Ozempic vs Saxendaa vs hCG Diet

Trying to compare Ozempic vs Saxenda vs hCG Diet? With all the buzz these days about Ozempic (Semaglutide), we think it’s a good time to share with everyone some valuable information on different weight loss solutions that are taken via injection.

Unfortunately, unless you research trials and speak with actual product users, the manufacturers will only advertise the big POTENTIAL benefits! “Potential” meaning not what the average person will see if they don’t follow the rules.

Our Conclusion First!

We’ll just cut to the chase with our results and then, if you’d like, you can read the entire page and find out how and why we came to our unanimous decision!

Pound for pound, our money is on hCG every time! It’s not even close!

Fast results
Low cost
Short duration
Better results
hCG is a natural hormone produced by the body, while semaglutide and liraglutide are chemicals that carry risks of damaging side effects

Ozempic vs Saxenda vs hCG Diet Comparison Table

	Ozmepic/Wegovy	Saxenda/Victoza	The hCG Diet
Program Length	68 Weeks/476 Days	56 Weeks/392 Days	4 Weeks/30 Days
Average Weight Lost	34.5 Pounds	18.5 Pounds	15 Pounds
Average Program Cost (USD)	$19,200 for 68 Weeks	$14,000 for 56 Weeks	$229 for 4 Weeks at thehcgdiet.ca
Average Cost per Pound Lost	$556.52	$430.77	$30.00
Negative Side Effects	Many Possible	Many Possible	Very Few Possible

Ozempic/Wegovy (Semaglutide)

History

Ozempic is the brand name of semaglutide; an antidiabetic medication created for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Ozempic is administered by the patient as a weekly, subcutaneous (below the skin, into fat tissue) injection, primarily into the tummy.

It was first approved in The USA by the FDA (Federal Drug Administration, the government body responsible for all drugs in The USA) in December of 2017, in Canada by Health Canada in January of 2018, The European Union in February 2018, Japan in March 2018 and Australia in August of 2019.

It’s important to note that Ozempic is NOT APPROVED for weight loss.

Also important to know that Ozempic comes with a warning of possible thyroid tumours, including cancer.

It was noted in trials of Ozempic that participants that a side effect of the injection was weight loss.

As more doctors started seeing the benefits of weight loss, they began to prescribe it “off label” (meaning for use other than what it was approved for.)

As people started asking their doctors for off label prescriptions for weight loss, more and more insurance companies started to decline coverage for off label usage.

Wegovy Origin

When an FDA (or any other government drug control agency in any country) approved drug is found to have additional usages that were not requested in the drugs original approval, pharmaceutical companies can either add these additional usages and extend patent protection, or they can slightly change the formation of the drug and try to get it approved under a new application, using a different brand name.

The main chemicals will remain the same, but typically some of the additives will change a bit to give the “new” product a new, unique identity, as well as further patent protection.

So the patent holder of Ozempic changed a few things with the “recipe” and resubmitted it for FDA approval under the brand name Wegovy for use as an anti-obesity product.

Wegovy is not approved for the treatment of any type of diabetes.

The generic name of Wegovy is the same as Ozempic; Semaglutide.

Wegovy was approved by The FDA in June of 2021 and in the European Union in January of 2022.

As of June 2023, Wegovy is NOT APPROVED for use in Canada.

Victoza/Saxenda (Liraglutide)

History

Victoza is the brand name of another injectable product (generic name liraglutide) used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It’s also owned by the same company that owns the patents for Ozempic, Wegovy and Saxenda; Novo Nordisk.

Unlike Ozempic/Wegovy (semaglutide) which is a weekly injection, Victoza is a daily injection. It’s also administered subcutaneously.

Victoza was first approved in The European Union in 2009, The USA by The FDA in January of 2010 and Health Canada in November 2017.

Like Ozempic, it’s important to note that Victoza is NOT APPROVED for weight loss.

Victoza Legal woes (You won’t see this published in any marketing materials!)

In 2010, Novo Nordisk breached the Association Of British Pharmaceutical Industry code of conduct by failing to disclose important information about side effects and for promoting it before it was approved!

In 2012, in The USA a consumer advocacy group called Public Citizen demanded that the FDA remove Victoza from the market, claiming that the risk of pancreatic and thyroid cancer far outweighed and positive benefits of the drug.

Then, in 2013, after an FDA investigation regarding the risks for cancer, Novo Nordisk was order to place a black box warning on their packaging, outlining these risks.

