Wegovy's UK Licence Explained: What the Authorisation Actually Covers

Step 1: The original authorisation and what it permitted

When Wegovy first received its UK marketing authorisation, it was approved for adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or from 27 upward where a weight-related condition was documented. Those conditions include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia and obstructive sleep apnoea, among others. Lower BMI thresholds apply for people from certain ethnic backgrounds under UK clinical guidance, typically 2.5 kg/m² below the standard figures. The authorised dose schedule ran from 0.25mg weekly, escalating through 0.5mg, 1.0mg and 1.7mg to 2.4mg as the maintenance dose, with each step taken roughly four weeks apart under prescriber guidance.

The NHS medicines page for semaglutide sets out the general framework in plain language, including side effects, storage and the groups who should not use it. That resource is worth reading alongside any clinical consultation. Wegovy carries a Black Triangle (▼) designation, meaning it is subject to additional MHRA monitoring, a standard status for newer medicines, not a warning flag about safety.

One thing the original licence was always clear about: semaglutide as Ozempic (3mg, 7mg, 14mg tablets or the weekly injection for diabetes) operates under a completely separate authorisation. Prescribing Ozempic for weight loss would be off-label. If you have seen content online conflating the two, it is worth understanding that distinction clearly before any appointment, and our page on the Wegovy licence in the UK breaks down exactly what the authorisation covers and where those boundaries sit.

Step 2: The 7.2mg approval and what changed in early 2026

The licence expanded significantly in 2026. The MHRA approved a higher 7.2mg maintenance dose for Wegovy on 12 January 2026, initially supplied as three 2.4mg pens administered in a single week. Then, on 14 April 2026, the MHRA approved a dedicated single-dose 7.2mg pen, one pre-set injection per week, with an auto-dosing mechanism and a built-in covered needle that locks after use. This pen is authorised specifically for adults with a BMI of 30 or above; it does not extend to the 27–29.9 range even with a weight-related condition. The MHRA's announcement of the single-dose 7.2mg pen approval on GOV.UK gives the full detail.

Trial data reported around 20.7% average weight loss over 72 weeks at 7.2mg, which narrows the gap with the highest tirzepatide doses. That figure comes from the programme supporting the higher-dose submission. Starting dose remains 0.25mg regardless of which maintenance dose is eventually reached; titration is decided by the prescriber. If you are wondering about the cost of Wegovy in the UK, that page covers current private pricing context in detail.

Worth noting: availability of specific pen formats varies between providers and changes over time. Any clinical service should confirm what they currently hold before your order is placed, including us.

Step 3: The cardiovascular and liver disease indications added to the licence

The weight-management authorisation is now one part of a broader licence. Wegovy has received a separate UK authorisation for reducing the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke in eligible adults with established cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity. That indication has its own criteria, distinct from the weight-management pathway.

More recently, on 3 July 2026, the MHRA granted conditional approval for semaglutide (Wegovy) to treat MASH (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, a form of fatty liver disease) in adults with moderate-to-advanced fibrosis. The MHRA's announcement covers the conditional nature of that approval and the evidence base behind it. These expanded indications are clinically meaningful but separate from the standard weight-management consultation: a prescriber assessing you for weight management would be working within the BMI and comorbidity criteria of that specific licence, not the cardiovascular or liver indications.

For a broader picture of the semaglutide molecule and the different licensed products that use it, the semaglutide overview on this site sets out the distinctions clearly. And if your question is specifically about whether semaglutide is licensed for weight loss as a general matter, the dedicated page on semaglutide's weight-loss licence goes deeper on that question.

What the licence means for private prescribing

NICE recommends semaglutide for NHS weight management under technology appraisal TA875, but with significant constraints: a maximum treatment duration of two years, within a specialist service offering multidisciplinary support, and for adults with a BMI of 35 or above (or 30–34.9 meeting certain referral criteria) alongside at least one weight-related condition. NHS waiting lists for specialist services are often long. The timeline of Wegovy's UK availability page traces how access has evolved since the medicine launched here.

Private prescribing operates within the same MHRA licence, but without the additional NICE restrictions. A private prescriber can lawfully treat adults who meet the SmPC criteria (BMI from 27 with a weight-related condition, or 30 and above) without the two-year cap or the specialist-service requirement. That is the clinical framework within which a service like ours operates. Our clinical team reviews every consultation personally; no automated decision-making replaces that step. Orders placed by 12pm on a working day, once clinically approved, go out the same afternoon, which is worth keeping in mind if payday falls on a Friday or you are ordering ahead of a bank holiday weekend. Before starting treatment it is also worth reading about how semaglutide can affect your sense of smell, since this is one of the less widely discussed effects that patients sometimes notice.

If you are ready to find out whether Wegovy is appropriate for your circumstances, speak to our prescribers through a free consultation. It costs nothing to ask.