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HCBR-GLP-1s-audio embed

Ozempic vs. Wegovy, Mounjaro vs. Zepbound, semaglutide vs. tirzepatide—there are a lot of names and terms to keep straight in the GLP-1 world.

 the obesity treatment market will hit $95 billion by 2030, now may be the time to learn the difference.

So if you’re confused about what’s what and who’s who, never fear: Healthcare Brew has put together a handy guide giving a rundown of the key players.

Semaglutide is the active ingredient in brand-name drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus. It’s a single-hormone agent that mimics glucagon-like peptide-1, or GLP-1, according to Chika Anekwe, obesity medicine clinical director at Massachusetts General Hospital’s weight center.

GLP-1 is a hormone naturally released by the gut after meals, Anekwe told Healthcare Brew. While the organic version lasts just a few minutes, the medication version is altered to be more stable and last for several days.

The hormone “helps with regulating glucose, and it delays how quickly food empties out of your stomach so you feel fuller for longer,” Anekwe said. “Overall, it’s really beneficial for appetite suppression and blood sugar control and, ultimately, weight loss.”

Semaglutide was developed by Novo Nordisk and received FDA approval in December 2017 under the name Ozempic as a Type 2 diabetes treatment. An alternate version called Rybelsus was approved in September 2019, also as a Type 2 diabetes treatment, and semaglutide received approval for weight loss in June 2021 under the brand name Wegovy.

While semaglutide works on a single hormone, tirzepatide—the active ingredient in brand-name drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound—is a dual-hormone medication, according to Anekwe.

That means, in addition to GLP-1, it targets a hormone called glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, or GIP, which “increases insulin secretion and stimulation, improves fat metabolism and energy expenditure, and helps suppress appetite,” Anekwe said.

Tirzepatide was developed by Eli Lilly and received FDA approval in May 2022 under the name Mounjaro as a Type 2 diabetes treatment. It was 

 in November 2023 as Zepbound for obesity treatment.

You may be wondering why semaglutide and tirzepatide have multiple brand names.

Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus are all semaglutide. Rybelsus is the standout among the three because it comes in pill form while the other two are injectables—plus, it’s not prescribed as often for weight loss, as it’s currently only approved as a diabetes treatment and isn’t available in doses as strong as Ozempic’s.

But Ozempic and Wegovy are the exact same drug, according to Brian Wojeck, assistant professor of endocrinology at the Yale School of Medicine.

The only difference between the two is what they’re approved to treat (diabetes vs. obesity) and the dosages they come in, Wojeck said. For instance, the max dosage of Ozempic is 2mg while Wegovy’s is 2.4mg.

Mounjaro and Zepbound are also the same but approved to treat different things—even though they come in the same dosages, according to Wojeck.

The difference between semaglutide and tirzepatide, besides the fact that one is a single-hormone and the other is a dual-hormone agonist, is how effective they are, Anekwe said. Studies have shown that tirzepatide is more effective when it comes to weight loss compared to semaglutide.

 last year, patients taking the highest dose of semaglutide lost an average of 15% of their body weight compared to 21% on the highest dose of tirzepatide.

Semaglutide and tirzepatide also have treatment indications for conditions aside from obesity and diabetes, Wojeck said. Wegovy is approved to reduce the risk of 

, and Zepbound is approved to treat obstructive sleep apnea.

In their most recent earnings reported in early August, Eli Lilly said Mounjaro and Zepbound brought in a combined $8.6 billion in Q2, and Novo Nordisk reported Ozempic and Wegovy brought in a combined $8 billion for the quarter.

While semaglutide and tirzepatide are generally the most talked about, they’re not the only GLP-1s on the market. There’s also liraglutide and dulaglutide.

Liraglutide was approved by the FDA under the name Victoza as a Type 2 diabetes treatment in January 2010 and then rebranded as Saxenda for obesity treatment in December 2014. They are both made by Novo Nordisk. Eli Lilly’s dulaglutide was approved in September 2014 under the name Trulicity as a Type 2 diabetes treatment.

The difference between these older GLP-1s versus semaglutide and tirzepatide is that they’re not as effective in terms of weight loss and diabetes, according to Wojeck. They’re also mostly prescribed to treat diabetes instead of obesity, Anekwe added.

There are “a lot of advancements” coming in the world of GLP-1s and obesity treatments in general, Wojeck said.

One is retatrutide, an injectable drug Eli Lilly is developing that’s a triple agonist, meaning that in addition to GLP-1 and GIP, it also targets glucagon. Experts think this means it’ll be even more effective in terms of weight loss, Wojeck said. Eli Lilly is expected to release Phase 3 results on the drug in late 2025 or early 2026.

 more effective oral GLP-1s to the market, which Wojeck said he believes will “make things easier for a good deal of patients.”

