Ozempic vs Trulicity: SUSTAIN 7 Results, Side Effects, Cost
Ozempic (semaglutide) and Trulicity (dulaglutide) are both GLP-1 medicines, each a weekly injection. Ozempic self-pay starts at $199 per month.
Ozempic and Trulicity: quick facts
Comparing Trulicity with Ozempic side by side
| Ozempic | Trulicity | |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine | Ozempic |  Trulicity |
| Active ingredient | semaglutide | dulaglutide |
| Manufacturer | Novo Nordisk | Eli Lilly |
| How it is taken | Weekly injection | Weekly injection |
| Approved for | Type 2 diabetes, along with heart risk and kidney disease in those with type 2 diabetes | Type 2 diabetes and heart risk |
| First FDA approval | 2017 | 2014 |
| Most common side effect | Nausea 20.3% vs 6.1% on placebo | Nausea 21.1% vs 5.3% on placebo |
| List price | $1,027.51 per pen | $1,006.93 per fill |
| Self-pay from | $199 per month | Not listed |
| FDA shortage | Resolved February 21, 2025 | Not on the FDA shortage list |
Sources: FDA label, FDA label (DailyMed), Novo Nordisk pricing, pricinginfo.lilly.com.
Weight loss compared
No trial directly compared the two drugs, so these results come from separate trials.
| Trial | Who took part | Length | Group | A1C change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWARD-11 | Adults with type 2 diabetes on metformin | 36 weeks | Dulaglutide 1.5 mg weekly | -1.54 percentage points (mean HbA1c change) |
| AWARD-11 | Adults with type 2 diabetes on metformin | 36 weeks | Dulaglutide 4.5 mg weekly | -1.77 percentage points (mean HbA1c change) |
Trial sources: AWARD-11 (PubMed).
Side effects compared
Trials for each label used its own participants and its own placebo group, so put each drug side by side with its placebo first.
| Side effect | Ozempic | Placebo (Ozempic trials) | Trulicity | Placebo (Trulicity trials) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nausea | 20.3% | 6.1% | 21.1% | 5.3% |
| Vomiting | 9.2% | 2.3% | 12.7% | 2.3% |
| Diarrhea | 8.8% | 1.9% | 12.6% | 6.7% |
| Abdominal pain | 7.3% | 4.6% | 9.4% | 4.9% |
| Constipation | 5% | 1.5% | Not listed | Not listed |
| Decreased Appetite | Not listed | Not listed | 8.6% | 1.6% |
| Dyspepsia | Not listed | Not listed | 5.8% | 2.3% |
| Fatigue | Not listed | Not listed | 5.6% | 2.6% |
Price and coverage compared
| Medicine | How you pay | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Ozempic | List price before insurance | $1,027.51 per pen |
| Ozempic | Ozempic Savings Offer (insured) | prices start at $25 each month for up to 3 months |
| Ozempic | Self-pay: Ozempic pill (from 1.5 mg) | $149 per month |
| Ozempic | Introductory Ozempic pen self-pay price (0.25 mg and 0.5 mg in 2 starting fills) | $199 per month |
| Ozempic | Pay out of pocket for an Ozempic pen in 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, or 1 mg | $349 per month |
| Ozempic | Self-pay: Ozempic pen 2 mg | $499 per month |
| Ozempic | Self-pay via TrumpRx | $199 per month |
| Trulicity | List price before insurance | $1,006.93 per fill |
| Trulicity | Trulicity Savings Card (insured) | from $25 for up to a 3-month fill |
November 2026 price checks: trulicity.lilly.com, Novo Nordisk pricing, NovoCare, TrumpRx, and pricinginfo.lilly.com.
Who should pick which?
- For people with type 2 diabetes, Ozempic has approval to treat kidney disease.
- For children under 18, Trulicity has approval for some of them
- Ozempic's published self-pay price comes to $199 per month if you pay cash.
Your prescriber takes your health history, other medicines, and coverage into account.