How Long Has Wegovy Been on the Market — and What Has Changed Since?

When did semaglutide first appear, and how did Wegovy come from it?

Semaglutide wasn't invented for weight loss. Novo Nordisk developed it as a GLP-1 receptor agonist for type 2 diabetes, and it launched under the name Ozempic for that purpose. Clinical researchers noticed that participants in the diabetes trials were losing meaningful amounts of weight, enough to warrant a dedicated programme. The STEP (Semaglutide Treatment Effect in People with Obesity) trials followed, testing a higher 2.4mg weekly dose in people without diabetes. STEP 1, involving 1,961 adults with obesity, reported an average body-weight reduction of around 15% over 68 weeks, results that had not been seen with any previous non-surgical treatment at scale. That paper was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2021. For anyone curious about how far back the research actually runs, the full history of semaglutide's clinical development covers the earlier phases in more detail.

Wegovy as a named brand reached the UK market after NICE published TA875 in March 2023, recommending it within specialist weight management services for adults meeting specific BMI and comorbidity thresholds. That recommendation came with conditions (a maximum treatment duration of two years, and use as part of a multidisciplinary programme) which is why NHS access has remained limited even three years on.

What has changed since Wegovy first launched in the UK?

Quite a lot. The version of Wegovy available now is not identical to what NICE appraised in 2023. The most significant development was the MHRA's approval of a 7.2mg maintenance dose in early 2026. A dedicated single-dose 7.2mg pen (with a built-in covered needle that locks after use) was approved on 14 April 2026, for adults with a BMI of 30 or above. Trials at this higher dose reported average weight loss of around 20.7% over 72 weeks, narrowing the gap considerably with tirzepatide (Mounjaro). The titration schedule still starts at 0.25mg and steps up gradually, with 7.2mg as the new ceiling; the prescriber decides the appropriate maintenance dose for each patient. If you want the broader context on when different Wegovy formats became available, that page maps the approvals in sequence.

Then, on 11 June 2026, the MHRA approved Wegovy tablets, the first oral GLP-1 medicine licensed in the UK for weight management. That's a meaningful shift. The tablet form allows people who cannot or would rather not inject to access the same medicine without a pen. It requires a specific morning routine: taken on an empty stomach with a small amount of plain water, at least 30 minutes before food or other medicines. An overview of all licensed weight-loss treatments includes the tablet alongside the injection, if you're still deciding which approach suits you.

How does Wegovy's history compare to newer options now on the market?

Mounjaro (tirzepatide), which works on both GLP-1 and GIP receptors, received its UK weight-management licence after Wegovy, with NICE publishing TA1026 in December 2024. Despite being the newer entrant, the head-to-head evidence favours tirzepatide: in the SURMOUNT-5 trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2025, tirzepatide produced greater average weight loss than semaglutide 2.4mg over 72 weeks. Wegovy at 7.2mg narrows that gap, but the two medicines have different mechanisms, different titration schedules and different clinical considerations. Which suits any individual patient is a question for a prescriber, not a headline comparison. The full Wegovy treatment page sets out both the injection and tablet options alongside the eligibility criteria.

For context on where the broader semaglutide family fits into the history of GLP-1 medicines, it's worth knowing that semaglutide itself is now one of the most studied compounds in obesity medicine, across the STEP and SCALE programmes combined, tens of thousands of participants have completed trials at various doses and formulations. That research base is part of why regulators have moved relatively quickly to approve new formats and indications.

Does Wegovy's track record affect how quickly it works for the person taking it?

It's a fair question, and one our prescribers hear regularly. The years of clinical evidence tell us how Wegovy performs at a population level, the average figures, the side-effect rates, the drop-out patterns. What they don't tell you is how quickly you personally will feel a difference. Early effects on appetite can be noticeable within the first few weeks, though meaningful weight change typically takes longer. When you might start noticing Wegovy's effects and how long Wegovy typically takes to produce measurable results are both covered in full elsewhere, the short answer is that the titration period (which lasts several months) is also the period most people describe as the adjustment phase.

For a sense of what Wegovy treatment typically costs through a private prescription service, the cost context page sets out the current market picture honestly. Wegovy is a prescription-only medicine. If you've read through the history and think it might be right for you, a consultation is the next step, a real prescriber reviews your answers the same day, before anything is dispensed. You can start your free consultation whenever suits you.