Are Diabetes Drugs Safe & Effective For Weight Loss?

There’s been lots of attention on type 2 diabetes drugs recently, especially since they might also be able to support weight loss. Whether you live with type 2 diabetes or obesity, you may have heard about medications like Ozempic® that can help manage blood sugar levels and weight.

So, what’s the best diabetes drug for weight loss? Is there a diabetes shot for weight loss? Are these medications actually effective for weight management in people without diabetes?

We’ll help fill in some of the gaps, including which FDA-approved diabetes drugs can cause weight loss, how effective they are at reducing and managing body weight, and the possible side effects.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard of people using diabetes drugs for weight loss.

Diabetes drugs are prescribed alongside lifestyle changes, like a healthy eating plan and increased exercise.

These medications affect the body in different ways, including helping the pancreas produce more insulin and lowering blood sugar levels. Newer diabetes drugs also act on parts of your brain responsible for appetite regulation. 

Types of diabetes drugs for weight loss include:

• GLP-1s. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) are a class of medications that stimulate the GLP-1 receptor in your pancreas. This leads the pancreas to produce more insulin, which helps lower blood sugar levels and promote weight loss. GLP-1 drugs for weight loss and type 2 diabetes include dulaglutide, liraglutide, and semaglutide.

• GIP/GLP-1s. These are dual-acting, meaning they target two receptors in the body: gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) and GLP-1. Besides acting on GLP-1, they mimic GIP. This hormone is released after eating to trigger insulin production and is linked with feelings of fullness. Tirzepatide is a GIP/GLP-1.

• Biguanides. These medications help keep your blood sugar in check by making the liver produce less glucose. Metformin is a biguanide.

We’ll break down the different active ingredients in each of these diabetes drug classes ahead.

1. Semaglutide

Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that acts on a hormone affecting appetite regulation. It’s among the diabetes drugs most commonly used for weight loss.

Novo Nordisk’s brand-name drugs for semaglutide are Ozempic®, Wegovy®, and Rybelsus®. Ozempic and Wegovy are both once-weekly subcutaneous injections, while Rybelsus is taken orally every day.

There are a few other distinctions between each to be aware of.

Most notably, Ozempic was FDA-approved in 2017 to treat type 2 diabetes and is sometimes prescribed off-label to support weight management.

Wegovy was FDA-approved in 2021 for weight loss in people with obesity or those with an overweight BMI (body mass index) who also have an obesity-related condition, like high blood pressure (hypertension) or high cholesterol.

2. Liraglutide

Liraglutide is the active ingredient in Saxenda® and Victoza®.

Like semaglutide, liraglutide is an injected GLP-1 receptor agonist that works by regulating a hunger hormone.

Unlike Ozempic and Wegovy — which are injected once a week — liraglutide is injected once a day. For those who don’t love the idea of a daily injection, semaglutide injections may be the best GLP-1 for weight loss option.

Victoza is FDA-approved to treat type 2 diabetes but is also sometimes prescribed off-label for weight loss. Saxenda is FDA-approved for weight management in people with obesity.

3. Dulaglutide

Dulaglutide is another GLP-1 injection available under the brand name Trulicity®. This medication is FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes but is sometimes prescribed off-label for weight loss.

Like semaglutide, this is one of the diabetes drugs for weight loss that’s injected once weekly.

4. Tirzepatide

Tirzepatide is the active ingredient in the brand-name drugs Mounjaro® and Zepbound®.

Mounjaro is FDA-approved as a diabetes drug but is also prescribed off-label for weight loss, while Zepbound is FDA-approved for weight loss.

Tirzepatide is a dual-action injection known as a GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist. According to an Eli Lilly-sponsored study, 10 to 15 milligrams of once-weekly tirzepatide can reduce appetite and food intake, both of which promote weight loss.

5. Metformin

Metformin — a biguanide — is an oral diabetes medication that helps keep blood sugar in check by causing the liver to produce less glucose. It was approved by the FDA in 1994 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

So, is diabetes medication for weight loss effective? Two recent studies have shown that GLP-1s offer a lot of potential:

• A Novo Nordisk-sponsored 2021 study followed nearly 2,000 adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more and without diabetes. It looked at 2.4 milligrams of weekly semaglutide versus a placebo and found that, on average, semaglutide users lost seven times as much weight as the placebo group over the course of a 68-week treatment.

• A 2022 study sponsored by Eli Lilly followed more than 2,500 adults with a BMI of 30 or more and without diabetes. It looked at the effectiveness of tirzepatide for 72 weeks at different doses. In the end, the drug led to significant weight loss across weekly dosages of 5, 10, and 15 milligrams, with a higher dose showing more benefits.