In 2017, in The USA, Novo Nordisk paid $58.65 million for several lawsuits that found them guilty of selling, marketing and promoting Victoza for off label uses, including usage for type 1 diabetes, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and the False Claims Act.

In 2017 they also paid and additional $1.45 million to the Sates of California and Illinois for defrauding numerous private health insurers!

Saxenda Origin

Also like Ozempic, it was found that patients on this drug were also losing weight.

So what does Novo Nordisk do?

Change the recipe a wee bit, come up with a new brand name (Saxenda) and apply for approval as a new drug for chronic weight management!

The generic name for the brand name Saxenda is the same as the brand name Victoza: Liraglutide.

Saxenda is not approved for the treatment of any type of diabetes.

Saxenda was first approved in The USA by the FDA in December of 2014, Health Canada in January 2015 and The European Union in March 2015.

hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin)

History

hCG (the abbreviation format for human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone produced naturally by the human body in both females and males.

In non-pregnant females, it triggers the release of eggs into the ovaries.

In males, it helps control testosterone levels.

HCG was discovered in the 1920’s

It’s prescribed as an infertility treatment for females, as treatment for low testosterone in men (which among other things can cause low sperm counts) and as a weight loss treatment.

HCG is not approved as a weight loss treatment in The USA or Canada.

The hCG Diet originated almost 100 years ago by Dr. Albert T.W. Simeons after he discovered some of its properties. While working with malnourished, pregnant females in India, he found that in spite of their condition, they gave birth to full term and full weight healthy babies.

He discovered that increased levels of the hCG hormone in pregnant women helped to release stored “adipose fat” (from areas like the belly and hips) to be converted to food and fuel for the mother who was not getting enough food from her daily intake.

Typical, when a human is starving, the body converts muscle tissue to fuel first, leaving stored fat as the last resource. But hCG uses the stored fat first, preserving muscle tissue.

It became a huge success beginning in the 1940’s, then the diet of Hollywood stars in the 1950’s, faded away after Dr. Simeons death in 1970 and found a huge resurgence in 2007 with Kevin Trudeau’s book titled ““The Weight Loss Cure “They” Don’t Want You To Know About.”

Diet clinics around the world promote still promote The hCG Diet and prescribe hCG “off label.”

For the purposes of the diet, hCG is administered daily via subcutaneous injection for a period of 30-60 days.

There are no patents on hCG. Naturally occurring hormones can’t be patented, but altered (synthetic) hormones can be. But altered hormones tend to be not as effective as natural and can come with a host of negative side effects.

The Trials and Studies

Semaglutide Trial for weight loss

You’ll hear a lot about how the “mean” (average) weight loss was 14.9% of original body weight. That sounds pretty good, but let’s explore the details you have to search for!

The trial was funded by Novo Nordisk
The trial lasted 68 weeks. That’s 1 year and 4 months the participants were using Semaglutide!
There were 1961 participants. 1306 were given Semaglutide, 655 were given a placebo.
The average starting weight of each participant was 232 pounds
1% of participants were Caucasian
1% of participants were female
The average weight loss for those on Semaglutide was 14.9%…that’s 34.5 pounds. For those on the placebo, the average loss was 2.4% or 5.6 pounds.
5 pounds over 16 months is an average of 2.15 pounds per month
The average person on Semaglutide went from 232 pounds to 197.5 pounds in 16 months
Each participant received counselling every 4 weeks before and during the trial to help them adhere to a reduced calorie diet combined with exercise.
Calories were reduced by at least 500/day RELATIVE TO ENERGY EXPENITDURE (meaning the total calorie amount needed to sustain normal, daily activities was determined for each participant, then 500 calories was subtracted from that amount. For example, if participant was eating 5,000 calories per day, but only required 3,000, they would reduce their daily calorie count to 2500/day. So…this is a huge change in diet.
Exercise was to be a minimum of 150 minutes per week
Participants had to do this for 2 months PRIOR to the start of the trial, then continue this until the end of the trial.
7% of participants who took Semaglutide (and 86.4% on the placebo) experienced “adverse” side effects, mostly related to gastrointestinal issues (74.2% on Semaglutide and 47.9% on the placebo) including diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and constipation.
Serious adverse events were reported in 9.7% of participants who took Semaglutide (and 6.4% on placebo) and 7% of participants on Semaglutide (and 3.1% on the placebo) stopped the trial because of this. Serious adverse events were “serious gastrointestinal disorders” and no further details given.
Gallbladder related disorders were reported in 2.6% of participants who took Semaglutide and 1.2% who took the placebo.

