What is the closest alternative to Qsymia?

Nothing tracked here is the same medication as Qsymia, so every alternative below is a different one, started on its own dosing schedule. The nearest: Phentermine contains only phentermine, without Qsymia's topiramate. What is comparable is the trial figure and the price, both listed with their sources.

Is there a cheaper alternative to Qsymia?

Not on a verified maintenance price: Qsymia at $75 a month is the lowest of the 9 that have one. Saxenda, Phentermine, Victoza and Rybelsus have no maintenance price here, so they cannot be ranked against it. The alternatives that do have one cost more, so the reason to consider one is the trial figure or the dosing rather than the price.

Does anything work better than Qsymia?

On trial figures, Zepbound at 20.9%, Wegovy at 14.9%, Wegovy pill at 13.6%, Mounjaro at 11.9% and Foundayo at 11.1% against 9.8% for Qsymia. Those come from separate trials rather than a head-to-head, so the gap is not a measured difference between the two — it is two measurements taken under different protocols, and no trial has compared them directly.

← Qsymia (phentermine/topiramate)

Alternatives to Qsymia

Bottom line

Nothing tracked here is the same medication as Qsymia, so every alternative is a different one. Every price below carries its source and the date it was read, which is what separates this list from the others answering the same question.

No clinician has reviewed this page. Label and trial statements are quoted from the FDA label or the trial cited beside them. General guidance is marked as such, and every price carries the date it was verified. That is sourcing, not medical review. What we do and do not check · Who checked the price

Last updated 2026-09-22 — each alternative's published price. Read and dated by Alex Seot.

What can you take instead of Qsymia?

14 alternatives are tracked here, and none is the same medication as Qsymia in another product, so every one is a different medication, started on its own dosing schedule. On published trial figures Zepbound reports 20.9%, Wegovy reports 14.9%, Wegovy pill reports 13.6%, Mounjaro reports 11.9% and Foundayo reports 11.1% against 9.8% for Qsymia. Those come from separate label trials under different protocols, so the gap is not a measured difference between them. On price the range runs $99 to $499 a month at the maintenance dose against $75 for Qsymia, every figure with its source and the date it was read beside it.

Best alternatives to Qsymia

Ordered by published trial weight loss, then by price. Every figure carries the date it was read.

1. Zepbound (tirzepatide)

The strongest approved weight-loss drug. $449/mo once titrated — or $699 if you ever miss the 45-day refill window.

A month: $449
Trial weight loss: 20.9%
What it is: branded, FDA approved
Checked: 2026-08-19, past 45 days
A first year: $5,637

Tirzepatide, not phentermine and topiramate. $374 a month more expensive than Qsymia.

2. Wegovy (semaglutide)

$349/mo flat across every standard dose, with no refill deadline attached. Lilly's equivalent has one.

A month: $349
Trial weight loss: 14.9%
What it is: branded, FDA approved
Checked: 2026-09-22
A first year: $4,237

Semaglutide, not phentermine and topiramate. $274 a month more expensive than Qsymia.

3. Wegovy pill (semaglutide)

The first GLP-1 pill approved for weight loss. NovoCare self-pay is $149 a month at 1.5 mg, $199 at 4 mg, and $299 at 9 mg and at the 25 mg dose you stay on.

A month: $299
Trial weight loss: 13.6%
What it is: branded, FDA approved
Checked: 2026-09-10
A first year: $3,338

Semaglutide, not phentermine and topiramate. $224 a month more expensive than Qsymia.

4. Mounjaro (tirzepatide)

Zepbound's molecule under the diabetes label. Same drug, different box, different coverage rules.

A month: $499
Trial weight loss: 11.9%
What it is: branded, FDA approved
Checked: 2026-09-21

Tirzepatide, not phentermine and topiramate. $424 a month more expensive than Qsymia.

5. Foundayo (orforglipron)

The first small-molecule GLP-1 pill. $149 to start, $299 once titrated, and no injection at any point.

A month: $299
Trial weight loss: 11.1%
What it is: branded, FDA approved
Checked: 2026-09-12
A first year: $3,188

Orforglipron, not phentermine and topiramate. $224 a month more expensive than Qsymia.

6. Saxenda (liraglutide)

The first-generation GLP-1. Daily injection, half the weight loss, largely superseded.

A month: no verified price
Trial weight loss: 7.4%
What it is: branded, FDA approved
Checked: —

Liraglutide, not phentermine and topiramate.

7. Ozempic (semaglutide)

Same molecule as Wegovy, approved for type 2 diabetes. $199 for two fills, then $349 to $499 a month.

A month: $349
Trial weight loss: 6.4%
What it is: branded, FDA approved
Checked: 2026-09-22
A first year: $4,237

Semaglutide, not phentermine and topiramate. $274 a month more expensive than Qsymia.

8. Contrave (naltrexone, bupropion)

Non-GLP-1 oral option. Modest loss, but it is a pill and it is cheap.

A month: $99
Trial weight loss: 5.4%
What it is: branded, FDA approved
Checked: 2026-09-22

Naltrexone and bupropion, not phentermine and topiramate. $24 a month more expensive than Qsymia.

