Wegovy doses: the UK titration schedule from first injection to maintenance

Step 1: Starting at 0.25 mg, four weeks of settling in

Your first four weeks on Wegovy are about adjustment, not weight loss. The 0.25 mg pen is a tolerability dose: its role is to introduce semaglutide to your system gradually so that nausea, the most common early side effect, stays manageable. Most people find the gastrointestinal effects are at their worst in the first week or two after each step-up, then settle. Pushing to a higher dose immediately would almost certainly mean more discomfort without meaningful additional benefit at that point.

Each pen contains four pre-set weekly doses, so one pen covers your first month. You inject once a week into the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm, rotating the site. The pen arrives in a plain, unbranded box via DPD, you'll get a tracking notification on your phone the morning it leaves the pharmacy, and it needs to go straight into the fridge on arrival. For the exact storage window and full injection guidance, the Wegovy SmPC on the eMC is the authoritative reference.

A real prescriber, not an automated system, reviews your consultation before your first prescription is written. That review considers your weight, health history, any medicines you're already taking, and whether Wegovy is genuinely the right fit. The team behind nume takes that step seriously for every order, first and repeat alike.

Step 2: Moving through 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg and 1.7 mg

After four weeks at 0.25 mg, the schedule moves to 0.5 mg, then 1.0 mg, then 1.7 mg, each step separated by around four weeks. The appetite-suppressant effect becomes more noticeable as the dose climbs. Most people start to see meaningful changes in hunger patterns somewhere in the middle of the titration, often around 0.5 mg to 1.0 mg, though individual response varies considerably.

The four-week gaps are not arbitrary. NHS guidance on semaglutide reflects the same schedule described in the SmPC: rushing the titration increases the likelihood of side effects that might mean pausing or stepping back down. If you're finding a dose particularly difficult to tolerate, that conversation belongs with your prescriber rather than a decision made solo. Common side effects across the titration are gastrointestinal (nausea, loose stools, indigestion) typically most pronounced in the first few days after each step-up before easing.

For a broader picture of what the medicine is used for and who it tends to suit, our page on Wegovy's licensed uses covers the UK eligibility criteria in full. Understanding where you sit on those criteria is worth doing before committing to a multi-month prescription.

Step 3: Reaching 2.4 mg maintenance, and the newer 7.2 mg option

2.4 mg has been the standard maintenance dose since Wegovy launched in the UK. The STEP 1 trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, reported an average body-weight reduction of around 15% over 68 weeks at this dose alongside lifestyle changes, a figure that made semaglutide the evidence benchmark for injectable weight management until the head-to-head data with tirzepatide arrived. The NICE appraisal for semaglutide (TA875) reflects this evidence base and sets out the conditions under which NHS access can be considered.

In January 2026 the MHRA approved a higher 7.2 mg maintenance dose, initially delivered as three 2.4 mg pens in a single week. A dedicated single-dose 7.2 mg pen (one pre-set injection per week) received separate MHRA approval on 14 April 2026. Trial data at 7.2 mg reported average weight loss of around 20.7% over 72 weeks, narrowing the gap with the highest tirzepatide doses. If you want to understand what doses and pen formats Wegovy comes in, including how the newer options fit into the titration, that page covers each option in detail. Which dose a patient reaches is a clinical decision, confirm availability of specific formats at consultation.

Private pricing for Wegovy varies by dose and provider. If cost context is helpful alongside understanding the schedule, our breakdown of what Wegovy costs privately in the UK explains what a legitimate price typically includes.

What affects whether you'll reach the full maintenance dose

Not everyone ends up at 2.4 mg, and that is entirely normal. Side effect tolerance, prescriber judgement, and individual response all shape the final dose. Some people find 1.0 mg or 1.7 mg sufficient and their prescriber agrees there is no clinical reason to go higher. Others need more time at a given dose before stepping up, four weeks is the standard minimum, not a fixed ceiling.

NICE guidance (TA875) flags that if less than 5% weight loss is achieved after six months at the maintenance dose, continuing should be reconsidered. That checkpoint is a prescriber conversation, not a reason to self-adjust the schedule.

Side effects that are serious rather than merely uncomfortable (severe stomach pain that spreads to the back, signs of an allergic reaction, or symptoms of gallbladder trouble) need prompt medical attention. You can report any suspected side effect to the MHRA at yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk. If questions come up between prescriptions, our support team is available seven days a week. More detail on specific unwanted effects is on our page covering common Wegovy side effects.

If you'd like to explore whether Wegovy is clinically suitable for you, check your eligibility with our prescribers, the consultation is free, and a GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber reviews every response the same day.