Wegovy dosage sizes: what each dose is for and how the schedule works

What are the actual Wegovy dose sizes, and why are there so many?

There is a common assumption that higher always means better with weight-loss injections, and that the goal is to get to the top dose as quickly as possible. It does not quite work that way. The dose ladder exists primarily to protect your comfort: semaglutide's most frequent side effects are gastrointestinal (nausea, loose stools, reflux) and they are much more manageable when the medicine is introduced gradually.

The five standard Wegovy dose sizes are 0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1.0mg, 1.7mg, and 2.4mg, and you can find a full breakdown of what each step involves on the Wegovy dosage page. Each comes in its own pre-filled pen, colour-coded for clarity. Treatment begins at 0.25mg for the first four weeks, not because 0.25mg is expected to produce significant weight loss, but because it lets your digestive system settle before the dose climbs. After four weeks at each level, your prescriber typically moves you to the next step, provided you are tolerating it well. If a dose increase brings difficult symptoms, your prescriber may hold you at the current strength for another four weeks before trying again. You can read more about how the pens themselves are structured on the Wegovy pens and dosage page.

The full titration takes around 16 weeks to reach the standard 2.4mg maintenance dose. For most people, 2.4mg is where the therapeutic work happens, and where the clinical trial results were recorded. The STEP 1 trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, reported an average weight reduction of around 15% over 68 weeks at this maintenance dose, alongside lifestyle support. Individual results vary, and semaglutide is not assessed for rapid or cosmetic weight loss.

What changed when the 7.2mg dose was approved?

Until January 2026, 2.4mg was the ceiling. Then the MHRA approved a 7.2mg maintenance dose, initially supplied as three 2.4mg pens administered in the same week, and then, on 14 April 2026, as a dedicated single-dose 7.2mg pen with an auto-dosing mechanism and a built-in covered needle that locks after use.

The 7.2mg option is licensed for adults with a BMI of 30 or above. It is not available for people using Wegovy for its cardiovascular indication, and it is not appropriate below that BMI threshold. Clinical data at this dose showed average weight loss of around 20.7% over 72 weeks, a figure that, for the first time, approaches the results seen with tirzepatide at its highest dose in head-to-head evidence.

Starting dose remains 0.25mg regardless of which maintenance level you are ultimately titrated towards. The step-up schedule is the same; your prescriber decides whether 7.2mg is the appropriate target for you. If you want a detailed look at how each rung of the ladder compares, the Wegovy dosage chart maps this visually. And for context on the maximum licensed strength, the Wegovy maximum dosage page covers eligibility and evidence in full.

Whether specific dose formats are available through a given service is always confirmed at consultation, stock and licensing can evolve quickly with newer presentations like this one.

Does everyone end up on the same maintenance dose?

Not necessarily. 2.4mg is the standard maintenance dose, and for many people it remains the right one. Some people tolerate the titration without difficulty and reach it on schedule. Others find that a particular step brings persistent nausea or other side effects that do not settle within a few weeks, and their prescriber may choose to extend the time at a lower dose rather than push through.

The prescriber's decision at each stage is clinical, not administrative. BMI alone does not determine which dose you stay on. Tolerance, other medicines you take, and any relevant health conditions all factor into it. If you are curious about what the 0.25mg starting step actually involves day to day, the 0.25mg Wegovy dosage page goes into practical detail.

It is also worth knowing that Wegovy is a prescription-only medicine across all dose sizes. The correct dose for you is decided by a prescriber after a clinical assessment, not by choosing a strength online. Our weight-loss treatments page explains how a private prescription route works, including what the assessment covers. For broader context on how semaglutide fits into the wider landscape of weight management options, the weight loss overview is a good starting point. You can also read about our clinical team's approach on the clinical team profile.

Are there safety considerations that differ between dose sizes?

The side-effect profile is broadly consistent across all Wegovy dose sizes, predominantly gastrointestinal, most noticeable in the first weeks after a new dose begins, and generally settling as the body adjusts. Nausea is the most commonly reported. Vomiting, constipation, diarrhoea, and reflux also feature across the trial data.

One thing that does change with dose is the intensity of those early-adjustment effects. Moving from 1.7mg to 2.4mg, or from 2.4mg towards 7.2mg, can bring a fresh wave of GI symptoms. This is why the step-up structure exists, and why holding at a dose for longer than four weeks is a legitimate clinical choice rather than a setback.

For any symptom that is severe, persistent, or unexpected, speak to your prescriber rather than adjusting the dose yourself. Severe and persistent stomach pain that radiates towards the back warrants urgent medical attention, the MHRA has highlighted acute pancreatitis as an infrequent but serious risk across GLP-1 medicines. Side effects can be reported through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. The full instructions for managing side effects at each stage sit in the Patient Information Leaflet inside your pen's packaging, read it. If you want to explore Wegovy more broadly before thinking about next steps, the Wegovy overview page covers the full picture. When you are ready, you can check your eligibility by starting a free consultation with our prescribers.