In short
GLP-1 weight loss medicines are weekly or daily injections that copy the gut hormone GLP-1, reduce appetite and slow stomach emptying. In trials, adults lost about 15 percent of their body weight on semaglutide and about 21 percent on tirzepatide, against about 3 percent on placebo. In Dubai, they need a doctor’s prescription and are usually long-term treatment.
Treatment Overview
What is GLP-1?
GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1) is a hormone the gut releases after eating. GLP-1 increases insulin release when blood sugar is high, lowers glucagon, slows stomach emptying and signals fullness to the brain. The body breaks down its own GLP-1 within minutes; the medicines act for a day or a whole week.
Which GLP-1 medicines are used for weight loss?
The main GLP-1-based medicines are semaglutide, tirzepatide and liraglutide. The table shows how they differ.
| Active ingredient | Brand examples | Targets and dosing |
|---|---|---|
| Semaglutide | Wegovy (weight), Ozempic (diabetes) | GLP-1, weekly |
| Tirzepatide | Mounjaro | GIP and GLP-1, weekly |
| Liraglutide | Daily injection brands | GLP-1, daily |
How much weight do people lose on GLP-1 medicines?
In the main trials, adults without diabetes lost 14.9 percent of their body weight on semaglutide 2.4 mg over 68 weeks and 20.9 percent on tirzepatide 15 mg over 72 weeks. Placebo groups with the same lifestyle support lost 2.4 and 3.1 percent.
| Trial and medicine | Weight change | Placebo |
|---|---|---|
| STEP 1: semaglutide 2.4 mg, 68 weeks | minus 14.9% | minus 2.4% |
| SURMOUNT-1: tirzepatide 15 mg, 72 weeks | minus 20.9% | minus 3.1% |
Clinical guidance judges the response after three months on the highest tolerated dose. Less than 4 to 5 percent weight loss at that point usually leads to a change of treatment.
Do GLP-1 medicines protect the heart?
Semaglutide reduced heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths in adults with heart disease and obesity but without diabetes. In the SELECT trial of 17,604 adults, these events occurred in 6.5 percent on semaglutide and 8.0 percent on placebo. For this group, clinical guidance prefers semaglutide.
Who qualifies for GLP-1 treatment?
Adults qualify with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 to 29.9 with a weight-related condition, when a lifestyle programme has not produced at least 5 percent weight loss. Central adiposity with a weight-related condition can also qualify. Clinical guidance prefers tirzepatide or semaglutide for most people, and other options such as phentermine-topiramate, naltrexone-bupropion or orlistat when GLP-1 medicines are unsuitable.
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GLP-1 treatment in Dubai and the UAE
Which new obesity medicines are approved in the UAE?
In 2026, the Emirates Drug Establishment approved two daily tablets for weight management: orforglipron (Foundayo) in April and oral semaglutide (Wegovy tablet) in June. The details: Foundayo weight loss tablet and Wegovy tablets. According to the Emirates Drug Establishment, the UAE was the second country worldwide to approve each of them. Orforglipron produced 12.4 percent average weight loss at the highest dose in trials. Both need a prescription and a medical assessment first.
Everyday results in the UAE are smaller than trial results, on average 3.9 percent in a 2026 study from Ajman. What that means for follow-up.
Several ethnic backgrounds reach the same risk at a lower weight, so a BMI of 27.5 already counts as obesity. The NICE thresholds.
How should GLP-1 pens be stored in Dubai heat?
GLP-1 pens belong in the refrigerator at 2 to 8 °C before first use, according to the US prescribing information. The time allowed outside the refrigerator differs by medicine, but none of the labels allows temperatures above 30 °C. A pen left in a hot car in Dubai summer should not be used.
Can GLP-1 medicines be used during Ramadan?
GLP-1 medicines can usually be continued during Ramadan, but should not be started in the weeks just before the fast. Clinical guidance on religious fasting notes that nausea and vomiting are most common early in treatment, and that fasting without fluids raises the risk of dehydration. Insulin and sulfonylureas need a separate plan.
How Dr Felix uses GLP-1 medicines when weight comes with another condition: sleep apnea, fatty liver and type 2 diabetes.
GLP-1 medicines for weight management are licensed for obesity and for overweight with a weight-related condition. Whether you meet the prescribing criteria: am I eligible for Mounjaro or Wegovy.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
- Adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with a weight-related condition.
- Adults of Asian, Middle Eastern or African family background at lower BMI thresholds, after individual review.
- Adults with type 2 diabetes or heart disease who want weight and risk treated together.
- Adults ready for gradual dose steps, regular reviews and long-term treatment.
- Personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, or multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN 2): not used.
- Pregnancy, plans to conceive soon, or breastfeeding: not used.
- Severe inflammatory bowel disease or gastroparesis: usually avoided.
- Previous pancreatitis: considered only after individual review.
- Requests for compounded products or a prescription without examination: not offered.
What Happens During the Consultation
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1
History
Weight history, previous treatments, current medicines, pregnancy plans and family history of thyroid cancer.
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2
Examination and tests
Weight, waist, body composition, blood pressure and blood tests including HbA1c, lipids, liver, kidney and thyroid function.
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3
Choice of medicine
Dr. Felix explains whether a GLP-1 medicine fits, which one and why, for example semaglutide with heart disease or tirzepatide for the largest weight loss.