Liraglutide Trial for weight Loss

Again, you’ll hear a lot of emphasis on average weight loss of 8.0% of original body weight. That sounds decent, but let’s put it all in context!

The trial was funded by Novo Nordisk
The trial lasted 56 weeks. That’s 1 year and 1 month that the participants were using Liraglutide.
There were 3731 participants. 2487 were given Ozempic, 1244 were given a placebo.
The average starting weight of each participant was 234 pounds
Average age of participants was 45.1.
5% of participants were female
The average weight loss for those on Liraglutide was 8.0%…that’s 18.5 pounds. For those on the placebo, the average loss was 6.2 pounds.
5 pounds over 13 months is an average of only 1.42 pounds per month
The average person on Liraglutide went from 234 pounds to 215.5 pounds in 13 months
Each participant received monthly counselling before and during the trial to help them adhere to a “lifestyle modification’’ of diet and exercise.
Just as with the Semaglutide trial, calories were reduced by at least 500/day RELATIVE TO ENERGY EXPENITDURE (meaning the total calorie amount needed to sustain normal, daily activities was determined for each participant, then 500 calories was subtracted from that amount. For example, if participant was eating 5,000 calories per day, but only required 3,000, they would reduce their daily calorie count to 2500/day. Again, a huge change in diet.
Exercise was to be a minimum of 150 minutes per week, same as Semaglutide trial
Participants had to do this for 2 months PRIOR to the start of the trial, then continue this until the end of the trial.
3% of participants who took Liraglutide (63.3% on the placebo) experienced “adverse” side effects, mostly related to gastrointestinal issues (9.9% on Liraglutide and 3.8% on the placebo) including diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and constipation.
Serious adverse events were reported in 6.2% of participants who took Liraglutide (and 5.0% on placebo) and 6.4% of participants on Liraglutide (and .7% on the placebo) stopped the trial because of adverse events. Serious adverse events were “serious gastrointestinal disorders” and no further details given.
Gallbladder related disorders were reported in 2.5% of participants who took Liraglutide and 1.0% who took the placebo.

HCG Trial for Weight Loss

Here’s where things get interesting!

The first trial was a really a gathering of information by Dr. Simeons and finally published in 1954 in his book titled “Pounds and Inches: A New Approach to Obesity.” It’s important to note that Dr. Simeons was a highly respected/award winning endocrinologist (an expert in our bodies hormones) whose work included development of malaria treatments. Thousands of doctors from around the world heard of his findings and requested information from him. He couldn’t keep up with the demand and hence, the book was published.
Simeons treated thousands of obese patients to gather his findings.
There have been numerous “trials” published in the 70’s and 80’s that state the hCG diet does nothing and that weight loss is a result only from the very low calorie diet of 500 calories per day.
The amount of participants in these studies is typically small…from 40-70 people. The amount of hCG injected ranges from the standard set by Dr. Simeons (125 International Units per day) to as high as 300 IU per day (even though Dr. Simeons data shows that exceeding 175-200 IU per day can cause no weight loss or even weight gain!) There seems to be no consistency in these trials and its questionable what the researchers where trying to ascertain. Were they skeptics and therefore not reporting data correctly? Or?
We find in all the studies we read, that people on placebos in the trials do not experience hunger pangs. How is this possible on 500 Calories per day? It’s not! Try it yourself and see how many days you can go! 28 days? Impossible! You’ll be weak, and sick and tired etc. Yet those on hCG eating 500 calories/day can carry on their daily lives, feeling energized and continuing their daily regime, including exercise if they wish.
We also find that studies show total weight loss to be comparable in the hCG groups vs the placebo groups. We can understand that. But no one is publishing where this weight loss comes from. We know in the hCG group, the weight is lost primarily in the stored adipose fat in the butt, thighs, tummy etc. In the placebo group, it’s coming from other tissue, mostly from muscle. So the placebo group will maintain a much higher percentage of adipose fat after the trial is over.
HCG has been around since 1927 (when it was discovered) and Dr. Simeons first noticed it’s affect in the loss of adipose fat while treating prepubescent boys with Frolichs Syndrome in the 1930’s. He understood the role hCG played in malnourished pregnant females delivering healthy, full term babies. Now he was injecting hCG into overweight boys with low testosterone levels and noticed how fast these boys lost weight lost adipose fat and reached puberty.
Since he published his book in 1954, clinics opened up all over the world. And they’re still opening. Look in your city or the nearest large one. Here in Vancouver BC in 2023, there are at least 5 clinics. How can they still be in business if the diet doesn’t work?
We have been in the business of providing hCG since 2007. We supply clinics and athletes and doctors. Our clients include doctors and nurses and scientists who swear by hCG.
We have thousands of customers who are ecstatic with the results. The majority who follow the rules lose ½ to 1 pound a day. Always. Consistently. The vast majority do not experience hunger pangs.
We are but one of thousands of hCG outlets worldwide. Our stories are no different than others in the business. Millions of people have found success with hCG after failing at other diets.
So why all the bad trials? Does it have anything to do with the inability to patent hCG? We know big money in pharmaceuticals comes from newly patented products.
Maybe the devil is in the details? Specifically retail pricing and profits? Let’s check look at that next!

