The brands, and what each is approved for
Semaglutide is made by Novo Nordisk. It is a GLP-1 receptor agonist (Wegovy SmPC, MHRA, 2026). Each brand has a different approved use.
| Brand | Form | Approved for |
|---|---|---|
| Ozempic | Weekly injection | Type 2 diabetes. In the US also heart and kidney risk in type 2 diabetes. Not weight management (Ozempic SmPC, MHRA, 2026) (Ozempic label, FDA, 2026) |
| Wegovy | Weekly injection | Weight management (adults and age 12 and over), heart and circulation risk, and the liver condition MASH (Wegovy SmPC, MHRA, 2026) (Wegovy label, FDA, 2026) |
| Wegovy tablets, US | Daily tablet | Weight management in adults, and lowering the risk of heart attack, stroke and heart-related death in adults with heart disease and obesity or overweight. Approved 22 Dec 2025 (FDA approval letter, 2025) |
| Wegovy tablets, UK | Daily tablet | Weight management in adults only. Authorised 11 Jun 2026 (MHRA, 2026) (Wegovy tablets SmPC, MHRA, 2026) |
| Rybelsus | Daily tablet | Type 2 diabetes (Rybelsus label, FDA, 2026) |
How the doses step up
Each brand starts low and steps up, to give the body time to adjust. Wegovy's injection goes from 0.25 mg a week to 2.4 mg by week 17 (Wegovy SmPC, MHRA, 2026). Ozempic goes from 0.25 mg to 0.5 mg, and then up to 1 mg or 2 mg if needed (Ozempic SmPC, MHRA, 2026). The Wegovy tablet goes from 1.5 mg to 25 mg a day over three months (Wegovy label, FDA, 2026).
| Weekly dose | Weeks | What the label calls it |
|---|---|---|
| 0.25 mg | Weeks 1 to 4 | Step up |
| 0.5 mg | Weeks 5 to 8 | Step up |
| 1 mg | Weeks 9 to 12 | Step up |
| 1.7 mg | Weeks 13 to 16 | Step up. Also a maintenance option in the US label |
| 2.4 mg | Week 17 onwards | Usual maintenance dose |
| 7.2 mg | After at least 4 weeks on 2.4 mg | Adults with obesity only, if more weight loss is needed |
From the UK label (Wegovy SmPC, MHRA, 2026) and the US label (Wegovy label, FDA, 2026). If a step is not tolerated, the US label says the next increase can be delayed by 4 weeks (Wegovy label, FDA, 2026). Your prescriber decides your dose.
What the trials found
In STEP 1, 1,961 adults without diabetes took semaglutide 2.4 mg or a placebo for 68 weeks. Average weight change was −14.9% on semaglutide and −2.4% on placebo (STEP 1, NEJM, 2021).
- Semaglutide 2.4 mg
- Placebo
Digitised from Figure 7 (STEP 1) of the Wegovy US label. Observed average change while in the trial. (Wegovy label, FDA, 2026). Points are read off the published chart, so they can be out by about a quarter of a percentage point. They are average results in the trial, not a prediction. Your results will differ.
Show the numbers
| Week | Semaglutide 2.4 mg | Placebo |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | −2.3% | −1.1% |
| 8 | −4.0% | −1.8% |
| 12 | −5.9% | −2.2% |
| 16 | −7.7% | −2.5% |
| 20 | −9.5% | −2.8% |
| 28 | −11.7% | −2.8% |
| 36 | −13.3% | −3.0% |
| 44 | −14.6% | −3.2% |
| 52 | −15.5% | −3.3% |
| 60 | −15.9% | −3.2% |
| 68 | −15.6% | −2.8% |
In SURMOUNT-5, which compared the two directly, average weight change at 72 weeks was −13.7% on semaglutide and −20.2% on tirzepatide (SURMOUNT-5 results, ClinicalTrials.gov, 2025).
When people stop, much of the weight tends to return. A year after stopping in the STEP 1 extension, people had regained about two-thirds of the weight they lost (STEP 1 extension, 2022). See what happens when you stop.
Common side effects
The NHS lists feeling sick, being sick, constipation, diarrhoea, feeling tired, itchy or red skin where you inject, and hair loss as common side effects of semaglutide (NHS, 2026).
In STEP 1, stomach side effects were mostly mild to moderate and usually passed; 4.5% of people stopped treatment because of them (STEP 1, NEJM, 2021). The NHS page lists the serious side effects, such as acute pancreatitis and sudden loss of vision, and when to get help (NHS, 2026).
What to track beyond weight
Weight is one number, and it moves for lots of reasons. The trials also measured waist size. In STEP 1, the average waist shrank by 13.5 cm on semaglutide 2.4 mg and 4.1 cm on placebo (STEP 1, NEJM, 2021). In SURMOUNT-1 it shrank by 14.0 to 18.5 cm on tirzepatide, depending on dose (SURMOUNT-1, NEJM, 2022).
A short record makes appointments easier. You can tell your prescriber what happened, not what you remember.
- Weight, at the same time of day, read as a weekly trend rather than a daily verdict.
- Waist, measured the same way each time: midway between your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone, after breathing out naturally (NICE NG246, 2025).
- Photos from the same four angles, in the same light and clothes.
- Each dose: the date, the dose, where you injected and any reaction.
- Side effects, appetite and how you feel, on the day they happen.
- Protein and strength training, because part of the weight lost is lean mass (why it matters).
Before your next dose.
- Write down your dose and dose day
- Log side effects when they happen
- Weigh in on the same day each week
- Measure your waist the same way
- Take photos in the same light
- Take questions to your prescriber
Where these facts come from.
- Ozempic (semaglutide) Summary of Product Characteristics. Updated Jul 2026. emc.
- Wegovy FlexTouch (semaglutide) Summary of Product Characteristics. Revised 09/2026. emc.
- RYBELSUS and OZEMPIC tablets (semaglutide), US prescribing information, Novo Nordisk. Revised 1/2026. DailyMed.
- NDA 218316, Wegovy (semaglutide) tablets: approval letter, 22 Dec 2025. Drugs@FDA.
- First GLP-1 tablet for weight loss approved in the UK. 11 Jun 2026.
- OZEMPIC (semaglutide) injection, US prescribing information, Novo Nordisk. Revised 5/2026. DailyMed.
- WEGOVY (semaglutide) injection and tablets, US prescribing information, Novo Nordisk. Revised 6/2026. DailyMed.
- Wegovy 25 mg tablets (semaglutide) Summary of Product Characteristics. Revised 06/2026. emc.
- Wilding JPH et al. Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity. N Engl J Med 2021;384:989-1002.
- SURMOUNT-5 (NCT05822830): tirzepatide vs semaglutide in adults with obesity. Results posted on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Wilding JPH et al. Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide: the STEP 1 trial extension. Diabetes Obes Metab 2022;24:1553-1564.
- Semaglutide. NHS medicines information. Last reviewed 15 May 2026.
- Jastreboff AM et al. Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity. N Engl J Med 2022;387:205-216.
- Overweight and obesity management. NICE guideline NG246: identifying and assessing overweight, obesity and central adiposity. Published 14 Jan 2025.
Checked 25 Oct 2026. Trial figures are average results in the trial, not predictions. Labels change; your prescriber and the leaflet in your pack have the current version.
Pip Body Scan is a personal progress record. It is not a medical device and does not give medical advice, diagnose conditions or recommend doses. Speak to your prescriber or another qualified healthcare professional about symptoms, side effects or changes to your treatment.