Eli Lilly reported in Q2 2025 earnings on Aug. 7 that its revenue increased 38% compared to the same quarter last year, thanks to growth in Mounjaro and Zepbound sales. Novo Nordisk reported in its Q2 earnings on Aug. 6 that diabetes and obesity treatment drug sales increased 16% YoY.

A hand with a medical glove holding up pharma pills next to a measuring tape and GLP-1 injectionables

What’s the difference between the GLP-1s on the market?

From semaglutide vs. tirzepatide to Ozempic vs. Wegovy.

illustrated headshot of caroline catherman, healthcare brew reporter

Caroline Catherman

HCBR-ICHRAs-audio embed

An individual coverage health reimbursement arrangement (ICHRA) is an atypical way to cover health costs with a bold pitch.

Instead of offering a traditional group plan, employers give workers money before tax to buy whatever insurance plan works for them on the individual market, paying more or less depending on what they need. Think health insurance à la carte.

The idea is to give workers more freedom and give employers more predictable healthcare costs.

“It gets [employers] out of a one-size-fits-all mentality of picking a plan or a set of plans for all employees,” Zachary Sherman, managing director at public healthcare-focused research and consulting firm Health Management Associates, told us.

The concept first soft-launched to employers with 50 or fewer workers in 2017 with qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangements (QSEHRAs). ICHRAs then stretched health reimbursement arrangements to employers of all sizes in 2020 after an executive order by President Donald Trump.

While there’s no comprehensive public enrollment data, employers reportedly offered ICHRAs to 200,000+ employees and their dependents in 2025, according to data from 15 ICHRA/QSEHRA service providers 

 trade and advocacy organization the HRA Council. Uptake hasn’t been explosive, but the data shows it’s risen 19% overall since 2020 and 34% among large employers (50+ employees).

“It felt like, if one big employer took a leap, others might follow. But we hadn’t reached that point,” JoAnn Volk, co-director of Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms, told us.

Now some experts say health reimbursement arrangements might be about to hit a new set of speed bumps, just as the race against group plans was getting interesting. 

“The whole premise of an HRA is based on having a robust, healthy individual market, and that’s no longer assured. It’s very much at risk,” Volk said.

Experts told us changes proposed in July’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act and June’s Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Final Rule might make it more expensive and difficult to sign up for individual coverage, potentially keeping ICHRAs from living up to the hype.

People with lower medical costs may decide individual insurance isn’t worth the hassle, Volk said.

“The people who will persevere are the ones who say ‘I need this coverage no matter what it costs me, and no matter how many hoops I have to jump through,’” Volk said.

If those who choose to keep their health insurance coverage are sicker and use their coverage more, payers may raise premiums or cut everyone’s benefits to compensate.

 from nonpartisan health policy research group KFF predicts the average out-of-pocket payment will rise 75% for people who use Healthcare.gov or state-based 

. Enrollment is currently at a record 24 million, though that number could drop by more than 11 million based on actuarial group Wakely’s analysis of an earlier version of July’s bill. Among the changes:

Automatic re-enrollment ends starting in plan year 2028.

The open enrollment window shortens by two weeks beginning in plan year 2027.

Stricter eligibility verification requirements for the premium tax credit will be effective in plan year 2028.

, which are set to expire at the end of the year.

The minimum percent ACA-regulated plans must contribute toward patients’ costs lowers beginning in plan year 2026 (aka more cost-sharing for patients).

For ICHRAs to work, “there needs to be a healthy, robust, and vibrant individual market of ACA plans. And so, any actions that move us away from that don’t further that goal,” Josh Schultz, strategic engagement manager of Softheon, a healthcare technology company that provides enrollment, billing, and payment solutions to health plans and government agencies, told us.

The final version of the One Big Beautiful Bill also removed an earlier provision that would have codified ICHRAs and given $100 monthly tax credits to participating small employers.

Volk specifically pointed to one clause buried in the June marketplace rule that lowers the share of patient costs an ACA-regulated plan must cover, effective 2026.

This matters for ICHRAs because it has long been law that large employers must contribute a minimum to their employees’ health reimbursement arrangements in order for coverage to be considered “affordable”—otherwise, they’re fined. That minimum is calculated for each employee using, in part, the cost of the lowest-cost standard silver-tier plan on the marketplace that year.

So if silver plans cover less, employers can contribute less, which shifts more of the financial burden of premiums and out-of-pocket costs to employees. The rule’s text argues this could increase ICHRA adoption, making large employers more willing to get on board because it would be cheaper for them.

Alan Silver, president of Centene’s ICHRA offering, said he views this model as “the future of employer-sponsored healthcare” in a statement to Healthcare Brew, echoing a similar remark by Centene CEO Sarah London in a February earnings call. As of March 31, Centene touts nearly 28 million managed care members, of which people in ICHRAs make up a small portion.

