Ozempic is deeply rooted in cultures around the world. “Face of Ozempic” was selected as a final candidate for Word of the year from famous dictionaries In 2025.

Ozempic Because it’s not the only drug that mimics the natural GLP-1 hormone, users feel fuller longer and eat less. There is also that zep boundMounjaro, Trulicity, Victoza, and more products for people with obesity and type 2 diabetes are on the way.

GLP-1 drugs stimulate the production of insulin when blood sugar levels are high, stop the liver from releasing excess sugar, and slow stomach emptying to prevent blood sugar from spiking after meals.

There are more GLP-1 options than ever before, and choosing the right one can be difficult. Some are injectable, some are tablets, and some need to be taken daily and some weekly.

Here’s a look at what’s on the market and what could be in the pipeline for 2026.

Other GLP-1s have been around for longer, but Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic is probably the most widely known.

The Food and Drug Administration approved Ozempic in 2017 for adults with type 2 diabetes. wegobee It was approved as a treatment for obesity in 2021.

Both are once-weekly injections, but Wegovy uses a higher maintenance dose of semaglutide than Ozempic. In December 2025, the FDA Once-daily tablet version of Wegovy approved.

Semaglutide tablets were already commercially available. Rybelsus was approved for type 2 diabetes in 2019. The daily tablet is the first oral GLP-1.

There is no generic version of semaglutide officially approved by the FDA.

Common side effects include Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, gas, abdominal pain.

People with a history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (a rare neuroendocrine tumor known as MTC) or multiple endocrine tumor syndrome type 2 (hereditary cancer known as MEN 2) should not take semaglutide due to an increased risk of thyroid C-cell tumors in rodents.

Tirzepatide differs from other GLP-1s in that it mimics the GLP-1 and GIP hormones.

GIP promotes fat storage and is more effective than GLP-1 in certain respects.

The FDA approved Lily’s Munjaro for type 2 diabetes in 2022 and Zepbound for obesity in 2023. These are once-weekly injections that share the same dosing schedule and strength.

There is no FDA-approved generic version of tirzepatide.

Common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, indigestion, and heartburn/acid reflux.

Avoid use if you have a personal or family history of MTC or MEN 2.

The FDA approved Novo Nordisk’s Victoza in 2010 to treat type 2 diabetes and Saxenda in 2014 to treat obesity.

Both are daily injections. The main difference is the dosage. Saxenda has a higher maximum dose of liraglutide than Victoza.

Generic Victoza was approved in 2024 and generic Saxenda the following year.

Common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, and indigestion.

Avoid taking liraglutide if you have a personal or family history of MTC or MEN 2. boxed warning For thyroid C-cell tumors.

dulaglutide

Eli Lilly’s Trulicity is the only available version of dulaglutide.

In 2014, the FDA approved Trulicity to treat type 2 diabetes in combination with diet and exercise. Weekly injections are not approved for weight loss.

Common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

Trulicity also has a boxed warning. It can cause thyroid C-cell tumors in rats, but it is unclear whether this risk also applies to humans. Therefore, avoid use if you have taken MTC or MEN 2.

exenatide

The FDA approved exenatide in 2005, making it the first GLP-1 approved for type 2 diabetes.

This comes in several formats: Byetta is a twice-daily injection, Bydureon is a once-weekly jab, and Bydureon BCise is a once-weekly dose administered with a pen auto-injector.

AstraZeneca has discontinued all three formulations in the U.S. in recent years, but the generic Byetta was approved by the FDA in late 2024.

Common side effects of the drug include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and indigestion.

Do not take exenatide if you have severe kidney disease, significantly slow digestion, or diabetic ketoacidosis.

Lixisenatide

In 2016, the FDA approved lixisenatide, sold as Adrixin, for type 2 diabetes.

Daily pen injections are often given in combination with insulin.

Adrixin was discontinued in the United States in 2023, but lixisenatide is sold under the brand name Lyxumia in Europe and other markets. Lixisenatide is also the main ingredient in the diabetes drug Soliqua, available in the United States.

Common side effects include headache, dizziness, as well as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain.

Focus on these drugs in 2026

Lily’s Orforgripron Unlike other GLP-1 drugs, it is not a peptide that is broken down by stomach acid.

Due to its small molecular structure, it can pass through the stomach intact. The once-daily pill has received FDA approval for obesity and is expected to be available in the U.S. in mid-to-late 2026.

Lily’s Ritartide It is nicknamed “GLP-3” and “triple G” because it mimics GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon, which stimulate hepatic glucose production and release.

It will be injected once a week and is expected to be submitted to the FDA for approval in 2026.