Lost at least 20% | 48.4% | 27.3% |
| Lost at least 25% | 31.6% | 16.1% |
| Waist circumference | −18.4 cm | −13.0 cm |
| Stopped for gastrointestinal side effects | 2.7% | 5.6% |
There is no trial of Mounjaro against the Wegovy pill (so no Mounjaro vs Wegovy pill results exist to quote), but the injection comparison is clear. The relative difference in mean loss is 47%, and tirzepatide led at every threshold: 1.3 times as many participants lost at least 10% (81.6% vs 60.5%) and nearly twice as many lost at least 25% (31.6% vs 16.1%). Two caveats belong next to it. The semaglutide arm lost less (13.7%) than it did in STEP 1 (14.9%). And for anyone weighing Wegovy vs Mounjaro in Europe the comparison is incomplete: the 7.2 mg Wegovy dose, not available when SURMOUNT-5 was designed, has not been compared with tirzepatide in any trial. There is also no head-to-head trial of the tablet against Mounjaro. Anyone claiming one exists is extrapolating.
Side effects: pill vs injection vs Mounjaro
All three share the GLP-1 class profile: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation that peak while the dose is being increased and usually settle. The rates below are from each pivotal trial and are not strictly comparable (different trials, different durations), but the pattern across the three trials is consistent: the tablet reported the most nausea and vomiting, Mounjaro 15 mg the least.
| Side effect | Wegovy tablet 25 mg (OASIS 4) | Wegovy injection 2.4 mg (STEP 1) | Mounjaro 15 mg (SURMOUNT-1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nausea | 46.6% vs 18.6% | 44.2% vs 17.4% | 31.0% vs 9.5% |
| Vomiting | 30.9% vs 5.9% | 24.8% vs 6.6% | 12.2% vs 1.7% |
| Diarrhoea | reported; rate not in the published summary | 31.5% vs 15.9% | 23.0% vs 7.3% |
| Constipation | 20.1% (placebo rate not published) | 23.4% vs 9.5% | 11.7% vs 5.8% |
| Any gastrointestinal event | 74.0% vs 42.2% | 74.2% vs 47.9% | not reported as a single figure |
| Stopped because of side effects | 6.9% vs 5.9% | 7.0% vs 3.1% | 6.2% vs 2.6% |
The serious risks are shared across the class and are rare: gallbladder disease (more frequent at the higher Mounjaro doses in SURMOUNT-1), pancreatitis, and the loss of muscle alongside fat that comes with any rapid weight loss (how to limit it is covered in GLP-1 and muscle loss). None of the three is used in pregnancy: the product information says to stop semaglutide (tablet or injection) at least two months before a planned pregnancy and tirzepatide at least one month before (see GLP-1 medicines in pregnancy). Three differences are specific to the form. Injection-site reactions (redness, itching) occur only with the pens. The tablet changes the absorption of other morning medicines: in the interaction study levothyroxine exposure rose by about a third, so the product information advises monitoring thyroid levels when a thyroid patient starts. And because the tablet is taken daily, a bad week of nausea cannot be ridden out by simply waiting for the next weekly dose; the dose has to be held or stepped back, which is a conversation with the prescriber.
Fridge, travel and missed doses: the practical rules from the EU product information
These rules come from the EU Summary of Product Characteristics for each medicine and matter more day to day than the trial decimals. They are the rules for the licensed EU presentations: the multi-dose Wegovy FlexTouch pen (4 doses) and the multi-dose Mounjaro KwikPen (4 doses). The single-dose Wegovy pens, including the new 7.2 mg pen, follow a different rule: they may be kept below 30 °C for up to 28 days.