• In one study from Novo Nordisk, 846 participants were given either a 1.8-milligram dose of liraglutide, a 3-milligram dose of liraglutide, or a placebo for 56 weeks, all with a 500-calorie per day deficit and increased physical activity. People who took 3 milligrams of liraglutide experienced the most significant weight loss.

• A 2020 meta-analysis of 21 metformin trials found the drug had a clinically significant impact on lowering BMI — particularly in folks with obesity.

• A smaller study on metformin also found that the average weight lost in 154 patients was between 5.6 and 7 kilograms — or 13 to 15 pounds.

Generally speaking, GLP-1s, GIP/GLP-1s, and metformin are considered safe and effective when used as prescribed.

That said, no medication is without side effects. The most common side effects of GLP-1 medications are gastrointestinal issues, including:

• Constipation

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Abdominal pain

• Nausea

More serious issues are possible with GLP-1 receptor agonists. Taking these drugs could elevate your risk for:

• Kidney disease 

• Pancreatitis

• Thyroid cancer, especially those with multiple endocrine neoplasia

These severe adverse effects of weight loss diabetes drugs are uncommon, but they’re important to keep in mind.

These diabetes drugs all require a prescription. You can meet with a licensed healthcare provider in person or on certain telehealth platforms to get a prescription. This will likely entail an exam, a medical evaluation, and a review of your personal medical history.

Although getting GLP-1s and metformin for weight loss varies by provider, they’ll typically ask you some questions and calculate your BMI. Body mass index is based on your height and weight. It can provide a basic idea of body fat composition.

A one-month supply of brand-name weight loss injections costs around the following, though prices may vary based on your location, your dose, and other factors:

• Ozempic: $1,075

• Wegovy®: $1,450  

• Mounjaro: $1,163  

• Victoza: $582

• Saxenda: $1,450  

• Zepbound: $383

• Trulicity: $1,064

• Rybelsus: $1,075

Also, health insurance policies don’t usually cover weight loss medications, including semaglutide, liraglutide, and tirzepatide. But they might cover diabetes treatment.

How to Get Diabetes Medications for Weight Loss Through Hers

If you're exploring GLP-1s or oral medications like metformin for weight loss, Hers offers access to a wide range of treatment options prescribed by licensed providers, and our platform makes it easy to get started. 

GLP-1s available through Hers include: 

• Ozempic 

• Wegovy® 

• Generic liraglutide 

In addition to metformin, your Hers care team might suggest some combo of the following oral meds: 

• Bupropion 

• Topiramate

• Naltrexone

Getting prescribed weight loss meds through Hers begins with an online health evaluation, followed by a virtual consultation with a licensed provider. If medication is appropriate based on your goals and medical history, they’ll create a personalized treatment plan just for you. From there, your prescription is shipped directly to your door in discreet packaging — no insurance or in-person visits required.

You’ll have access to free, ongoing virtual check-ins and provider support to address concerns, help manage any early side effects, and monitor progress.

For example, if you’re experiencing nausea or you’re worried about starting weight loss meds because of this possible side effect, your care team might recommend a prescription anti-nausea medication like Zofran® (ondansetron) at no additional cost. Pricing options from Hers range and start at $69 per month. You don’t have to pay for the consultation or have health insurance to get treatment through Hers.

Losing weight can be a significant priority for those with overweight and obesity. Carrying excess body weight can lead to medical conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, heart attacks, and more.

But reaching a lower body weight can be a complicated process. It’s not always as simple as going on a diet or trying to exercise more — especially if you have a metabolic condition that makes it harder to do so. In some cases, diabetes medications that support weight loss can be game-changing tools.

Here’s what to keep in mind about diabetes drugs for weight loss:

• GLP-1s and GIP/GLP-1s treat both obesity and type 2 diabetes. They each function a little differently, but they generally work by keeping blood sugar levels in check and acting on hormones that affect appetite regulation.

• The FDA has approved metformin, Ozempic, and Mounjaro to treat diabetes, but these drugs can be prescribed off-label for weight loss.

• Saxenda (liraglutide), Wegovy (semaglutide), and Zepbound (tirzepatide) are all approved for chronic weight management in folks with obesity and overweight with accompanying medical conditions like high blood pressure.

• Of the diabetes drugs prescribed off-label for weight loss, metformin is one of the most well-researched.

• If you have obesity or are struggling to lose weight, talk to a healthcare provider about the potential benefits of weight loss drugs. They can help you figure out the best plan for your personal needs and goals.

Hers offers access to multiple diabetes drugs for weight loss. You can connect with a healthcare provider to discuss possible treatment plans.

Get started on our telehealth weight loss platform today.