People frequently switch between different weight-loss drugs, swapping Ozempic for Zepbound and vice versa within the first year of treatment, a new study reports.

What’s more, those patients who do swap GLP-1 drugs are more likely to stick with the drugs, researchers reported March 10 in JAMA Network Open.

“Switching between GLP-1RA medications should be viewed as a normal part of long-term obesity care,” said senior researcher Sarah Messiah, a professor of epidemiology and pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

“Persistence should not be judged by staying on a single drug indefinitely, but by maintaining engagement in care and working with clinicians to find sustainable, effective treatment strategies over time,” she said in a news release.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs mimic the GLP-1 hormone, which helps control insulin and blood sugar levels, decreases appetite and slows digestion of food.

For the new study, researchers tracked insurance claims from nearly 127,000 overweight or obese adults who started GLP-1 treatment between 2019 and 2024, looking for people taking drugs like semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy), tirzepatide (Zepbound/Mounjaro), or liraglutide (Saxenda/Victoza).

Results showed that treatment often didn’t follow a linear path. Many patients had to change up their GLP-1 meds in response to side effects, access problems, insurance coverage or the introduction of new medications.

Only a quarter of patients remained on any particular GLP-1 drug a year after starting it, and roughly 1 in 5 patients transitioned to a different weight-loss med during that period, researchers said.

People who swapped GLP-1 drugs were more likely to stick with treatment – 36% of switchers versus 21% of those who stuck with their first prescribed drug.

“In today’s clinical environment, successful obesity care often involves adapting treatment over time rather than expecting a single medication to meet every patient’s needs indefinitely,” researcher Dr. Jaime Almandoz, medical director of UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Weight Wellness Program, said in a news release.

Future studies will explore whether certain types of patients are more likely to swap medications, as well as which drugs or timing of treatment influence changes in weight-loss therapy, researchers said.