| Rule | Wegovy tablet | Wegovy injection (FlexTouch) | Mounjaro (KwikPen) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storage before first use | No special temperature; keep in the blister to protect from moisture and light; no fridge | Fridge, 2–8 °C; the multi-dose pen has no unrefrigerated allowance before first use | Fridge, 2–8 °C; the KwikPen has no unrefrigerated allowance before first use |
| Once in use | No change | 6 weeks, below 30 °C or in the fridge | 30 days below 30 °C; discard after the fourth dose or 30 days, whichever comes first |
| Missed dose | Skip it; take the next tablet the following morning. Never take two in one day | Take it within 5 days of the missed day; after 5 days skip it and continue on the usual day | Take it within 4 days (96 hours) of the missed day; after 4 days skip it and continue on the usual day |
| Minimum gap between doses | One tablet per day; a missed tablet is skipped, never doubled | 3 days (72 hours) between two injections | 3 days (72 hours) between two injections |
| Taking it | On waking, after an overnight fast, with up to half a glass of water (120 ml); nothing else for 30 minutes | Any time of day, with or without food; rotate injection sites | Any time of day, with or without food; rotate injection sites |
| Flying | Tablets in hand luggage with a copy of the prescription; no temperature issue | Pens in hand luggage, never the hold (freezing); unused pens in a cool bag on long journeys | Pens in hand luggage, never the hold; unused pens in a cool bag on long journeys |
| Time zones | Take it on waking in local time; keep the 30-minute rule | Keep the same weekday; the injection day can be moved as long as 3 days separate two doses | Keep the same weekday; the injection day can be moved as long as 3 days separate two doses |
For travellers the tablet is the simplest of the three: nothing to keep cold, no sharps, and a missed morning costs one day rather than a week. The medication travel checker and the guide to EU airport rules for prescription medicines cover what each country expects at the border. For prescriptions themselves, under Directive 2011/24/EU a prescription issued in one EU country can be dispensed in another, but only for a medicine that is authorised and marketed there; that is the catch for the tablet in countries where it has not yet launched.
What Europeans pay for the Wegovy pill, the Wegovy injection and Mounjaro
At maintenance doses the Wegovy injection lists at €277.60 in Germany, €223.64 in Spain and €380 in Italy; Mounjaro 5 mg at €277.60, €271.35 and €346.58; Mounjaro 15 mg at €490.01, €446.07 and €623.85. None of the three is paid for by the public system for weight management in Germany, Spain or Italy, so the list price is what the patient pays. France is the exception since 15 June 2026. Wegovy and Mounjaro are reimbursed at 65% for adults with a BMI of 40 or more, or 35 or more with a weight-related condition, after a documented six-month nutritional programme has failed. The first prescription must come from a specialist obesity centre (CSO), a hospital obesity unit or an endocrinologist attached to one; renewals can come from any doctor. Prices below are published pharmacy list prices (incl. VAT) per pack, as listed in the national price registers and pharmacy price comparators on the dates given in the Sources (July–October 2026). They are public register data, not an offer; pharmacies in the Netherlands and Ireland set their own retail prices, so the register price or a reported band is given where one was found.
| Country | Wegovy tablet 25 mg | Wegovy injection 2.4 mg | Mounjaro 5 mg | Mounjaro 15 mg | Public reimbursement for obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | €277.60 for 30 tablets (starting strengths €172.73, 9 mg €233.23) | €277.60 (starting strengths €172.73, 1.7 mg €237.14) | €277.60 | €490.01 (2.5 mg €206.80) | None (§34 SGB V excludes weight-loss medicines) |
| Spain | Not yet on sale | €223.64 (starting strengths €179.89, 1.7 mg €200.19; cut on 1 March 2026) | €271.35 | €446.07 (2.5 mg €207.91; 10 mg €358.71) | None (both refused for funding) |
| Italy | Announced 9 October 2026; not yet in the price list of the Italian medicines agency AIFA | €380 (starting strengths €220–245, 1.7 mg €294) | €346.58 | €623.85 (7.5/10 mg €485.22) | None for obesity (class C: patient pays in full) |
| Netherlands | Not yet on sale | Register price not retrieved; retail set per pharmacy on top of the medicijnkosten.nl figure | €295.25 register price (June 2026) plus dispensing fee; retail up to about €350 | €419.46 register price (June 2026) plus dispensing fee; retail up to about €540 (2.5 mg: €176.57) | Wegovy reimbursed only within a combined lifestyle programme for severe obesity; Mounjaro not reimbursed for obesity |
| Ireland | Not yet on sale | Pharmacy-set; no reliable published band | Pharmacy-set; about €295–€350 reported (Sept 2026) | Pharmacy-set; no 15 mg band published; 7.5–10 mg about €350–€465 and 2.5 mg about €235–€290 reported (Sept 2026) | None for obesity |
