Ozempic vs. Trulicity: What You Should Know

Get answers to some frequently asked questions about Ozempic and Trulicity.

Is Ozempic or Trulicity prescribed for weight loss?

Neither Ozempic nor Trulicity is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for managing weight. In certain cases, though, doctors may prescribe Ozempic off-label for weight loss. (With off-label use, a drug that’s approved for certain conditions is prescribed for another purpose.) To learn more about Ozempic for weight loss, see this article.

Wegovy, a drug that’s used for weight loss, has the same active ingredient* (semaglutide) as Ozempic. Wegovy and Ozempic contain different doses of semaglutide. Wegovy contains higher doses of the drug, which work to regulate hunger. And Ozempic contains lower doses of the drug, which work to manage blood sugar levels.

If you’re interested in learning about drugs used for weight loss, talk with your doctor. And to learn more about how Wegovy and Ozempic compare, see this article.

* An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.

How do other similar drugs, such as Jardiance or Victoza, compare with Ozempic and Trulicity?

Ozempic (semaglutide), Trulicity (dulaglutide), Jardiance (empagliflozin), and Victoza (liraglutide) are similar drugs that are prescribed to manage blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. In addition, these drugs have some other uses.

Ozempic, Trulicity, and Victoza belong to the same group of drugs and work in the same way to lower blood sugar levels. These three drugs are also all given as an injection under the skin. Ozempic and Trulicity are given once per week, while Victoza injections are given once daily.

On the other hand, Jardiance works a bit differently to treat type 2 diabetes. The drug comes as a tablet that you swallow, usually once per day.

To learn more about how Ozempic and Trulicity compare with other drugs, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Can Ozempic and Trulicity be used together?

No, Ozempic and Trulicity should not be used together.

Ozempic and Trulicity work in the same way to treat diabetes and lower your risk of certain heart problems. Combining the two drugs won’t offer any benefit for treating your condition. And using both medications at the same time raises your risk of side effects that both drugs can cause, including diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

If you have questions about using Trulicity with other drugs, talk with your doctor.

Is Ozempic a better treatment option than Trulicity or vice versa?

Whether Ozempic or Trulicity is a better treatment option for you depends on certain factors. These include other medications you take or medical conditions you may have.

Talk with your doctor to learn more about how Ozempic and Trulicity compare and whether one may be a better treatment for you.

If you’re prescribed Ozempic or Trulicity, it’s possible to experience mild or serious side effects from either drug. This section describes possible side effects these drugs may cause.

For more information about possible side effects, see the side effect articles on Ozempic and Trulicity.

Mild side effects

Ozempic and Trulicity may cause mild side effects in some people. The chart below lists examples of mild side effects that have been reported with these drugs.

This chart may not include all mild side effects of these drugs. For more information on mild side effects of the two drugs, see the Ozempic prescribing information and Trulicity prescribing information.

Serious side effects

In addition to the mild side effects described above, serious side effects may occur in people using Ozempic or Trulicity. See the chart below for a list of side effects that have been reported with these drugs.

Whether you have health insurance or not, cost may be a factor when you’re considering these drugs. Visit Optum Perks to get price estimates for Ozempic and Trulicity when you use coupons from the site. It’s important to note that Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with any insurance copays or benefits.

Keep in mind that what you’ll pay for either drug will depend on your treatment plan, health insurance, and the pharmacy you use.

Ozempic and Trulicity are both brand-name drugs. Ozempic isn’t available as a generic form. Trulicity contains the drug dulaglutide, which is a biologic medication. (A biologic is made from parts of living organisms.) Trulicity is not available in a biosimilar form. Biosimilars are like generic drugs. But unlike generics, which are made for non-biologic drugs, biosimilars are made for biologic drugs.

For other resources that might help you save on the price of these drugs, see the cost articles for Ozempic and Trulicity.

The sections below provide dosage information for the conditions both Ozempic and Trulicity treat or prevent, along with details on how each drug is given. The strengths of each drug are listed in milligrams per milliliter (mg/mL).

Dosage for managing blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes

Your doctor or another healthcare professional will show you or a caregiver how to give yourself Ozempic or Trulicity injections at home. Both medications are given as an injection under the skin. Injections can be given in the following areas:

• thigh
• abdomen (at least 2 inches away from your belly button)
• upper arm

For more information, check out these step-by-step instructional videos for using Ozempic or Trulicity:

• How to use Ozempic
• How to use Trulicity

Dosage for lowering risk of heart problems in certain adults

Your doctor or another healthcare professional will show you or a caregiver how to give yourself Ozempic or Trulicity injections at home. Both medications are given as an injection under the skin. Injections can be given in the following areas:

• thigh
• abdomen (at least 2 inches away from your belly button)
• upper arm

For more information on using either of these drugs, check out the step-by-step instructional videos for Ozempic or Trulicity.

You may wonder whether Ozempic or Trulicity is available as a generic or biosimilar.

A generic drug is an exact copy of the active ingredient in a brand-name medication. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.)

Biosimilars are like generic drugs. But unlike generics, which are made for nonbiologic drugs, biosimilars are made for biologic drugs. Trulicity is a type of biologic drug.

