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GLP-1 Semaglutide Rx
Comparison matrix
CapturedNexLife$110semaglutide · captured 2026-08-03Trimi$125tirzepatide · captured 2026-07-27Fifty 410$133tirzepatide · captured 2026-07-27NexLife$147tirzepatide · captured 2026-08-03Mochi Health$178semaglutide · captured 2026-08-03Mochi Health$278tirzepatide · captured 2026-08-03LillyDirect$299tirzepatide · captured 2026-07-27CapturedNexLife$110semaglutide · captured 2026-08-03Trimi$125tirzepatide · captured 2026-07-27Fifty 410$133tirzepatide · captured 2026-07-27NexLife$147tirzepatide · captured 2026-08-03Mochi Health$178semaglutide · captured 2026-08-03Mochi Health$278tirzepatide · captured 2026-08-03LillyDirect$299tirzepatide · captured 2026-07-27
Prices 35 verified of 82 Rubric v1.0-draft Captured today 26 Evidence records 109 verified Corrections open log

Trial review

This figure has a stated end date

The $149 rate on this page is not open-ended. The $149 rate covers 1.5 mg and 4 mg. The 4 mg price rises to $199 after this date. It stops applying on 2026-08-31, in 28 days.

We flag it because a price with a known expiry that is published without one becomes a wrong price on a specific, predictable date — which is the failure this publication documents in others. Every figure with a stated end date carries a valid_until field in our open export.

STEP-8: The approved product Against Liraglutide, Head to Head

How does weekly the drug compare with daily liraglutide for weight loss?

Dr. Parmis, Editorial Lead · Jonathan Michael Snipes, MD, Medical Reviewer

Published Updated Sources captured Medically reviewed not yet — why

Direct answer

STEP-8 was a randomised, open-label, active-comparator, phase 3b funded by Novo Nordisk. Mean weight change approximately −15.8% on this medicine against approximately −6.4% on liraglutide and −1.9% on placebo. That figure belongs to the population, dose and 68 weeks shown below, and describes a group average rather than a prediction for any individual.

Answer last reviewed: 2026-08-03Evidence:
STEP-8 at a glancepublished, peer-reviewed
STEP-8: The active ingredient Against Liraglutide, Head to Head
DesignRandomised, open-label, active-comparator, phase 3b
PopulationAdults with BMI 30 or above, or 27 or above with a comorbidity, without diabetes
Sample size338
InterventionThe molecule 2.4 mg weekly
ComparatorLiraglutide 3.0 mg daily, and placebo
Duration68 weeks
Primary endpointPercentage change in body weight
Main resultMean weight change approximately −15.8% on this GLP-1 against approximately −6.4% on liraglutide and −1.9% on placebo
NCT NCT04074161 · DOI 10.1001/jama.2021.23619 · PMID 35015037Last source check: 2026-08-03
How to read STEP-8 without over-reading it
1Who was eligibleAdults with BMI 30 or above, or 27 or above with a comorbidity, without diabetes2What they receivedThe approved product 2.4 mg weekly3What it was compared againstLiraglutide 3.0 mg daily, and placebo4For how long68 weeks5What was measured firstPercentage change in body weight6What the group average wasMean weight change approximately −15.8% on the drug against approximately −6.4% on li7What it does not tell youA group average is not a prediction for any individual reader.
Show this figure as a table
Data table
StepStageWhat happens
1Who was eligibleAdults with BMI 30 or above, or 27 or above with a comorbidity, without diabetes
2What they receivedSemaglutide 2.4 mg weekly
3What it was compared againstLiraglutide 3.0 mg daily, and placebo
4For how long68 weeks
5What was measured firstPercentage change in body weight
6What the group average wasMean weight change approximately −15.8% on semaglutide against approximately −6.4% on liraglutide and −1.9% on placebo
7What it does not tell youA group average is not a prediction for any individual reader.
Strip any step and the result stops meaning what the trial found.
Reported resultsJAMA
Semaglutide 2.4 mg16%Liraglutide 3.0 mg6%Placebo2%
Show this figure as a table
Data table
ItemWeight changeEvidence
Semaglutide 2.4 mg16%published, peer-reviewed
Liraglutide 3.0 mg6%published, peer-reviewed
Placebo2%published, peer-reviewed
Group means under trial conditions with lifestyle intervention. Not a prediction for any individual reader.
Mean weight reduction by drug and dose, from the trials that produced each figureSeparate trials, different durations and populations
Tirzepatide 15 mg (SURMOUNT-1)21%Oral semaglutide 25 mg, adherent (17%Injectable semaglutide 2.4 mg (SUR14%Oral semaglutide 25 mg, treatment-14%Orforglipron 17.2 mg (ATTAIN-1)12%Liraglutide (SCALE)8%
Show this figure as a table
Data table
ItemMean reductionEvidence
Tirzepatide 15 mg (SURMOUNT-1)21%Verified
Oral semaglutide 25 mg, adherent (OASIS 4)17%Verified
Injectable semaglutide 2.4 mg (SURMOUNT-5)14%Verified
Oral semaglutide 25 mg, treatment-policy (OASIS 4)14%Verified
Orforglipron 17.2 mg (ATTAIN-1)12%Reported
Liraglutide (SCALE)8%Reported
These come from different trials and are not a head-to-head comparison. Durations differ (64 to 72 weeks) and estimands differ. Only SURMOUNT-5 compared two of these drugs directly.
Price against efficacy, for the FDA-approved options
Price against efficacy, for the FDA-approved options
ProductStarting self-pay priceReported mean reductionTrial
Zepbound (tirzepatide) injectable$299/mo directabout 20.9% at 15 mgSURMOUNT-1, 72 weeks
Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide 25 mg)$149/mo starting dose13.6–16.6% depending on estimandOASIS 4, 64 weeks
Wegovy injectable (semaglutide 2.4 mg)$349/mo maintenanceabout 13.7%SURMOUNT-5, 72 weeks
Foundayo (orforglipron)$149/mo starting doseabout 11–12.4% at 17.2 mgATTAIN-1, 72 weeks
Both $149 products are the least effective approved options in this table. That does not make them bad choices — it makes a price comparison that omits efficacy an incomplete one.

Frequently asked questions

Does this apply to compounded versions?

No. The trial studied an FDA-approved product at studied doses.

Is this drug as effective as tirzepatide?

By mean reduction across separate trials, no. The efficacy ladder above sets out the figures with the trial that produced each one.

Cite this pageCC BY 4.0

GLP-1 Semaglutide Rx. “STEP-8: Semaglutide Against Liraglutide, Head to Head.” S.J Partners LLC, 2026-08-03. https://glp1semaglutiderx.com/research/step-8/

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