| France | Not yet on sale | €195.10 regulated price (starting strengths €146.91, 1.7 mg €169.31) | €237.68 regulated price | €433.80 regulated price (2.5 mg €176.10; 7.5/10 mg €335.95) | 65% since 15 June 2026 for BMI ≥40, or ≥35 with a comorbidity, after a failed nutritional programme; first prescription from a specialist obesity centre or hospital obesity unit |
| United Kingdom (reference) | Private only since July 2026; provider prices £99–£269 a month depending on strength and provider (25 mg £170–£269), 2 October 2026 | Private; NHS access limited to specialist services | Within the list-price range £133–£330 per pen by strength since 1 September 2025 | £330 per pen, top of the range, since 1 September 2025; NHS rollout limited | Limited NHS access |
Three conclusions follow. The Wegovy injection has the lowest maintenance list price in Spain (€223.64 against €271.35 for Mounjaro 5 mg; only Mounjaro's 2.5 mg starting dose, €207.91, costs less among the Mounjaro strengths), is level with Mounjaro 5 mg in Germany (€277.60 each) and is €33 dearer than Mounjaro 5 mg in Italy (€380 against €346.58). Mounjaro at 15 mg costs 1.6 to 2 times as much as Wegovy 2.4 mg in all three countries, for 6.5 percentage points more weight loss in the head-to-head trial. Mounjaro 5 mg, which the product information lists as a maintenance dose in its own right, produced a near-identical result to the Wegovy injection in the placebo-controlled trials. The tablet is priced identically to the pen in Germany (€277.60 for 30 daily tablets against €277.60 for four weekly doses, so about 7% less per day); whether other countries price it lower is not yet known.
The register prices are for the licensed medicines in a pharmacy. Anything sold online at a fraction of these figures, without a prescription, is not the licensed product; the counterfeit pen cases of 2023–24 are the reason every EU pharmacy insists on a prescription.
Where each one is available in Europe, October 2026
The Wegovy injection and Mounjaro are marketed in every EU country checked for this comparison; supply of both has been patchy at times, and the semaglutide shortage tracker shows the current position by country, and Mounjaro side effects: what you should know covers the tirzepatide-specific points. The tablet is the one that differs by country, because each member state sets its own price and reimbursement decision before launch.
| Country | Status |
|---|---|
| Germany | On sale since 1 September 2026, private pay |
| Italy | Presented by Novo Nordisk Italia on 9 October 2026; not in the AIFA price list and no confirmed pharmacy availability as of 29 October 2026 |
| United Kingdom | On sale since July 2026, private prescription only |
| Denmark | Parallel-imported packs on sale since 28 September 2026 (DKK 2,838–3,876 per pack by strength); Novo Nordisk has not announced a Danish launch |
| Netherlands, Belgium | Authorised; price and launch decision pending |
| France, Spain, Austria, Portugal, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Romania | Authorised; national launch not yet announced |
| All other EU/EEA states | Authorised under the central EU licence; no national launch announced |
Novo Nordisk's approval announcement committed only to "launching Wegovy pill in more countries in the second half of 2026". The country-by-country status is updated monthly on the Wegovy tablet page.
Which weight-loss medication is best? What a doctor weighs up
There is no single best weight loss medication in 2026, only the best one for a given patient, and that is a judgement for a doctor who has the patient's full history; what follows describes how prescribers generally weigh the options, not advice for an individual. This is how the decision usually goes in a consultation, in the order the questions come up.
- How much weight needs to come off? If the goal is 10–15% of body weight, all three can reach it and the choice turns on the other questions. If the goal is 20% or more, or weight-related conditions such as sleep apnoea or fatty liver need the larger loss, Mounjaro at 10–15 mg or Wegovy 7.2 mg are the options with trial evidence at that level.
- Needles. For people who will not inject, the tablet is the only licensed oral option; a once-daily routine with the 30-minute rule suits people who already take a morning medicine on an empty stomach. For everyone else, prescribers generally regard one injection a week as easier to keep up than a daily tablet with conditions; the trials did not compare adherence.
- Side-effect tolerance. A history of reflux, vomiting or migraines triggered by nausea tends to count against the tablet, which had the highest nausea rate in its trial, and in favour of Mounjaro, which had the lowest in its own; a prescriber weighs this against the rest of the history.
