Mounjaro vs Wegovy Australia: Cost, Results and PBS Guide
Mounjaro vs Wegovy in Australia: Which Weight Loss Medication Is Right for You?
TL;DR: Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Wegovy (semaglutide) are both TGA registered for chronic weight management in Australia. In the only head to head trial, Mounjaro produced an average 20.2 percent body weight reduction over 72 weeks compared with 13.7 percent for Wegovy. Wegovy generally costs less per month and may join the PBS first. The right choice depends on your health profile, your budget, and your prescriber’s clinical assessment.
Mounjaro vs Wegovy is the comparison most Australians researching prescription weight loss medication eventually arrive at. Both are weekly injections. Both are TGA registered for chronic weight management. Both require a prescription from a registered doctor. Yet they contain different active ingredients, produce different average results, and sit at different price points.
Choosing between them is not about picking the strongest option. It is about matching the medication to your health history, your goals, and your budget, with a doctor guiding the decision. This guide compares the two on evidence, cost, PBS status, side effects, and access, using current Australian data. It is written for education and is not a substitute for personal medical advice. Eligibility for either medicine is always assessed by a registered prescriber as part of a medically supervised weight loss program.
What Is the Difference Between Mounjaro and Wegovy?
Mounjaro contains tirzepatide, which activates two gut hormone receptors, GIP and GLP-1. Wegovy contains semaglutide, which activates the GLP-1 receptor only. Both are weekly injections that reduce appetite and slow stomach emptying, but Mounjaro’s dual action produced greater average weight loss in clinical trials.
That four sentence answer is the core of it. The dual receptor action is why researchers sometimes describe tirzepatide as a "twincretin". Beyond the mechanism, the two medicines differ in maker, dosing schedule, price, and PBS outlook, which the rest of this guide covers in detail.
Mounjaro vs Wegovy at a Glance
Which Works Better for Weight Loss?
Mounjaro produced greater average weight loss in the only direct comparison. The SURMOUNT-5 trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2025, followed 751 adults without diabetes for 72 weeks. Participants on tirzepatide lost an average of 20.2 percent of their body weight, about 22.8 kg. Participants on semaglutide lost an average of 13.7 percent, about 15.0 kg.
Waist circumference told a similar story. The tirzepatide group lost an average of 18.4 cm from the waist compared with 13.0 cm for semaglutide. Participants on tirzepatide were also more likely to reach the 10, 15, 20, and 25 percent weight loss milestones.
Averages are not guarantees. Some people respond strongly to semaglutide, and some cannot tolerate tirzepatide. Results depend on dose, consistency, diet, activity, and individual biology. Both medicines are approved as an addition to a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity, not as a replacement for them. Your doctor will weigh the evidence against your personal health profile before recommending either one.
How Much Do Mounjaro and Wegovy Cost in Australia?
Wegovy is usually the cheaper option month to month. Neither medicine is PBS subsidised for weight management right now, so patients pay the full private prescription price at the pharmacy.
Mounjaro typically ranges from about $285 per month on the 2.5 mg starting dose to around $600 per month on higher doses. Our full Mounjaro cost guide breaks down the price at every strength.
Wegovy typically ranges from about $270 to $350 per month during the early titration weeks, settling at roughly $350 to $500 per month on the 2.4 mg maintenance dose. The complete Wegovy price breakdown covers first year and ongoing costs.
The gap matters over a full year of treatment. A patient on a high Mounjaro dose can pay several thousand dollars more per year than a patient on Wegovy maintenance. If budget is the deciding factor, it is also worth comparing both against the other options in our guide to the cheapest weight loss medication available in Australia.
Are Mounjaro and Wegovy on the PBS?
No. As of August 2026, neither medicine is PBS subsidised for weight management, but their paths look very different.
Wegovy is the closer of the two. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee gave it a positive recommendation in January 2026 for a defined patient group, adults with a BMI of 35 or higher, or 32.5 or higher for some populations, who also have established cardiovascular disease. Price negotiations between the government and Novo Nordisk are underway. If listing proceeds, eligible patients could pay around $25 per script, or $7.70 with a concession card. Our Wegovy PBS status article tracks the timeline as it develops.
Mounjaro is further away. It is not PBS subsidised for weight management, and its manufacturer declined a PBS listing arrangement for its diabetes indication in 2026 over pricing, so a weight management subsidy is not expected soon.
The practical takeaway: budget for private prescription prices for the foreseeable future, and treat any future PBS listing as a bonus rather than a plan.
What Are the Side Effects of Mounjaro and Wegovy?
The side effect profiles are similar because both medicines work on the same digestive pathways. The most common effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, and reduced appetite, especially in the first weeks after starting or increasing a dose. These usually ease as the body adjusts.
