Weight loss medication in Australia

Six active ingredients are registered for weight management: phentermine (Duromine, Metermine, generics), orlistat (Xenical), naltrexone/bupropion (Contrave), liraglutide (generic pens such as ARX-Liraglutide), semaglutide (Wegovy injection, and Wegovy tablets from 3 November 2026) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro). Ozempic is registered for type 2 diabetes only. Saxenda was deleted from the market on 19 December 2025.

Not on the general PBS, as at 1 November 2026. The PBAC recommended Wegovy in November 2025 for adults with a prior heart attack, stroke or symptomatic peripheral arterial disease and a BMI of 35 or more. In January 2026 the Health Minister said he would work with Novo Nordisk on a listing. A revised proposal was on the November 2026 PBAC agenda; outcomes are due on 18 December 2026.

Phentermine, orlistat and Contrave are on sale. Wegovy tablets (semaglutide, daily) were registered on 3 November 2026 but were not on sale on 9 November; on 6 November the AFR reported indicative prices of $250 to $370 a month, described as not final. Orforglipron, an oral medicine from Eli Lilly, has been under TGA evaluation since January 2026.

At Chemist Warehouse on 9 November 2026, generic phentermine 15 mg cost $69.99 for 30 capsules (short-term use only). Xenical cost $94.99 for 28 days, ARX-Liraglutide $209.00 for 30 days, Contrave $249.99 for 28 days, Wegovy $249.99 to $369.99 a pen and Mounjaro $279.99 to $689.99 a pen. The cost calculator totals a course.

Chemist Warehouse prices for Wegovy, Mounjaro, Contrave and Xenical did not change between 6 October and 9 November 2026. Your Discount Chemist cut Xenical 84 capsules from $114.95 to $94.95. The PBAC recommended Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes in March 2026; Lilly said on 24 April 2026 it would not proceed, and the PBS status page now says the listing process has ceased. No tirzepatide obesity application was on the November 2026 agenda.

In head-to-head trials, tirzepatide (Mounjaro) produced 20.2% average weight loss against 13.7% for semaglutide 2.4 mg (SURMOUNT-5, 751 adults, 72 weeks; the Mounjaro Product Information reports 21.6% against 15.4% using a different estimate), and semaglutide 2.4 mg 15.8% against 6.4% for liraglutide 3 mg (STEP 8, 338 adults, 68 weeks). Both were open-label and manufacturer-funded. A 2026 BMJ network meta-analysis found liraglutide, naltrexone/bupropion and orlistat not convincingly different from lifestyle change alone at one year.

Wegovy, Mounjaro, Contrave and liraglutide are registered for adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with a weight-related condition. Orlistat uses BMI 30, or 27 with other risk factors. Phentermine uses BMI 30, or 25 to 29.9, for short-term use. The Wegovy injection is also registered for adolescents aged 12 and over with obesity and a body weight above 60 kg.

Yes. At Chemist Warehouse on 9 November 2026, Duromine 15, 30 and 40 mg cost $109.99 to $149.99 for 30 capsules and generic Phentermine WGR $69.99 to $89.99. The TGA shortage database had no entry for Duromine or Metermine. Phentermine is Schedule 4, not on the PBS, and contraindicated in people with a history of psychiatric illness, including depression, among other conditions.

Weight usually returns. In the STEP 1 extension (327 adults), people regained about two thirds of the weight lost on semaglutide 2.4 mg within a year of stopping. In SURMOUNT-4 (670 adults), those switched to placebo after 36 weeks on tirzepatide regained 14.0% of body weight over 52 weeks; those who continued lost a further 5.5%. The AJGP 2025 review says most people need lifelong therapy.

Only orlistat 120 mg (Xenical), which is Schedule 3 and supplied by a pharmacist; the 60 mg product Alli was cancelled in 2021. Every other weight-management medicine needs a prescription. Pharmacist-compounded GLP-1 medicines have been banned since 1 October 2024. In March 2026 the TGA reported that several imported unregistered products labelled as GLP-1s contained no GLP-1.