Key Facts About Wegovy and What the Clinical Evidence Shows

What the STEP 1 trial found, and why context matters

The headline figure from STEP 1 is a 15% average reduction in body weight over 68 weeks at the 2.4mg maintenance dose. That is a meaningful number, but it is worth reading it carefully. It is an average across a large trial population, not a guarantee of what any one person will experience. Some participants lost considerably more; others less. Every participant also followed a reduced-calorie diet and increased their physical activity — the injection worked alongside those changes, not instead of them. The NHS medicines page on semaglutide sets out the clinical context plainly: Wegovy supports weight loss as part of a broader lifestyle programme.

Weight also tends to plateau before the trial ends. Most of the loss happens in the first 36 weeks, after which the body reaches a new equilibrium. That is normal physiology, not a sign the medicine has stopped working. Our prescribers field this question regularly, so if you want a straightforward overview before your assessment, our tell me about Wegovy page is a good place to get oriented.

How the dosing schedule is structured, and why it starts low

Semaglutide treatment begins at 0.25mg weekly. The dose rises in roughly four-weekly steps through 0.5mg, 1.0mg and 1.7mg before reaching the standard 2.4mg maintenance level. The starting dose exists to let your digestive system adjust, not to produce weight loss. Nausea is the most commonly reported side effect, and it is almost always most noticeable in the first few weeks at a new dose; the gradual titration is specifically designed to reduce that. If you would like to understand the pharmacology behind that process, the semaglutide facts page covers how the medicine behaves in the body in accessible detail. For a fuller picture of how semaglutide works in the body, the about semaglutide page covers the mechanism in detail.

The 7.2mg dose approved in April 2026 extends the ceiling further. It is supplied as a dedicated single-dose pen, approved for adults with a BMI of 30 or above, and titration still begins at 0.25mg. It is not a shortcut, the schedule remains the same; the endpoint is higher. Whether a specific dose or presentation is right for you is confirmed at clinical assessment, not before it.

What Wegovy costs and how to read that number honestly

Private treatment costs vary by dose and provider. Eli Lilly raised Mounjaro's UK list price significantly from September 2025, and Wegovy pricing has followed a similar market trajectory; reported private prices typically range from roughly £149 to £375 per month depending on dose and clinic. The Wegovy price page unpacks what those figures usually do and do not include, consultation fees, prescription charges, delivery and aftercare support are not always bundled. For a prescription medicine, the right question is not which listing is cheapest, but whether the supply is genuine, the prescriber is registered and the clinical oversight is real. You can verify any online pharmacy using the GPhC pharmacy register.

At nume, everything is included in one transparent price: consultation, prescription, delivery and seven-day aftercare. There are no subscriptions and no automatic renewals. If you would like to see what treatment involves, the Wegovy treatment page is the place to start.

Who Wegovy is licensed for, and what NICE recommends

The UK licence covers adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 or above alongside at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol. BMI thresholds are 2.5 kg/m² lower for people of South Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds under UK guidance. That is the licensed eligibility; it does not mean everyone who qualifies will automatically be approved. A prescriber looks at the whole clinical picture, including contraindications and concurrent medicines.

NICE's appraisal of semaglutide, TA875, recommends it within specialist NHS weight management services for a maximum of two years, with a BMI threshold of 35 or above alongside at least one comorbidity. Those NHS criteria are considerably narrower than the licensed criteria, which is why many people look at private routes. For detail on how NICE weighs the recommendations, the Wegovy NICE recommendations page covers the appraisal in full. You can also explore how Wegovy sits within the broader weight-loss treatment landscape on the weight-loss options page. If you are ready to find out whether you are clinically suitable, check your eligibility with our prescribers.