List of GLP-1 medications: approved, compounded, and available in 2026. | Reddit

What are GLP-1 receptor agonists?

GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) is a gut hormone released after eating. It signals the pancreas to release insulin, tells the brain to reduce appetite, and slows gastric emptying. GLP-1 receptor agonists are synthetic molecules engineered to bind GLP-1 receptors with greater potency and a much longer half-life than the endogenous hormone — long enough for once-weekly injection in most modern formulations.

Tirzepatide, the dual agonist, adds a second mechanism: it also activates GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) receptors, adding a distinct pathway for insulin secretion and adipose tissue regulation. This dual mechanism is why tirzepatide trials showed modestly greater average weight reduction than semaglutide trials, though direct head-to-head comparative data are limited.

What are all the FDA-approved GLP-1 medications?

Semaglutide-based

• Ozempic (semaglutide 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 2 mg weekly injection) — FDA-approved for glycemic management in adults with type 2 diabetes. Widely prescribed off-label for weight management.
• Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly injection) — FDA-approved for chronic weight management in adults with BMI ≥30, or ≥27 with a weight-related comorbidity.
• Rybelsus (oral semaglutide 3 mg, 7 mg, 14 mg daily tablet): FDA-approved for glycemic management in adults with type 2 diabetes. Ozempic tablets (1.5 mg, 4 mg, 9 mg) share its label.
• Wegovy tablets (oral semaglutide up to 25 mg daily): FDA-approved December 22, 2025 for chronic weight management and to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events.

Orforglipron (small-molecule GLP-1 agonist)

• Foundayo (orforglipron daily tablet, Eli Lilly): FDA-approved April 1, 2026 for chronic weight management; taken with or without food.

Tirzepatide-based (GLP-1 + GIP dual agonist)

• Mounjaro (tirzepatide 2.5–15 mg weekly injection) — FDA-approved for glycemic management in adults with type 2 diabetes.
• Zepbound (tirzepatide 2.5–15 mg weekly injection) — FDA-approved for chronic weight management in adults with BMI ≥30, or ≥27 with a weight-related comorbidity.

Liraglutide-based

• Victoza (liraglutide 1.2 mg, 1.8 mg daily injection) — FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes management and cardiovascular risk reduction.
• Saxenda (liraglutide 3 mg daily injection) — FDA-approved for chronic weight management in adults and adolescents.

Exenatide-based

• Byetta (exenatide 5 mcg, 10 mcg twice daily injection) — FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes management.
• Bydureon / Bydureon BCise (exenatide extended-release 2 mg weekly injection) — FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes management.

Dulaglutide-based

• Trulicity (dulaglutide 0.75–4.5 mg weekly injection) — FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes management and cardiovascular risk reduction.

What compounded GLP-1 medications are available?

Compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide come from licensed 503A compounding pharmacies, which prepare each one for a single named patient to fill a prescription a licensed clinician wrote for that person. Compounded preparations use pharmaceutical-grade API and are made under USP compounding standards, and they are not FDA-approved as finished drug products.

Practically speaking, compounded versions have been significantly more accessible than branded products for many patients — lower cost (no insurance gatekeeping), faster access, and consistent supply in the period when branded product availability was constrained.

What matters most for your own course is the prescription behind it and what the pharmacy puts in the vial. PepScribe fills semaglutide and tirzepatide as combination preparations with cyanocobalamin, dosed for the individual patient, so ask your clinician what yours contains and what your titration schedule looks like.

What’s available through PepScribe

• Compounded semaglutide — subcutaneous injection, dispensed by licensed 503A pharmacies in the USA
• Compounded tirzepatide — subcutaneous injection, dispensed by licensed 503A pharmacies in the USA

Both require a licensed clinician to review your intake and issue a valid prescription. No hidden overseas supply chain — compounded in the USA.

How do you choose between GLP-1 medications?

Patients often ask whether semaglutide or tirzepatide is “better.” The honest answer from the clinical literature:

• Both produce clinically meaningful weight reduction in eligible adults in the context of a comprehensive weight management approach.
• SURMOUNT-1 (tirzepatide) and STEP-1 (semaglutide) trials showed different average outcomes, but direct head-to-head randomized trials are limited. Average trial results don’t predict individual patient response.
• Side effect profiles are similar (primarily GI: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation), generally dose-dependent and most common during dose escalation.
• Contraindication profiles overlap significantly. Both carry a black box warning regarding personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN2.
• The most important factor is which your prescribing clinician recommends based on your health history, goals, and current medication list.

Which GLP-1 medications compare best for weight management?

SC = subcutaneous injection. Compounded formulations are prepared per patient by a licensed 503A pharmacy to fill a written prescription. Clinician evaluation required for all.

What is NOT a GLP-1 medication?

OTC supplements marketed as “GLP-1 support” (berberine, bitter melon, fiber blends) are not GLP-1 receptor agonists. They are dietary supplements in a separate regulatory category and should not appear on any list of GLP-1 medications. The naming is a marketing convention, not a pharmacological claim.

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