Price Comparisons

One of the most important considerations when looking at Ozempic vs Saxenda vs hCG diet is the price!

Semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy)

Semaglutide is a drug that you start at a low dose (.25mg/ week) and then increase in strength every 4 weeks until you reach the maximum amount (2.4mg/week) beginning at week 17.

As the price differs based on the amount in the prefilled syringe, we’ll just give you the overall average cost for this product of the 68 weeks/16 months the trial rans ran for in order to lose an average of 14.9% body weight.

The average USA retail cost of Ozempic for the 16 months is about $1,200/ month or $19,200 for the full 68 week course!

If we look at average cost ($19,200 USD) per average pounds lost (34.5 pounds) you’d be paying a staggering $556.52 per pound lost! That seems insane, doesn’t it?

If you could still get it from a Canadian Pharmacy where it’s much cheaper, the cost would be about 1/3 of the average USA pharmacy price or approximately $400USD/month or $6,400 for 68 weeks or $185.51 per pound lost!

Wegovy is about 25-30% more expensive. There’s no real point in doing the math for this…it’s more insane than Ozempic!

But…Only pharmacies in British Columbia and Manitoba can ship to the USA. And that created a huge shortage in Canada as 85% of Ozempic was being sold to USA customers! As of June 1, 2023, BC has made it illegal for BC pharmacies to sell or ship to The USA and Manitoba now Manitoba has followed suit. So Canada, which had been a “go to” since the craze started about 2.5 years ago, is no longer selling to The USA.

And Wegovy is not yet available in Canada. When it is, you can guarantee that Canadian supplies will be protected, just as Ozempic has been.

Liraglutide (Victoza/Saxenda)

Saxenda is a daily injection that is also ramped up in dose amount over a 5 week period, starting at .6 mg/day in week one until you hit 3 mg/day starting in week 5.

Of the course of 56 weeks, the average cost is going to be around $1,000 US per month, $250/week and $14,000 if you’re on it for 56 weeks!

With an average weight loss of 32.5 pounds over 56 weeks, you’re looking at a cost of $430.77 for each pound lost!

Victoza can be about 25% cheaper (are you seeing how the same basic drugs, both semaglutide and liraglutide, have increased in price when given a new use and brand name?) than Saxenda.

So you’re at approximately $750/month, $188/week and $10,528 for the 56 weeks! Average cost per pound lost is $323.94! Wow!

HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin)

HCG is a daily injection. The amount injected daily remains the same from start to finish with a suggested amount of 150 IU (Internationals Units) per day.

You can do this diet in rounds of 25-30 days at a time. 5,000 IU is enough for a 30 day round at 150 IU/day.

If you got to a weight loss clinic, the cost can vary from as low as $500 to as high as $1300 for 30 injections.

If you buy hCG online, prices range from $229 for 30 injections to just over $500.

Because people using hCG have different goals and many don’t follow all the rules, the amount of weight lost over 30 days can vary greatly, anywhere from 15 – 30 pounds.

Even if you cheat and eat more than you should on this diet, (let’s say 1500 calories per day instead of 500) and you lose only 15 pounds, you’re only paying between around $30 per pound lost and its only over 30 days, not 476 days like Ozempic or 92 days with Saxenda!

If you follow the rules and lose close to 30 pounds, you lower your cost per pound lost to approximately $15!

Now you’ve read everything about Ozempic vs Saxenda vs hCG Diet!

By now, you should understand that when it comes to weight loss injections, hCG beats all others by far!

Ready to start your hCG diet? Visit our Buy hCG page!