Wegovy maintenance dose: what it is, when you reach it, and what happens next

You've reached 2.4 mg, here's what that actually means

Imagine you started Wegovy several months ago and you've just moved onto your final titration step. The 2.4 mg weekly dose is the point the prescribing schedule was always heading towards: the dose shown in clinical trials to produce meaningful, sustained weight reduction in adults with obesity. The earlier doses (0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, 1.7 mg) exist primarily to let your body adjust. Nausea and other gut-related effects that some people experience are often at their most noticeable during those lower steps; by the time 2.4 mg is reached, many people find those effects have eased considerably.

The STEP 1 trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed adults with obesity (without diabetes) for 68 weeks at the 2.4 mg maintenance dose alongside lifestyle changes. Participants lost an average of around 15% of their body weight over that period. Weight loss continued beyond the titration phase, the maintenance dose is where most of the clinical work happens, not where it stops.

One practical detail worth knowing: your prescriber may keep you at 1.7 mg if the 2.4 mg dose is not well tolerated. If you want to understand how the Wegovy maintenance dose at 1 mg fits into the broader picture, it helps to know that the maintenance dose for you personally is the highest dose you tolerate, which may not always be 2.4 mg. That decision sits with a clinician, not the schedule on paper. You can read more about the full Wegovy dose steps and what each stage involves.

The 7.2 mg dose: a second maintenance tier the UK now has access to

Since April 2026 there is a higher option. The MHRA approved a dedicated single-dose 7.2 mg Wegovy pen (one injection per week, with the dose pre-set) for adults with a BMI of 30 or above. Trials reported average weight loss of around 20.7% over 72 weeks at this higher dose, which narrows the gap with tirzepatide results seen in the SURMOUNT programme. The MHRA's announcement of the 7.2 mg pen approval confirms it is licensed specifically for the obesity indication, not for the cardiovascular use case.

The titration pathway to 7.2 mg still starts at 0.25 mg. The 7.2 mg pen is not available to simply switch to without clinical assessment, your prescriber would review your response to 2.4 mg, your tolerability, and whether the higher dose is appropriate for you. People established on the 2.4 mg weekly injection who are being considered for 7.2 mg will have that conversation at a clinical review, not as an automatic next step.

If you are wondering how the 7.2 mg maintenance dose compares to the 2.4 mg standard, or what weight loss on the maintenance dose typically looks like in practice, those are good questions to bring to your prescriber. The numbers from trials are averages; individual responses vary considerably.

Staying on maintenance: NICE's six-month review and the two-year question

Reaching the maintenance dose does not mean the prescription runs indefinitely without review. NICE guidance on semaglutide (TA875) includes a clear clinical checkpoint: if less than 5% body weight has been lost after six months on the maintenance dose, continuing treatment should be reconsidered. This is not a rule designed to punish slow responders, it is a structured way of ensuring the medicine is doing what it is prescribed to do for each individual. The full NICE recommendation is worth reading if you want the detail; NICE TA875 sets out the criteria and review expectations clearly.

Under NHS criteria, Wegovy is recommended for a maximum of two years within a specialist weight management service. Private prescribing timelines are assessed individually by the prescriber at each repeat review, there is no blanket cut-off, but there is also no assumption of indefinite continuation. What happens after stopping is a real question, and one many people understandably think about before they even reach the maintenance phase. The evidence on what happens after Wegovy shows that weight can return without the continued support of the medicine and lifestyle habits, which is why aftercare and a longer-term plan matter from the beginning, not just at the end.

For context on the cost of private treatment at maintenance, the Wegovy cost guide covers what private treatment typically includes and what to look for in a provider. A prescription medicine at maintenance dose still requires regular clinical oversight, that is part of what a reputable private service builds in.

What to expect at maintenance: side effects, lifestyle, and keeping the prescription safe

Most people find the GI side effects that arrive with earlier dose steps (nausea, loose stools, indigestion) become more manageable once they have been at the maintenance dose for a few weeks. That said, any dose change (including an eventual move to 7.2 mg) can bring a temporary return of those sensations. Eating smaller portions, avoiding very fatty meals, staying well hydrated, and not lying down straight after eating all help. These are things the prescribing team at nume discusses as part of aftercare, the maintenance phase is not a 'set and forget' moment.

If you experience severe, persistent stomach pain that radiates to the back (with or without vomiting) seek urgent medical attention. The MHRA highlighted acute pancreatitis as a known but infrequent serious risk for GLP-1 medicines in a January 2026 Drug Safety Update. Most people on Wegovy never experience this, but knowing to act quickly if it occurs matters. Any suspected side effects can be reported at the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.

If you are approaching the maintenance dose or already there and want a prescriber to review your progress, speak to our prescribers, every repeat review at nume is read by a real clinician before anything is dispensed, including at dose maintenance. Understanding your semaglutide daily dose and how weekly injections translate into ongoing drug levels can also help you make sense of what your body is experiencing between doses. Some people find the Tuesday after the school run is the easiest moment to sit down with the consultation form; the 12pm cut-off for same-day dispatch means there is time.