Wegovy 1.5mg — the third step on the titration ladder

You've just moved up from 0.5mg, here's the logic behind that gap

Imagine you've been on the 0.5mg dose for a month and your pen has just run out. You order your next supply, maybe timing it around payday or the start of a new week, and the pen that arrives says 1.5mg. That jump can feel significant. It is, but it's deliberate.

Wegovy (semaglutide) is a GLP-1 receptor agonist made by Novo Nordisk. It works by mimicking a gut hormone that signals fullness to the brain, slows how quickly food leaves the stomach, and reduces appetite. At lower doses, your body is adapting to this new signalling; the titration schedule exists primarily to reduce the intensity of gastrointestinal side effects that often hit hardest at the beginning of treatment.

The licensed UK schedule (0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1.5mg, 2.4mg) spaces each step four weeks apart. The 0.5mg phase establishes basic tolerance; you can read about what to expect when you reach the 1.5mg Wegovy step, where appetite suppression becomes more noticeable for many people, without going straight to the full maintenance level. The NHS semaglutide guidance describes this graduated approach as standard, precisely because jumping doses too quickly increases the likelihood of nausea and other GI symptoms settling in hard.

The 1.5mg step exists to protect your experience of treatment, not to delay results.

What the 1.5mg dose tends to feel like, and what the side-effect picture looks like here

By this point in the schedule, many people have already noticed some shift in appetite, even at lower doses. At 1.5mg, that effect usually deepens. Smaller portions feel more satisfying. The urge to snack between meals eases for many people. That said, this is the dose step where side effects can return or intensify temporarily, since the body is adjusting again.

Common side effects at any stage of semaglutide treatment include nausea, loose stools or constipation, reflux, burping, fatigue and headache. These are GI-led and generally most prominent in the first week or two after a dose increase. Most people find they settle. If they don't, or if they're severe, that's a conversation for your prescriber, not something to manage alone.

One specific safety note worth knowing at this stage: the MHRA issued a Drug Safety Update in January 2026 flagging acute pancreatitis as a known but infrequent risk with GLP-1 medicines. Severe, persistent stomach pain that spreads towards your back, with or without vomiting, warrants prompt medical attention. The MHRA's Yellow Card scheme is also how patients report any suspected side effects directly to the regulator.

Injection site rotation matters here too. Abdomen, thigh and upper arm are all suitable; switching between them each week reduces localised irritation. For the full storage and handling instructions (including the limited window the pen can spend outside the fridge) the Patient Information Leaflet that comes with your pen is the definitive reference.

When 1.5mg becomes 2.4mg (and whether you'll stop there

After roughly four weeks at 1.5mg, the next step in the licensed schedule is the 2.4mg Wegovy dose, which has historically been Wegovy's maintenance dose and the level used in the STEP 1 trial, where participants saw an average weight reduction of around 15% over 68 weeks. You can read more about the full Wegovy dosing schedule if you want to understand what each phase is designed to achieve.

Since January 2026, a higher maintenance dose of 7.2mg has also been approved by the MHRA in the UK, and in April 2026 a dedicated single-dose 7.2mg pen was approved, designed for adults with obesity (BMI of 30 or above) who may benefit from a higher ceiling. Trial data for the 7.2mg dose showed average weight loss of around 20.7% over 72 weeks, approaching the results seen with tirzepatide. Whether that level is appropriate for any individual is a clinical decision, not a self-select. Details on that option are on the higher dose page.

The prescriber reviewing your case decides whether to move you forward, hold at 1.5mg a little longer, or revisit earlier. Some people stay at an intermediate dose if higher doses produce side effects they can't tolerate. That flexibility is part of the clinical review, it's not a failure to need it.

Getting this prescribed safely in the UK

Wegovy is a prescription-only medicine. The only legal route to it is a valid prescription following clinical assessment by a qualified prescriber. That means no online seller can legitimately supply it without reviewing your case first, the MHRA has warned repeatedly about counterfeit and unlicensed weight-loss pens sold through social media and unverified websites.

If you're already on Wegovy through another provider and considering a switch, or if you're at the start of the process, the guide to getting Wegovy safely online covers what to check before placing an order with any pharmacy. You can verify any registered online pharmacy at the GPhC register at pharmacyregulation.org, our GPhC premises registration number is 9012878.

At nume, every consultation is reviewed by a GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber, a real clinician, reading your answers the same day. There are no hidden fees: consultation, prescription and next-working-day DPD delivery are all included in one price, with no subscription attached. If you'd like to understand the cost side before starting, the treatment overview has current pricing. And if you're exploring whether this treatment is the right fit for you, our weight-loss treatment guide covers the wider picture.

When you're ready, check your eligibility through a free consultation.