What the Wegovy official website tells you — and what comes next

What the trial evidence behind Wegovy actually shows

The STEP 1 trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, randomised adults with obesity or overweight alongside a weight-related condition to semaglutide 2.4mg or placebo over 68 weeks, alongside lifestyle changes. Participants on semaglutide lost around 15% of body weight on average. That is the figure the official UK product information rests on, and it is the right one to quote.

Since that data was gathered, Novo Nordisk received MHRA approval in April 2026 for a dedicated 7.2mg single-dose pen, one pre-set weekly injection with a built-in covered needle that locks after use. Trials at this higher dose reported around 20.7% average weight loss over 72 weeks, narrowing the gap with tirzepatide results. The 7.2mg pen is approved for adults with a BMI of 30 or above; it is not authorised for those with a lower BMI, nor for the cardiovascular indication. Starting dose remains 0.25mg regardless of which maintenance target the prescriber has in mind, titrated roughly every four weeks.

One thing a question our prescribers hear most weeks is whether someone can simply request the highest dose straight away. The titration schedule exists to give your system time to adjust, not to slow things down arbitrarily, and if you want to understand more about how the medicine works at each stage, our semaglutide information pages walk through the science in plain terms. Moving too fast increases the likelihood of nausea and other gastrointestinal side effects that are already the most commonly reported effects of the medicine.

What the MHRA licence actually covers, and what it rules out

The Wegovy licence covers weight management alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. It does not cover cosmetic weight loss, and the MHRA has stated explicitly that GLP-1 medicines are not assessed for quick or cosmetic purposes. Adults under 18 are not covered by the licence. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and trying to conceive are all situations where the medicine is not recommended; your prescriber will talk through contraception and wash-out timing if that is relevant.

NICE's appraisal of semaglutide for weight management (TA875) recommends it within specialist NHS weight management services, for a maximum of two years, for adults meeting specific BMI and comorbidity criteria. Lower BMI thresholds apply for South Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds under UK guidance. Stopping is considered if less than 5% weight loss is achieved after six months at the maintenance dose.

If you are reading about semaglutide more broadly, it is worth knowing that the brand Ozempic contains the same molecule but carries a separate licence for type 2 diabetes, not weight management. They are not interchangeable for prescribing purposes. You can read more about how Wegovy is used for weight loss on our treatment overview page.

Why the official website cannot help you get a prescription

Manufacturer websites (whether Novo Nordisk's Wegovy site or any official product page) provide product information, not clinical services. They cannot assess whether semaglutide is appropriate for you personally, take account of your medical history, check for interactions with other medicines, or issue a prescription. That process requires a regulated prescriber.

In the UK, legitimate access to Wegovy goes through either an NHS specialist service or a GPhC-registered online pharmacy where a qualified Independent Prescriber reviews your consultation. At nume (sorry, at our GPhC-registered pharmacy) a named prescriber reads every consultation the same day it arrives. There is no algorithm making that call. Our clinical team can give you a sense of what that oversight looks like in practice.

People sometimes arrive having already found a price comparison somewhere online, and if you have spotted a Wegovy special offer somewhere, it is worth reading our pricing guide before assuming it is legitimate. If you want to understand what legitimate private treatment costs and what drives those figures, our Wegovy pricing guide sets that out honestly. The short version: a legitimate price always includes a prescription, a clinical assessment, and dispensing from a verifiable supply chain.

Red flags to recognise before you order anywhere

The MHRA has warned repeatedly about counterfeit weight-loss pens sold online and through social media, fake pens have been found containing insulin rather than semaglutide, leading to hospitalisations. The tell-tale signs: sellers offering these medicines without any clinical assessment, prices far below the market range, and discount codes or promotional offers tied to the medicine itself. Prescription-only medicines cannot legally be advertised with promotional pricing.

You can verify any online pharmacy in seconds using the GPhC pharmacy register. A legitimate pharmacy will have a registered premises number you can look up. Ours is 9012878, verifiable directly at that link. If a seller cannot point you to a GPhC registration, that is the moment to stop. Report any suspect source via the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.

For a broader look at the treatment options available through a regulated route, and for practical guidance on issues such as stinging at the injection site, the weight-loss treatment overview covers both injectable and oral options currently licensed in the UK.