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4
Plan
Dose steps, protein and training targets, what to do about nausea, and review dates for the first 12 weeks.
Program Structure & Follow-Up
How is the dose increased?
Every GLP-1 medicine starts at a low dose and rises in steps, usually four weeks apart. The slow start reduces nausea. If a step is not tolerated, it is delayed. Clinical guidance uses the lowest dose that reaches the goal, so many patients stay below the maximum.
How is treatment monitored?
Reviews take place every 4 to 6 weeks during dose increases, then about every 2 to 3 months, covering side effects, weight, body composition, blood pressure and blood tests. A side effect does not have to wait for the next slot: the membership programmes.
How is muscle protected?
Muscle is protected through 1 to 2 g of protein per kg of ideal body weight daily, strength training and body composition checks. A systematic review of 35 studies found that about 28 percent of the weight lost with GLP-1-based medicines came from muscle-related measures.
What happens after stopping GLP-1 medicines?
After stopping, appetite returns and most people regain weight. A meta-analysis of 37 studies found an average regain of 0.4 kg per month after stopping obesity medication, with a projected return to baseline within two years. The weight maintenance programme plans this phase.
Benefits, Limits & Safety
What are the side effects of GLP-1 medicines?
The most common side effects are nausea in 25 to 40 percent of patients and vomiting, diarrhoea or constipation in about 10 to 20 percent, usually mild and worst after a dose increase. Less common but serious problems include gallbladder disease, pancreatitis and bowel obstruction.
How can nausea be reduced?
- Eat smaller, more frequent meals.
- Stop at the first sign of fullness.
- Limit fatty, greasy and spicy food.
- Delay the next dose step if nausea persists.
When should you seek urgent medical help?
Seek urgent medical help during GLP-1 treatment for severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, signs of gallbladder problems or sudden vision changes:
- Severe abdominal pain that spreads to the back.
- Persistent vomiting that prevents keeping fluids down.
- Pain under the right ribs, fever, or yellow skin or eyes.
- Sudden vision changes in people with diabetes.
In the UAE, call 998 for an ambulance in an emergency.
What should other doctors know?
GLP-1 medicines slow stomach emptying, which matters before anaesthesia or sedation. Tell the treating team, because a dose may need to be paused.
Why are compounded products and microdosing not offered?
Compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide does not go through regulatory review of safety, quality and effectiveness, and harm has been reported. Deliberate microdosing has not been studied and risks dosing errors.
Only buy these medicines from licensed pharmacies. What the Emirates Drug Establishment did about unapproved peptide sellers is described on the prescription weight loss page.
What the evidence shows
14.9 percent average weight loss with semaglutide 2.4 mg and 20.9 percent with tirzepatide 15 mg in the main trials, against about 3 percent on placebo.
How you are followed
Reviews every 4 to 6 weeks during dose steps, then about every 2 to 3 months, with a response check at three months.
When GLP-1 medicines are not used
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN 2. Usually avoided with severe inflammatory bowel disease or gastroparesis.
Cost & Program Investment
What GLP-1 treatment costs depends on the medicine, the dose you settle on and how long you stay on it. You get the figure in the consultation, before a prescription is written.
Frequently Asked Questions
A GLP-1 medicine copies the gut hormone GLP-1. It reduces appetite, slows stomach emptying and lowers blood sugar after meals.
Tirzepatide produced the largest average weight loss in trials, 20.9 percent on 15 mg. Semaglutide is preferred for adults with heart disease and no diabetes because of proven cardiovascular benefit.
Both contain semaglutide. Wegovy is licensed for weight management up to 2.4 mg; Ozempic is licensed for type 2 diabetes up to 2 mg.
Adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with a weight-related condition, when lifestyle changes have not worked. Lower thresholds apply to some ethnic backgrounds.
Clinical guidance checks the response after three months on the highest tolerated dose. Less than 4 to 5 percent weight loss usually leads to a change of treatment.
Some of the weight lost is muscle, about 28 percent in a review of 35 studies. Protein, strength training and body composition checks limit this.
Most people regain weight after stopping, on average 0.4 kg per month. Stopping is planned as part of a maintenance strategy.
They are licensed together with changes in eating and activity. Trial results were achieved with lifestyle support.
No. GLP-1 medicines are not used in pregnancy or breastfeeding and are stopped before a planned pregnancy.
Compounded products do not go through regulatory review and harm has been reported, so they are not prescribed here.
The cost depends on the medicine, dose and duration. The full cost is explained in the consultation before any prescription.
Evidence
Where this information comes from
Every figure on this page is taken from the sources below. All of them are free to read, so you can check them yourself.
- Emirates Drug Establishment approves oral Wegovy (semaglutide) for weight management and cardiovascular risk reduction
- Emirates Drug Establishment approves oral obesity treatment, marking shift away from injections
- UAE cracks down on unapproved peptide weight-loss drugs
- Real-world prescribing patterns and early weight and blood pressure outcomes of GLP-1-based therapies in the United Arab Emirates
- Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity (STEP 1)
- Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity (SURMOUNT-1)
- Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes (SELECT)
- Wegovy (semaglutide) injection: US prescribing information
- Overweight and obesity management
This page is general medical information and does not replace a personal consultation. Trial results are averages across large groups, not a prediction for any one person.