The semaglutide in the jab and pill mimics the actions of a hormone called GLP-1 (glucagon-like-peptide-1), which is released from the intestine after people eat.
It acts on receptors in the brain that control appetite, making people feel fuller, less hungry and crave food less.
Very common side effects with both include stomach problems, like feeling sick, being sick (vomiting), constipation and diarrhoea.
With the jab, you may get little bit of skin redness, itching or mild swelling where you inject.
Some people on the tablets or injections may experience stomach pain, headaches and tiredness.
More rarely, people can get more serious complications, like low blood sugar, pancreatitis or severe allergic reactions.
It’s worth checking the patient information leaflet for the full details.
Do not take the medication if you are under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding, and make sure you speak to your doctor about any other medical conditions you have or medication you take.
What dose do you start on?
The starting dose is a 1.5mg tablet once a day for one month and then, after consultation, the dose would generally increase each month until the recommended maximum dose of 25mg once a day.
Like the jab, it can take several months to get full benefits and there is the risk that weight may go back on after you stop the medication.
Patients currently being treated privately with a 2.4mg semaglutide injection can switch to daily semaglutide 25mg tablets, with medical supervision.
A healthcare professional should always be consulted before patients try and switch like for like, as the most appropriate dose and treatment will vary by individual.
How do weight-loss drugs like Mounjaro and Wegovy work?
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How much does it cost and will it be cheaper than the injection?
This is likely to depend on where you get it.
Some pharmacies have limited-time introductory offers, where the first few doses are sold at a relatively low price.
The price will also partly depend on the dose taken, with the higher doses costing more.
Some pharmacies are currently pricing the lowest dose (1.5mg) at £99 for a month’s supply and the highest dose (25mg) at £199 for a 30-day supply.
When it launched in the US, the manufacturer listed the starting dose of 1.5mg at $149 (around £110) a month.
There are hopes that the pill will be cheaper than the injection in the long term but we don’t know that for certain yet.
Some pharmacies are currently charging similar prices for both.
When will it be available on the NHS?
Earlier this month it became the first tablet of its kind to get cleared by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
We don’t yet know if or when it will be available on the NHS.
The next step is for the healthcare watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), to see if its expert panel recommends it.
NICE will need to see trial data from the pill’s manufacturer and other information to assess, amongst other things, how cost-effective it would be.
Adam Burt, head of obesity for pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, told the BBC’s Today Programme that “we need to make sure the medicines are cost effective for the NHS [and] the taxpayer”.
He added that the review normally takes 9 to 12 months.
Are the pills a short-term fix?
GLP-1 drugs are not meant for a short-term or cosmetic weight loss – in any form.
Health experts strongly advise against using them as a quick-fix to get “beach body” ready, although it is clear people do misuse them.
How well does it work?
In a recent trial, external, people took Wegovy or a placebo (dummy pill), alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for 64 weeks.
People who took Wegovy tablets lost on average 13.61% of their body weight, compared with 2.18% in the placebo group.
Professor of diet and population health at the University of Oxford, Susan Jebb, says the drugs have the potential to be used in a long-term way, similar to blood pressure or cholesterol medication. But admits she is apprehensive about relying on them for solving the obesity issue.
“Pretty much everybody has a good intention to eat healthily today, but somehow that gets eroded when you walk down the high street and there are coffee shops and cafes and muffins… and chocolates on a three-for-two deal.”
What is being done about counterfeit pills?
Fake pills being sold is a “massive concern”, Burt said, but added that Novo Nordisk had a number of measures to prevent such medication being distributed.
“[This includes] monitoring of online spaces, particularly online where people can be exposed to fake drugs websites selling counterfeit medicines, fortified medicines.
“We have an operation where we take down sites directly, we had a successful High Court judgement a couple of weeks ago, that enables us to work directly with service providers to take down these sites.”
In April this year, pharmacies called for more to be done to tackle the “sophisticated criminal enterprise” of counterfeit weight-loss jabs after Northamptonshire Police carried out a raid, seizing £250,000 worth of drugs.
Burt said the company was working with regulators including MHRA and law enforcement, with police conducting “a number of sting operations”.
He also told people to source information from the NHS website or Novo Nordisk’s site.
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