To find out whether Ozempic or Trulicity is available as a generic or biosimilar, see the list below.

• Ozempic:
  • Available as a generic: no
  • Active ingredient: semaglutide

• Trulicity:
  • Available as a biosimilar: no
  • Active ingredient: dulaglutide

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves prescription drugs such as Ozempic and Trulicity to treat or prevent certain conditions.

See the chart below to see which conditions each drug treats or prevents.

To learn more about using Ozempic or Trulicity for your condition, talk with your doctor.

Ozempic or Trulicity and children

Trulicity may be used to manage blood sugar levels in children ages 10 years and older who have type 2 diabetes. Trulicity is prescribed along with a balanced diet and exercise.

Ozempic is not approved for use in children.

You may wonder whether Ozempic and Trulicity are effective at treating your condition.

Studies have found both drugs to be effective at managing blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Studies also found both drugs to be effective at preventing certain heart problems in adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease. If you’d like to read more about how each drug performed in studies, see the prescribing information for Ozempic and Trulicity.

Guidelines from the American Diabetes Association recommend Ozempic and Trulicity as treatment options for people with type 2 diabetes. These guidelines do not endorse either drug as better than the other.

An indirect comparison study from 2022 between Ozempic and Trulicity found that Ozempic may be more effective at managing blood sugar levels. But it’s important to note that your results from Ozempic or Trulicity may differ from those seen in studies.

To learn more about the effectiveness of Ozempic or Trulicity, talk with your doctor.

Ozempic and Trulicity may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors that affect your health. These may be referred to as warnings.

The two drugs share some of the same warnings, but they have others that differ. Some of these warnings are mentioned below. Before you start using Ozempic or Trulicity, be sure to talk with your doctor to see if these warnings apply to you.

Boxed warning: Risk of thyroid cancer

Trulicity and Ozempic both have a boxed warning for the risk of thyroid cancer. A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It alerts doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous.

In animal studies, drugs such as Ozempic and Trulicity increased the risk of certain thyroid cancers, including a type called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). But animal studies don’t always predict how a drug will affect people. It isn’t known whether Ozempic or Trulicity also increase the risk of thyroid cancer in humans.

Due to the risk of thyroid cancer, doctors will avoid prescribing Ozempic or Trulicity if you or a family member have had MTC or if you have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN2).*

If you’re prescribed Ozempic or Trulicity, your doctor will monitor you for symptoms of thyroid cancer during treatment. They may also order tests to check for thyroid cancer. If you notice symptoms of thyroid cancer, let your doctor know right away. Symptoms to watch for include a hoarse voice, neck pain, or a lump in your throat.

* MEN2 is a rare genetic (inherited) condition that can lead to thyroid cancer.

Other warnings

In addition to boxed warnings, Ozempic and Trulicity have other warnings.

Before using Ozempic or Trulicity, talk with your doctor if any of the following conditions or health factors apply to you.

• Warnings for Trulicity:
  • if you have liver problems
• Warnings for both Ozempic and Trulicity:
  • if you’ve had an allergic reaction to either drug or any of its ingredients
  • if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant
  • if you’re breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed
  • if you have kidney problems
  • if you have pancreas problems
  • if you have diabetic retinopathy (a kind of eye damage caused by diabetes)

To learn more about these drugs and their warnings, see the in-depth articles on Ozempic and Trulicity.

The short answer: Yes, it’s possible.

Details: Ozempic and Trulicity both belong to the same group of drugs, called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. It’s usually possible to switch from one GLP-1 drug to another.

Ozempic and Trulicity are both injected once per week. Your doctor will likely suggest waiting a week after your last dose of the old drug before starting treatment with the new drug.

Reminder: You should not switch drugs or stop your current treatment unless your doctor recommends it.

It’s important to note that Trulicity has some additional uses that Ozempic isn’t approved for. Your doctor may not recommend switching from Trulicity to Ozempic depending on the condition you use Trulicity to treat.

Ozempic and Trulicity are both used to help manage blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. Ozempic and Trulicity are also prescribed to lower the risk for certain heart problems in adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

If you have questions about these drugs and whether one of them is right for you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Examples of questions you may want to ask include:

• How will you determine whether Ozempic or Trulicity is a better treatment for me?
• If my blood sugar stops responding to Ozempic or Trulicity, could I try the other drug?
• If I have digestive problems from taking either Ozempic or Trulicity, what’s my risk of having this side effect If I switch to the other drug?

To learn more about Ozempic, see these articles:

• Ozempic: Overview, Off-Label Use for Weight Loss, How It Works, and More
• All About Ozempic’s Dosage
• Ozempic and Cost: What You Need to Know
• Ozempic: How It’s Used for Weight Loss
• Ozempic Interactions: Alcohol, Medications, and Others
• Ozempic vs. Victoza: Which Is Better for Me?
• Ozempic vs. Wegovy: What You Should Know
• Side Effects of Ozempic: What You Need to Know

To learn more about Trulicity, see these articles:

• All About Trulicity Injection
• Trulicity and Cost: What You Need to Know
• Trulicity Dosage: What You Need to Know
• Side Effects of Trulicity: What You Need to Know
• Trulicity vs. Victoza: What You Should Know

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Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.