What Is the Maximum Dosage of Wegovy, and How Does the Dose Schedule Work?

What does the Wegovy dose schedule actually look like from start to maximum?

Wegovy is taken as a once-weekly injection, and the journey to the maximum dose is deliberately gradual. The licensed UK titration pathway runs: 0.25 mg for the first month, then 0.5 mg, then 1.0 mg, then 1.7 mg, and finally 2.4 mg as the standard maintenance dose, each step lasting roughly four weeks. That means most people reach 2.4 mg somewhere around month five, assuming they tolerate each increase without difficulty.

If nausea or other gastrointestinal symptoms are significant at a particular step, a prescriber may suggest staying at that dose for longer before moving up. Rushing the schedule is not advisable and can lead to people stopping treatment altogether when a slower approach would have worked. For detail on how each individual dose works in context, the Wegovy dosage guide on this site covers the full picture.

It is worth knowing that reaching the top dose is not the automatic goal. Some people find the 1.7 mg dose provides meaningful appetite reduction with a more manageable side-effect profile, and staying there is a legitimate clinical decision. The full breakdown of Wegovy doses explains what changes at each level and why the steps exist. According to the NHS semaglutide medicines page, the titration schedule is specifically designed to reduce the likelihood of gastrointestinal side effects.

Is 2.4 mg really the ceiling, or has the maximum dose changed?

For most of Wegovy's licensed life in the UK, 2.4 mg weekly was the top. That changed in January 2026, when the MHRA approved a 7.2 mg maintenance dose, initially supplied as three 2.4 mg pens used across a week. On 14 April 2026, the MHRA went further and approved a dedicated single-dose 7.2 mg pen: one weekly injection, with an auto-dosing mechanism and a covered needle that locks after use. That pen is approved for adults with a BMI of 30 or above specifically for weight management; it does not apply to the cardiovascular indication.

Trial data reported around 20.7% average weight loss over 72 weeks at 7.2 mg, narrowing the gap with tirzepatide's headline figures considerably. The Wegovy maximum dose page covers the 7.2 mg approval in more depth, including what the trial evidence shows. The starting dose with any of these routes remains 0.25 mg; the pathway to 7.2 mg runs through the same graduated steps, with 7.2 mg as a new ceiling rather than an alternative starting point.

One practical note: whether the 7.2 mg pen is available at any given time is confirmed at the point of consultation. Supply of newer formats can vary, and a prescriber will discuss which dose and format makes clinical sense for you rather than assuming the highest available is always the right answer.

What side effects tend to be more noticeable at higher doses?

The side-effect profile of Wegovy is largely gastrointestinal, nausea, loose stools, constipation, indigestion and burping are the most commonly reported. These tend to be most noticeable shortly after starting or after each dose increase, and for many people they ease within a week or two as the body adjusts. Higher doses do bring a somewhat greater chance of GI symptoms, which is the main reason the titration schedule exists in the first place.

Serious side effects are less common but worth knowing. In January 2026, the MHRA issued a Drug Safety Update drawing attention to acute pancreatitis as a known, infrequent but potentially serious risk with GLP-1 medicines: severe, persistent stomach pain (especially pain that spreads to the back, with or without vomiting) is a prompt to seek urgent medical help. Gallbladder symptoms, signs of dehydration from prolonged vomiting or diarrhoea, and allergic reactions are also reasons to contact a doctor promptly rather than waiting for a routine review.

For a broader look at how side effects tend to play out across the dose range, the Wegovy pens and dosage page is useful reading. And if you are comparing how semaglutide's tolerability profile sits against the wider semaglutide evidence base, the maximum dosage of semaglutide page addresses that in full.

Who decides when (or whether) you move to the maximum dose?

A GPhC-registered prescriber makes that call, at every stage. The dose is not something you adjust based on how you feel week to week without clinical input; each increase should be reviewed and sanctioned. At nume, a named prescriber (not an automated system) reviews your consultation and any repeat order before anything changes. That includes dose increases, which require evidence review under our clinical policy.

Eligibility for Wegovy starts at a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 to 29.9 with at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or obstructive sleep apnoea. Lower BMI thresholds can apply for some ethnic backgrounds under UK guidance. BMI alone does not guarantee a prescription; the whole clinical picture matters, and some medical histories require discussion before any GLP-1 treatment is appropriate.

For those curious about how private treatment fits alongside NHS options, the Wegovy price comparison page explains what the private route typically costs and what is included. When you are ready to explore whether Wegovy is suitable for you, the free consultation is the place to start, reviewed the same day by one of our prescribers, with no waiting list.