GLP-1 drugs list: every approved GLP-1 medication

Every GLP-1 medication approved in the US, by active ingredient: how each is taken, what its FDA label approves it for, and where compounded options fit.

'GLP-1' has become shorthand for a whole class of prescription medications. Their formal name is GLP-1 receptor agonists: drugs that act on the same receptor as GLP-1, a hormone the gut releases after eating. This page lists every one available in the US by its active ingredient, the name on the label and on the prescription, with how it is taken and what its FDA label approves it for.

What is a GLP-1 receptor agonist?

A receptor agonist is a medication that switches a receptor on, the way a key turns a lock. GLP-1 receptors sit on cells in the pancreas, the stomach and parts of the brain involved in appetite. When a GLP-1 receptor agonist activates them, the pancreas releases insulin when blood sugar is high, the stomach empties more slowly, and the brain receives signals of fullness. The body's own GLP-1 is broken down within minutes. The medications are engineered to last a day or a week, which is what makes them usable as treatments.

Which GLP-1 medications are FDA-approved?

One molecule can be sold as several products, each approved for its own uses and doses, so what a medication is approved for depends on the product, not only on the molecule. Some products have also left the US market for commercial reasons: the standalone lixisenatide injection was withdrawn in 2023, and the brand-name exenatide products have been discontinued, while a generic twice-daily exenatide remains. Liraglutide and exenatide are both available as generics.

Which GLP-1 medications are approved for weight loss?

Four molecules have products approved for chronic weight management, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity, in adults with obesity or with overweight and at least one weight-related condition:

• Liraglutide, a once-daily injection
• Semaglutide, a once-weekly injection or a once-daily tablet
• Tirzepatide, a once-weekly injection
• Orforglipron, a once-daily tablet

Exenatide and dulaglutide are approved for type 2 diabetes only. Prescribing a diabetes product for weight management would be off-label, a decision for a prescriber rather than a choice made from a list.

Are there GLP-1 pills?

Yes, two. Semaglutide comes as a once-daily tablet, approved for type 2 diabetes and, as a separate product, for weight management. It has to be taken on an empty stomach with a small amount of plain water, at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking or other medicines. Orforglipron, approved in 2026 for weight management, works differently: it is a small molecule rather than a peptide, and its label allows it to be taken once a day with or without food.

What makes tirzepatide different?

Tirzepatide is the one molecule on the list that acts on two hormone receptors: GLP-1 and GIP, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, another gut hormone that prompts insulin release after meals. That is why it is called a dual agonist. Its molecule is built on the GIP sequence rather than on GLP-1. Every other medication here acts on the GLP-1 receptor alone. Our comparison of semaglutide and tirzepatide covers how the two differ in practice.

Is there such a thing as a GLP-1 inhibitor?

Not as a weight-loss medication. 'GLP-1 inhibitor' is usually a mix-up with DPP-4 inhibitors, a different class of type 2 diabetes tablets that includes sitagliptin, saxagliptin, linagliptin and alogliptin. DPP-4 is the enzyme that breaks down the body's own GLP-1 within minutes. Blocking it lets natural GLP-1 last longer, which helps with blood sugar control; DPP-4 inhibitors are not approved for weight management. The same enzyme explains a detail of semaglutide's design: its label notes that the molecule is modified to resist DPP-4, part of the reason one dose lasts a week.

Where do compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide fit?

Compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide are separate preparations, made by licensed compounding pharmacies for an individual patient on a clinician's prescription. They are not the FDA-approved products in the table above. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved and are not reviewed by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or quality. GLP's programs use compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide when a licensed clinician decides one is appropriate. Our guide to compounded GLP-1 medications explains what that means in practice.

How does a clinician choose between them?

By what is being treated and which products are approved for it, your medical history and other medications, how you feel about injections, and cost and access. There is no single best GLP-1 for everyone. Every medication on this list is prescription-only, and which one, if any, is appropriate depends on a licensed clinician's review of your health.

This article is educational and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Whether any medication is appropriate for you is a decision for a licensed clinician who has reviewed your health history.