What Wegovy is
Wegovy is the brand name for semaglutide for weight management, made by Novo Nordisk. Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist (Wegovy SmPC, MHRA, 2026). The UK label licenses the injection for (Wegovy SmPC, MHRA, 2026):
- Weight management in adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 to 30 with at least one weight-related condition, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more activity.
- Weight management in young people aged 12 and over with obesity who weigh more than 60 kg.
- Lowering the risk of heart attack and stroke in adults with established heart or circulation disease and a BMI of 27 or more.
- A liver condition called MASH, with moderate to advanced scarring (F2 to F3).
Ozempic contains the same medicine but is licensed for type 2 diabetes. See Ozempic and semaglutide.
The Wegovy pill: exactly what's approved
In the US, the FDA approved Wegovy (semaglutide) tablets on 22 December 2025, for weight management in adults and to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke and heart-related death in adults with heart disease and obesity or overweight (FDA approval letter, 2025). "Wegovy pill" is the maker's name for them. The tablets come in 1.5, 4, 9 and 25 mg, taken once a day, and 25 mg is the maintenance dose (Wegovy label, FDA, 2026).
They are approved for adults only, for two uses: to reduce excess body weight and keep it off in adults with obesity, or with overweight and at least one weight-related condition; and to lower the risk of major heart and circulation events in adults with established cardiovascular disease and obesity or overweight (Wegovy label, FDA, 2026). They are not approved for under-18s or for MASH (Wegovy label, FDA, 2026).
In the UK, the MHRA authorised Wegovy tablets on 11 June 2026 as the first GLP-1 tablet for weight loss (MHRA, 2026). The UK tablet label covers weight management in adults only, with the same weight thresholds as the injection (Wegovy tablets SmPC, MHRA, 2026). When it was approved, the MHRA said the tablet was not yet available on the NHS (MHRA, 2026).
The US label says to take the tablet in the morning on an empty stomach, with up to 4 US fluid ounces (about 120 ml) of plain water, swallowed whole, then wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other medicines by mouth (Wegovy label, FDA, 2026). Follow the leaflet in your own pack.
| Daily dose | Days | What the label calls it |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 mg | Days 1 to 30 | Step up |
| 4 mg | Days 31 to 60 | Step up |
| 9 mg | Days 61 to 90 | Step up |
| 25 mg | Day 91 onwards | Maintenance dose. One tablet a day at most |
From the US label (Wegovy label, FDA, 2026). The UK label uses the same four strengths, at least a month on each (Wegovy tablets SmPC, MHRA, 2026).
Rybelsus is a different semaglutide tablet, licensed for type 2 diabetes rather than weight (Rybelsus label, FDA, 2026).
How the injection dose steps up
The injection starts at 0.25 mg once a week and goes up every 4 weeks, reaching 2.4 mg from week 17 (Wegovy SmPC, MHRA, 2026) (Wegovy label, FDA, 2026). In the US label, 1.7 mg is also a maintenance option (Wegovy label, FDA, 2026).
A higher 7.2 mg dose now exists for adults with obesity. In the UK it was approved on 6 January 2026, and the MHRA announced it on 16 January, for people with a BMI of 30 or more, after at least 4 weeks on 2.4 mg (MHRA, 2026) (Wegovy SmPC, MHRA, 2026). In the US, the FDA approved a 7.2 mg dose on 19 March 2026 for adult weight loss, after at least 4 weeks on 2.4 mg when more weight loss is clinically needed (FDA approval letter, 2026) (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.
Getting Wegovy on the NHS
NICE recommends semaglutide on the NHS only within specialist weight management services, for a maximum of 2 years. It is for adults with at least one weight-related condition and a BMI of at least 35, or 30 to 34.9 if they meet the criteria for referral to those services (NICE TA875, 2023). Lower BMI thresholds apply for some ethnic backgrounds (NICE TA875, 2023).
NICE says to consider stopping if less than 5% of the starting weight has been lost after 6 months (NICE TA875, 2023). That decision is for you and your prescriber.
What changes, and when
The main weight trial for the 2.4 mg injection was STEP 1. It gave 1,961 adults without diabetes semaglutide or a placebo for 68 weeks, with diet and activity counselling for everyone (STEP 1, NEJM, 2021).
At 68 weeks, average weight change was −14.9% on semaglutide and −2.4% on placebo (STEP 1, NEJM, 2021). Results varied: 86.4% of people on semaglutide lost at least 5% of their weight and 32.0% lost at least 20% (STEP 1, NEJM, 2021).
- Semaglutide 2.4 mg
- Placebo
The chart follows the US label's figure, which shows the observed average while people were in the trial. The paper's headline uses a different method, so the numbers differ slightly. 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% |
The paper says average weight did not reach its lowest point until week 60 (STEP 1, NEJM, 2021). For each month, see Wegovy week by week. The numbers above are for the weekly injection, not the tablets.
Common side effects
The NHS lists these common side effects of semaglutide: feeling sick, being sick, constipation, diarrhoea, feeling tired, itchy or red skin where you inject, and hair loss (NHS, 2026).
In STEP 1, stomach side effects affected 74.2% of people on semaglutide and 47.9% on placebo. They were mostly mild to moderate and usually passed. 4.5% stopped treatment because of them (STEP 1, NEJM, 2021).
Serious side effects are rarer. They include acute pancreatitis and sudden loss of vision, usually in one eye; the NHS page says when to get urgent help (NHS, 2026) (MHRA Drug Safety Update, 2026). Stop semaglutide at least 2 months before trying to get pregnant (MHRA, 2026).
If you're in the US
The US label lists the side effects reported by at least 5% of people: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, abnormal skin sensations (dysesthesia), headache, fatigue, indigestion, dizziness, bloating, burping, low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, gas, stomach flu (gastroenteritis), acid reflux and hair loss (Wegovy label, FDA, 2026).
It has a boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumors seen in rodents. Don't use Wegovy if you or a family member has had medullary thyroid carcinoma, or if you have MEN 2 (Wegovy label, FDA, 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.
- 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.
- Wegovy FlexTouch (semaglutide) Summary of Product Characteristics. Revised 09/2026. emc.
- 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.
- RYBELSUS and OZEMPIC tablets (semaglutide), US prescribing information, Novo Nordisk. Revised 1/2026. DailyMed.
- Medicines regulator approves up to 7.2 mg dose of semaglutide (Wegovy) for patients with obesity only. 16 Jan 2026.
- NDA 215256/S-029, Wegovy injection 7.2 mg weekly dose: supplement approval letter, 19 Mar 2026. Drugs@FDA.
- Semaglutide for managing overweight and obesity. NICE technology appraisal guidance TA875. Published 8 Mar 2023, updated 4 Sep 2023.
- Wilding JPH et al. Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity. N Engl J Med 2021;384:989-1002.
- Semaglutide. NHS medicines information. Last reviewed 15 May 2026.
- GLP-1 receptor agonists and dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists: strengthened warnings on acute pancreatitis. 29 Jan 2026.
- GLP-1 medicines for weight loss and diabetes: what you need to know. Updated 5 Feb 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.