Less common but more serious risks for both include gallbladder problems and pancreatitis. Neither medicine is suitable during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, and neither is recommended for people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN 2 syndrome.
In SURMOUNT-5, the rate of gastrointestinal side effects was broadly comparable between the two groups, and most events were mild to moderate. Tolerability still varies person to person. Some patients switch from one medicine to the other under medical supervision because of side effects, which is a routine clinical decision rather than a failure. Slow dose titration, smaller meals, and staying hydrated all help. Always report persistent or severe symptoms to your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
How Does Ozempic Compare?
Ozempic contains the same active ingredient as Wegovy, semaglutide, but it is TGA registered for type 2 diabetes rather than weight management, and its maximum dose is lower. Doctors have historically prescribed it off-label for weight loss, particularly during Wegovy supply shortages.
Because "mounjaro vs ozempic" is really a comparison between tirzepatide and a lower dose of semaglutide, the SURMOUNT-5 findings broadly carry over: tirzepatide produced greater average weight loss than semaglutide at the doses studied. Ozempic’s advantage is usually price, since its monthly cost tends to sit below both Wegovy and Mounjaro.
With Wegovy now reliably available in Australia, prescribers generally favour it over Ozempic for weight management because it is the semaglutide product actually registered for that purpose and titrates to the higher 2.4 mg dose. For patients who prefer a tablet rather than an injection, Contrave is another prescription option your doctor may discuss.
How Do You Get a Mounjaro or Wegovy Prescription in Australia?
Both medicines are Schedule 4 prescription-only medicines, so the pathway always starts with a doctor. There is no legal way to buy either without a prescription, and imported products sold outside the regulated supply chain carry real safety risks.
At HolisticChem, the process is designed to be simple and judgement-free:
Step 1. Pre-screening. Complete a short online checklist. It takes about five minutes and checks basic eligibility before you pay for anything.
Step 2. Telehealth consultation. A registered doctor reviews your health history in a $25 new patient consultation and decides whether treatment is clinically appropriate for you.
Step 3. eScript issued. If you are eligible, your prescription is sent to your phone or email.
Step 4. Dispensing and delivery. Our Bayswater pharmacy dispenses your medication with cold chain handling and delivers Australia-wide via Australia Post Express, or you can collect in-store.
Follow-up matters as much as the first script. Our pharmacist team is available for ongoing questions between doctor reviews, so dose changes, side effects, and supply are managed rather than left to guesswork. This coordinated doctor and pharmacist model is the core of our weight loss program.
Mounjaro or Wegovy: Making the Choice
If maximum average weight loss is the priority and budget allows, the trial evidence favours Mounjaro. If cost matters most, or a possible PBS subsidy would make treatment sustainable for you, Wegovy is the stronger candidate. If injections are not right for you at all, tablet options exist and are worth discussing with your doctor.
There is no universally correct answer, only the right answer for your body, your health history, and your circumstances. That is a conversation to have with a registered doctor, not a decision to make from a comparison table alone.
Ready to talk it through? Book a consultation online through our telehealth partner, call us on 03 8204 6600, or message our pharmacist team on WhatsApp at 0403 545 543. Personalised healthcare, professional support, when you need it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you switch between Mounjaro and Wegovy?
Yes, patients switch in both directions under medical supervision. A doctor will plan the change, usually starting the new medicine at a low or intermediate dose rather than the top dose of the old one. Never switch or combine the two on your own.
Which is cheaper, Mounjaro or Wegovy?
Wegovy is usually cheaper month to month in Australia. Wegovy maintenance typically costs about $350 to $500 per month, while Mounjaro ranges from about $285 on the lowest starting dose to around $600 on higher doses. Neither is PBS subsidised for weight management yet.
Is Mounjaro TGA approved for weight loss in Australia?
Yes. The TGA expanded Mounjaro’s registration in September 2024 to include chronic weight management for adults with a BMI of 30 or higher, or 27 or higher with at least one weight-related health condition. It remains a private prescription.
Is the Wegovy 7.2 mg dose available in Australia?
Not yet. The higher 7.2 mg dose was approved in the United Kingdom in January 2026 and in the United States in March 2026, but it is not TGA registered in Australia. The highest Australian Wegovy dose remains 2.4 mg weekly.
Do I need a referral for a telehealth weight loss consultation?
No referral is needed. You complete a short online pre-screening checklist, then book a $25 new patient telehealth consultation with a registered doctor who assesses whether treatment is clinically appropriate for you.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information only and does not replace advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Mounjaro, Wegovy, Ozempic, and Contrave are Schedule 4 prescription-only medicines. A registered doctor must assess your suitability before any treatment is prescribed. Individual results vary. Sources: SURMOUNT-5, NEJM 2025; RACGP newsGP; Therapeutic Goods Administration.