Weight loss tablets vs injections: a plain comparison
The choice between a daily tablet and a weekly pen comes down to routine, not chemistry. Here is how to choose.
The current options #
UK patients now have real choice. Weekly injections: Mounjaro (tirzepatide), Wegovy (semaglutide). Daily tablets: Wegovy tablets (oral semaglutide) and Foundayo (orforglipron). A daily injection, Nevolat (liraglutide), remains for specific cases.
Effectiveness #
| Treatment | Format | Average trial loss |
|---|---|---|
| Mounjaro 15 mg | Weekly injection | Up to 21% (SURMOUNT-1) |
| Wegovy 7.2 mg | Weekly injection | About 20.7% (STEP UP) |
| Wegovy 2.4 mg | Weekly injection | About 15% (STEP 1) |
| Wegovy tablets | Daily tablet | About 15% (OASIS 1) |
| Foundayo | Daily tablet | About 12% (ATTAIN-1) |
| Nevolat | Daily injection | About 8% (SCALE) |
Injections lead the averages, but the gap between Wegovy pen and tablet is small, and a tablet taken religiously beats a pen abandoned in month two.
The practical differences #
- Routine: one weekly task versus one daily task. Neither is objectively easier. The better fit depends on your life.
- Rules: Wegovy tablets need an empty stomach and a 30-minute wait before food. Foundayo and the pens have no food rules.
- Storage: pens need a fridge. Tablets do not.
- Needles: the weekly pens use fine, short needles. Most needle-worried patients adapt within two doses.
How to choose #
Choose the format you will still be using in month nine. Needle-averse with solid mornings: tablets. Chaotic mornings or weekly-thinking brain: pen. unsure: start with whichever your prescriber recommends, switching later is routine, not failure.
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Page information
- Summary
- GLP-1 tablets vs injections compared: trial effectiveness, daily routine, food rules, storage, needles and how to choose the format you will keep.
- Publisher
- Aero Clinic, operated by AERO HEALTHCARE LTD.
- Editorial update
- Clinical review
- Pending. An editorial update is not a clinical sign-off.
Cite as: Weight loss tablets vs injections: a plain comparison, Aero Clinic (https://www.cagri.co.uk), AERO HEALTHCARE LTD. https://www.cagri.co.uk/article-pills-vs-pens. Editorial update: 4 November 2026. Clinical review pending.