9. Trulicity (dulaglutide)

$389 a month on the federal TrumpRx site. Lilly publishes no cash price of its own — only a copay card for the commercially insured.

A month: $389
Trial weight loss: not published
What it is: branded, FDA approved
Checked: 2026-09-22

Dulaglutide, not phentermine and topiramate. $314 a month more expensive than Qsymia.

10. Compounded tirzepatide (tirzepatide)

$199–$359/mo for the strongest molecule — with Eli Lilly suing the pharmacies that sell it.

A month: $199–$359 (no maintenance price)
Trial weight loss: not published
What it is: compounded, not FDA approved
Checked: 2026-09-13

Tirzepatide, not phentermine and topiramate.

11. Phentermine (phentermine)

The cheapest weight-loss drug there is — approved for a few weeks, sold by subscription for years.

A month: no verified price
Trial weight loss: not published
What it is: generic
Checked: —

Phentermine contains only phentermine, without Qsymia's topiramate, so it is a different medication rather than Qsymia in another product.

12. Compounded semaglutide (semaglutide)

$129–$349/mo for the same molecule — and the reason it is cheap is the reason it is risky.

A month: $129–$349 (no maintenance price)
Trial weight loss: not published
What it is: compounded, not FDA approved
Checked: 2026-09-13

Semaglutide, not phentermine and topiramate.

13. Victoza (liraglutide)

Daily liraglutide for type 2 diabetes — the same molecule as Saxenda at lower doses. No cash price published.

A month: no verified price
Trial weight loss: not published
What it is: branded, FDA approved
Checked: 2026-09-10

Liraglutide, not phentermine and topiramate.

14. Rybelsus (semaglutide)

Novo publishes no cash price for Rybelsus, and the federal TrumpRx tablet is the Ozempic pill — a different strength on the same label.

A month: no verified price
Trial weight loss: not published
What it is: branded, FDA approved
Checked: 2026-09-07

Semaglutide, not phentermine and topiramate.

Quick comparison

Drug	A month	Trial loss	What it is	Checked
Qsymia (comparing against)	$75	9.8%	branded, FDA approved	2026-09-22
Zepbound	$449	20.9%	branded, FDA approved	2026-08-19
Wegovy	$349	14.9%	branded, FDA approved	2026-09-22
Wegovy pill	$299	13.6%	branded, FDA approved	2026-09-10
Mounjaro	$499	11.9%	branded, FDA approved	2026-09-21
Foundayo	$299	11.1%	branded, FDA approved	2026-09-12
Saxenda	—	7.4%	branded, FDA approved	—
Ozempic	$349	6.4%	branded, FDA approved	2026-09-22
Contrave	$99	5.4%	branded, FDA approved	2026-09-22
Trulicity	$389	—	branded, FDA approved	2026-09-22
Compounded tirzepatide	$199–$359 (no maintenance price)	—	compounded, not FDA approved	2026-09-13
Phentermine	—	—	generic	—
Compounded semaglutide	$129–$349 (no maintenance price)	—	compounded, not FDA approved	2026-09-13
Victoza	—	—	branded, FDA approved	2026-09-10
Rybelsus	—	—	branded, FDA approved	2026-09-07

Trial figures come from each drug's own trial, so the column ranks published results rather than the drugs themselves. None of these drugs was compared against another in a head-to-head.

Qsymia price and terms →What Qsymia costs without insurance →Everything ranked by price →

Where these Qsymia figures come from

[1] Qsymia Engage home delivery pricing, qsymia.comprimary
[2] Qsymia REMS: pregnancy testing and contraception requirements (FDA)primary archived 2025-12-14
[3] CONQUER: phentermine plus topiramate, phase 3 (The Lancet)primary
[4] Qsymia CONQUER trial results (manufacturer HCP site)primary archived 2026-03-08
[5] Assessment of the REMS for phentermine–topiramate (Annals of Internal Medicine)primary archived 2023-05-09
[6] FDA prescribing information for QSYMIAprimary
[7] FDA prescribing information for ZEPBOUNDprimary archived 2026-08-19

Everything on Qsymia

Alternatives to Qsymia, answered

What is the closest alternative to Qsymia?: Nothing tracked here is the same medication as Qsymia, so every alternative below is a different one, started on its own dosing schedule. The nearest: Phentermine contains only phentermine, without Qsymia's topiramate. What is comparable is the trial figure and the price, both listed with their sources.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Qsymia?: Not on a verified maintenance price: Qsymia at $75 a month is the lowest of the 9 that have one. Saxenda, Phentermine, Victoza and Rybelsus have no maintenance price here, so they cannot be ranked against it. The alternatives that do have one cost more, so the reason to consider one is the trial figure or the dosing rather than the price.
Does anything work better than Qsymia?: On trial figures, Zepbound at 20.9%, Wegovy at 14.9%, Wegovy pill at 13.6%, Mounjaro at 11.9% and Foundayo at 11.1% against 9.8% for Qsymia. Those come from separate trials rather than a head-to-head, so the gap is not a measured difference between the two — it is two measurements taken under different protocols, and no trial has compared them directly.

Every price here carries its source and the date it was read, and anything past 45 days without a re-check is marked stale rather than quietly aging. Information only, not medical advice — which drug suits you is a question for a clinician.