- Travel and lifestyle. For frequent flyers, people without reliable refrigeration and shift workers, prescribers usually look first at the tablet or, failing that, at a weekly pen whose in-use period (6 weeks for Wegovy, 30 days for Mounjaro) covers the trip.
- Cost and what is stocked. In Spain the Wegovy injection has the lowest maintenance list price, in Germany it is level with Mounjaro 5 mg, and in Italy Mounjaro 5 mg lists slightly lower. A medicine that is out of stock in your country is not an option whatever the trial says, which is why the shortage tracker is checked before any medicine is discussed.
- Other medicines and conditions. Levothyroxine, warfarin, insulin or a sulfonylurea, a history of pancreatitis or gallstones, and type 2 diabetes each change the recommendation; diabetes in particular shifts the discussion to the diabetes-licensed products (see Ozempic for weight loss).
Whichever is chosen, the medicine is licensed as long-term treatment, and the first year usually settles into a plateau that is normal rather than a failure (why weight-loss drugs seem to stop working). Whether any of these medicines is appropriate is a decision for a doctor who has your history. Mobi Doctor's medical weight-loss consultation is one place to have that discussion with a licensed EU-registered doctor, usually over video within 15 minutes, daily 7am–11pm CET; what, if anything, is appropriate is the doctor's independent decision. The Wegovy, Mounjaro and GLP-1 overview pages explain each option in more depth, and alcohol, a frequent question, is covered in alcohol on GLP-1 medicines.
Wegovy pill vs injection vs Mounjaro: frequently asked questions
Is the Wegovy pill as effective as the Wegovy injection?
Close to it. In OASIS 4 the 25 mg tablet produced 13.6% mean weight loss over 64 weeks; in STEP 1 the 2.4 mg injection produced 14.9% over 68 weeks. Placebo-adjusted (the published estimated treatment differences), the two are 11.4 and 12.4 percentage points, a gap within trial-to-trial variation. No trial has tested the two forms against each other.
Is Mounjaro better than Wegovy for weight loss?
In the only head-to-head trial, SURMOUNT-5, tirzepatide produced 20.2% mean weight loss at 72 weeks against 13.7% for semaglutide injection, and fewer people stopped it for gastrointestinal side effects (2.7% vs 5.6%). The newer 7.2 mg Wegovy dose, which reached 18.7% in its own trial (20.7% among those who stayed on treatment), has not been compared with Mounjaro.
Which has the fewest side effects: the pill, the injection or Mounjaro?
Mounjaro reported the least nausea and vomiting at its top dose (31.0% and 12.2% at 15 mg in SURMOUNT-1, the dose that produced 20.9% weight loss), the Wegovy tablet the most (46.6% and 30.9% in OASIS 4), with the injection in between (44.2% and 24.8% in STEP 1). The rates come from separate trials, so treat them as a pattern rather than a precise ranking.
Which is cheapest in Europe?
At maintenance doses, the Wegovy injection or Mounjaro 5 mg depending on the country. The lowest maintenance figure in the table is France's regulated Wegovy 2.4 mg price of €195.10. Wegovy 2.4 mg lists at €277.60 in Germany, €223.64 in Spain and €380 in Italy; Mounjaro 5 mg at €277.60, €271.35 and €346.58, so it is level in Germany and lower in Italy. Mounjaro 15 mg lists at €490.01, €446.07 and €623.85. The tablet is priced identically to the pen in Germany.
Does any European health system pay for them?
France has reimbursed both Wegovy and Mounjaro at 65% since 15 June 2026 for adults with a BMI of 40 or more, or 35 or more with a weight-related condition, after a failed nutritional programme, with the first prescription from a specialist obesity centre. Germany, Spain and Italy do not reimburse any of the three for weight management. The Netherlands reimburses Wegovy only within a combined lifestyle programme for severe obesity.
Can I switch from the Wegovy injection to the pill, or from Wegovy to Mounjaro?
Both switches are done in practice and both are a prescriber's decision. The product information sets out a direct conversion from each injection strength to a tablet strength, with the first tablet taken a week after the last injection; a switch to tirzepatide starts at its lowest strength and steps up over months. Neither is something to work out alone.
Which is easiest to travel with?