Louis DeStefano, SVP of growth at insurer Oscar Health—which, according to DeStefano, has just under 2 million members primarily in the individual exchange marketplace—said he hopes Oscar can become “one of the leaders” in the ICHRA market.

He argues ICHRA is attractive because of its ability to really individualize insurance—the insurer has plans specifically for people with diabetes, for instance.

DeStefano added it’s possible that Trump or Congress might eventually extend premium tax credits or take other actions to otherwise incentivize ICHRA growth.

“The administration remains supportive of ICHRAs as a means to efficiently strengthen the individual market and expand employee insurance choices for small businesses. President Trump made meaningful progress during his first term to expand ICHRAs, and we are committed to building off that progress,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai told us.

A hand reaching out to medical crosses on a store shelf, with all different price points.

How recent policy could impact ICHRAs

A recent marketplace integrity rule could halt ICHRA momentum.

Cassie McGrath

HCBR-AI lacks regulations in healthcare-audio embed

AI regulations in healthcare are, well, sort of nonexistent at the moment.

 from regulating AI for the next 10 years, though that was scrapped from the June 6 

 for a new proposal that restricts broadband funding in states that regulate AI.

, and according to the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, 75% of top healthcare companies are experimenting with generative AI. The research organization also reported that 82% of healthcare organizations plan to “implement governance and oversight structures for generative AI.”

That’s where the public-private Coalition for Health AI, or CHAI, comes in. Launched in December 2021, the group of 3,000 providers, tech companies, and other healthcare organizations—including Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and Mount Sinai—are working together to create standards for AI in healthcare.

 for responsible AI use in healthcare, released last June, which companies can reference when building out their models, including principles of trustworthy AI, system design, and monitoring.

“It started with a group of eight of us in the private sector coming together, agreeing that this is an effort building best practice frameworks,” Brian Anderson, CEO at CHAI, told Healthcare Brew. The group hopes to “provide the kind of guardrails and guidelines that build trust” across the spectrum, from payers to providers to patients.

One of the core tenants of CHAI’s guidelines is that “transparency is critical,” Anderson said.

The company has what it calls a model card, which Anderson described as a “nutrition label” with information like metric goals, warnings, and testing types so providers and health companies can see what sorts of AI practices others use. For instance, if the Mayo Clinic had a new AI note-taking tool it was using, the model card would outline how the health system uses it, metrics to show performance (such as its safety and usefulness), and potential risks, biases as well as ethical considerations to keep in mind.

Fairness is also a key tenant of CHAI, Anderson said, to ensure training models are “highly effective on people” across the country, from rural states to urban areas to tribal nations.

CHAI’s focus is on the tech side, Anderson said, and it doesn’t advocate for any specific external regulations or federal policies. Though he said many members are most interested in regulations that don’t stifle innovation or create an “uncoordinated patchwork set of state regulations,” he added.

“We want our public-sector colleagues to see CHAI as a resource to educate them on the principles of responsible AI and how the private sector is adopting, implementing, and moving forward in that space,” he said.

On June 11, CHAI announced a new partnership with the Joint Commission, a nonprofit that also sets standards for healthcare and accredits hospitals. For instance, the organization doles out a Gold Seal of Approval to healthcare organizations that hit certain quality and safety measures.

Together, the two organizations hope to “accelerate the development and adoption of AI best practices and guidance across the US healthcare system” by creating AI rules and tools as well as a new certification program “rooted in the Joint Commission’s platform for evidence-based standards and CHAI’s consensus-based best practices for health AI,” according to a release.

That guidance is coming in the fall, followed by the accreditation, the release said.

Another priority for the organization this year, Anderson said, is to connect with smaller providers, like 

, to “make an intentional, significant effort to build playbooks for those community clinics that don’t have the kinds of resources that an [academic medical center] has.”

The organization also announced Kyu Rhee, president and CEO of the National Association of Community Health Centers, as a new board member in February as a part of these efforts.

What are the benefits of CHAI for companies?

Emmanuel Oquendo, CEO of software company BrainHi, became a member of CHAI in November.

BrainHi, based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, helps automate phone calls and other operations for medical practices that need 

Oquendo joined CHAI, he said, because one of the organization’s principles is to ensure AI algorithms and models “are fine-tuned for specific communities’ needs.”

“There are some algorithms that might work great for a Caucasian community but not necessarily for 

He was also inspired to join because CHAI provides an opportunity to learn and network with other healthcare experts about using AI “responsibly and securely,” he said.

Oquendo is now part of a CHAI working group developing guidelines on deploying AI chatbots in healthcare, and said CHAI provides him with valuable guidance to bring back to his own company’s best practices. “I felt that I would get very important information by being part of the community that I could share with my customers,” he said.

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Calm can help employees improve their mind-body connection—and their health outcomes.

Healthcare Explainers

What’s the difference between the GLP-1s on the market?

How recent policy could impact ICHRAs

AI lacks regulations in healthcare. This group set some guidelines

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