Wegovy dosage amounts: what the licensed UK schedule actually looks like

What the trial data shows about the full dose range

The STEP 1 trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, ran for 68 weeks and used 2.4 mg semaglutide as the study dose, because that was, at the time, the highest licensed maintenance dose. Participants lost an average of around 15% of body weight at that level. That figure is the benchmark the clinical community uses when talking about Wegovy's effectiveness, and it only applies once someone has completed the full titration and been maintained on 2.4 mg.

What the trial did not measure is weight loss at 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg in isolation, because those steps are not maintenance doses. They exist so the body adapts gradually; GI side effects (nausea, loose stools, indigestion) are most likely to surface during early titration, and the gradual ramp reduces their severity. If you want to understand what the 0.25 mg starting dose involves and why it is structured the way it is, that is covered in more detail separately. The data on 7.2 mg is more recent: trials reported approximately 20.7% average weight reduction over 72 weeks, a result that closes the gap with the highest-dose tirzepatide data. That evidence informed the MHRA's decision to approve the dedicated single-dose 7.2 mg pen in April 2026.

Worth knowing: reaching the top of the schedule does not happen for everyone. Some people find a lower dose delivers enough benefit with fewer side effects, and their prescriber may recommend staying there rather than pushing higher.

The step-by-step Wegovy titration schedule

The licensed titration runs like this. Treatment begins at 0.25 mg for approximately four weeks. If tolerated, the dose moves to 0.5 mg for another four weeks, then 1.0 mg, then 1.7 mg. The standard maintenance target is 2.4 mg. Each step requires a minimum of roughly four weeks before the next increase is considered. For those who want a clear breakdown of how the full Wegovy dosage schedule works across every stage, that is set out in full there. For the 7.2 mg pen, titration continues upward from 2.4 mg following the same patient-led, prescriber-authorised approach, with the 7.2 mg pen approved only for adults with a BMI of 30 or above, not for the medicine's cardiovascular indication.

A question our prescribers hear most weeks is whether you can skip a rung if the lower doses feel easy. The short answer from the licence is no, dose escalation follows the prescribed sequence because skipping steps increases the likelihood of GI side effects and does not reliably accelerate weight loss. If you're curious about what reaching maintenance actually involves, the maximum Wegovy dose page covers the 2.4 mg and 7.2 mg maintenance stages in more depth.

The NHS semaglutide medicines page summarises the standard titration steps and what to do if you miss a dose, the Patient Information Leaflet in your pack is the definitive reference for specifics.

Which adults the dosage schedule applies to

Wegovy's UK licence covers adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or a BMI between 27 and 29.9 alongside at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol or obstructive sleep apnoea. For adults from South Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds, UK guidance applies lower BMI thresholds, typically 2.5 kg/m² less than the standard figures.

The full dose schedule applies to all eligible adults, but reaching 2.4 mg or 7.2 mg is not a given. NICE's appraisal of semaglutide (TA875) recommends considering stopping treatment if weight loss is under 5% after six months at the maintenance dose, so the dose ceiling and duration are always reassessed against actual outcomes. People sometimes ask what the optimal maintenance amount looks like in practice, and the Wegovy golden dose amount page explains how that figure is determined for individual patients. For those exploring how the individual Wegovy doses compare, the clinical picture at each stage is set out there.

Pregnancy, breastfeeding and trying to conceive are all situations where Wegovy is not recommended; the same applies to anyone under 18. Certain conditions (including a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma) require a prescriber to assess carefully before any dose is started. The Wegovy overview page covers eligibility and contraindications in full.

Private access, NHS routes, and where cost fits in

On the NHS, Wegovy is available through specialist weight management services under TA875 conditions, but waiting lists are long and criteria strict. Private treatment through a regulated online pharmacy is an alternative for people who meet the clinical criteria but do not want to wait, or who do not qualify under NHS thresholds. If you're weighing up what private treatment costs relative to what's included, the weight-loss treatments overview sets out the honest picture on pricing and what a legitimate prescription service covers.

One thing to be clear about: the dose schedule itself does not change depending on where you access treatment. A private prescriber follows the same licensed titration, the same steps, the same timing, the same clinical gates before a dose increase. What differs is speed of access and the clinical oversight model. At nume, every repeat order is reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber before any increase is authorised; evidence of current weight is required. That review is clinical, not automatic. If you'd like to know whether you're eligible, checking your eligibility through a free consultation is the next step.