Ozempic vs Januvia: Weight Loss, Side Effects, Price
Ozempic is a GLP-1 medicine (weekly injection); Januvia is people with type 2 diabetes take sitagliptin as a daily pill; it inhibits DPP-4, not a GLP-1. Ozempic is FDA approved for type 2 diabetes, and for people with type 2 diabetes, heart risk and kidney disease.
A quick look at Ozempic
Its half-life is about 1 week: after 7 d, half is gone, and about 3% remains after five half-lives (35 d).
In SUSTAIN 1, people with type 2 diabetes lost 4.7 kg over 30 weeks, against 1.2 kg on placebo.
The maker's price page shows the list price and self-pay offers as monthly price points in US dollars.
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), healthsystemtracker.org, prnewswire.com 1 2.
Januvia and Ozempic compared side by side
| Ozempic | Januvia | |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine | Ozempic | Januvia |
| Active ingredient | semaglutide | Not listed |
| Manufacturer | Novo Nordisk | Not listed |
| How it is taken | Weekly injection | Not listed |
| Approved for | Type 2 diabetes, and for people with type 2 diabetes, heart risk and kidney disease | Not listed |
| First FDA approval | 2017 | Not listed |
| Most common side effect | Nausea 20.3% vs 6.1% on placebo | Not listed |
| List price | $1,027.51 per pen | Not listed |
| Self-pay from | $199 per month | Not listed |
| FDA shortage | Resolved February 21, 2025 | Not listed |
| What it is | Not listed | People with type 2 diabetes take sitagliptin as a daily pill; it inhibits DPP-4, not a GLP-1 |
Information came from Novo Nordisk pricing, NovoCare, and TrumpRx.
Price and coverage compared side by side
| Medicine | How you pay | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Ozempic | List price before insurance | $1,027.51 per pen |
| Ozempic | Ozempic Savings Offer (insured) | starting at $25 a month for a period of up to 3 months |
| Ozempic | Self-pay: Ozempic pill (from 1.5 mg) | $149 per month |
| Ozempic | With self-pay, an introductory Ozempic pen option is available for the first 2 fills, at strengths of 0.25 mg and 0.5 mg | $199 per month |
| Ozempic | Self-pay: 1 mg, 0.5 mg, and 0.25 mg Ozempic pen strengths | $349 per month |
| Ozempic | Self-pay: Ozempic pen 2 mg | $499 per month |
| Ozempic | Self-pay via TrumpRx | $199 per month |
Prices were checked in November 2026: Novo Nordisk pricing, NovoCare, TrumpRx.