The tablet: no fridge, no sharps, and a missed morning costs a day. The pens travel in hand luggage; once in use a Wegovy pen lasts 6 weeks below 30 °C and a Mounjaro pen 30 days.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Tablet: skip it and take the next one the following morning. Wegovy injection: take it within 5 days of the missed day, otherwise skip. Mounjaro: within 4 days, otherwise skip. Never double up on any of the three.
Where is the Wegovy pill available in Europe right now?
Germany (since 1 September 2026) and the UK (since July 2026). Italy announced it on 9 October 2026 but had no confirmed pharmacy stock on 29 October; Denmark has parallel-imported packs. The rest of the EU is authorised but awaiting national launch.
Can a prescription from one EU country be used in another?
Yes, under Directive 2011/24/EU, provided the medicine is authorised and marketed in the dispensing country. That is routine for the Wegovy injection and Mounjaro and, for now, only works for the tablet in Germany and, through parallel-imported packs, Denmark.
Is there a pill version of Mounjaro?
Not as a licensed medicine in Europe. Eli Lilly's oral candidate is orforglipron (Foundayo), a different molecule that received a positive EU opinion in October 2026; nothing sold as "oral tirzepatide" is a licensed product.
How to cite this comparison
Mobi Doctor (2026). Wegovy pill vs Wegovy injection vs Mounjaro: results, side effects and what Europeans pay. Reviewed by Dr Chrysoula Liakou. Published 29 October 2026. https://www.mobidoctor.eu/blog/wegovy-pill-vs-injection-vs-mounjaro. Trial figures are quoted from the primary publications listed below (STEP UP threshold and discontinuation figures from the sponsor's June 2025 ADA release); prices are national pharmacy list prices on the date shown in each table and are rechecked monthly. Journalists may reproduce the tables with attribution.
Sources
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- Wilding JPH, et al. Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity (STEP 1). N Engl J Med2021;384:989–1002. nejm.org
- Jastreboff AM, et al. Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity (SURMOUNT-1). N Engl J Med2022;387:205–216. nejm.org
- Aronne LJ, et al. Tirzepatide as compared with semaglutide for the treatment of obesity (SURMOUNT-5). N Engl J Med 2025. nejm.org
- Wharton S, et al. Once-weekly semaglutide 7.2 mg in adults with obesity (STEP UP). Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol2025. doi.org
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- European Medicines Agency. Wegovy: EPAR and product information (semaglutide tablets and solution for injection). ema.europa.eu
- European Medicines Agency. Mounjaro: EPAR and product information (tirzepatide). ema.europa.eu
- Eli Lilly (UK Medical). Storage of the Mounjaro KwikPen. medical.lilly.com
- Eli Lilly. SURMOUNT-1 topline results, 2022. investor.lilly.com
- Germany: Lauer-Taxe list prices as shown by pharmacy price comparators (MediPreis, Medizinfuchs, DocMorris), Mounjaro, Wegovy pens and Wegovy 25 mg tablets, 14–29 October 2026. medipreis.de
- Spain: Nomenclátor / BIFIMED, Ministerio de Sanidad, October 2026 (Wegovy and Mounjaro not funded); PVP after the 1 March 2026 Wegovy price cut, as reported by miglp1.com and benaes.com
- Italy: AIFA / Farmadati list prices, Wegovy (26 July 2026) and Mounjaro (6 September and October 2026), as reported by vivereglp1.com
- Netherlands: medicijnkosten.nl register prices for Mounjaro, June 2026. medicijnkosten.nl
- Ireland: reported pharmacy price bands, September 2026. slimbr.com
- Denmark: parallel import of Wegovy tablets from 28 September 2026 (Ritzau). sn.dk
- UK: Wegovy pill provider price comparison, 2 October 2026. medino.com
- Italy: Wegovy pill presentation, 9 October 2026 (no pharmacy availability date given). obesita.com
- France: Vidal, prise en charge de Wegovy et Mounjaro à partir du 15 juin 2026 (criteria, 65% rate, CSO initial prescription; regulated prices per the Journal officiel notices of June 2026). vidal.fr
- European Medicines Agency. CHMP positive opinion for Foundayo (orforglipron), 16 October 2026. ema.europa.eu
- Eli Lilly. UK list price change for Mounjaro, effective 1 September 2025. pharmaphorum.com
- Directive 2011/24/EU on patients' rights in cross-border healthcare; Implementing Directive 2012/52/EU on the recognition of prescriptions. eur-lex.europa.eu
