Wegovy standard dose: understanding the schedule and what it means for you

Why the titration exists before you reach the standard dose

It is tempting to think of the early doses as waiting time. They are not. Starting at 0.25mg gives your digestive system several weeks to adjust to the way semaglutide slows gastric emptying and signals fullness through GLP-1 receptors. People who rush this adjustment typically experience more nausea, vomiting and discomfort, which is precisely why the schedule is built the way it is.

Each four-week step is deliberate. At 0.5mg you may notice appetite beginning to shift. At 1.0mg and 1.7mg, the effect tends to become more noticeable. Arriving at 2.4mg after roughly 16 weeks means your body has had time to reach a steady state at each level before the prescriber moves you on. A question our prescribers hear regularly: can I go faster? The short answer is that the SmPC schedule exists for good reason, and any changes belong in a clinical conversation, so if you want a clear breakdown of each step, the Wegovy dose page sets out exactly how the progression works. The starting dose of Wegovy is covered in detail if you want to understand what those first weeks look like in practice.

What happens at 2.4mg, and whether it is the end of the road

For most people on Wegovy, 2.4mg is where the medicine settles. The STEP 1 trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed adults with obesity or overweight for 68 weeks on 2.4mg semaglutide alongside lifestyle changes and found an average body-weight reduction of around 15%. That figure comes from a rigorously controlled trial; individual results vary, and a prescriber monitors progress to assess whether continuing at 2.4mg makes clinical sense.

The picture shifted in 2026. The MHRA approved a 7.2mg maintenance dose, first as three 2.4mg pens used in a single week, then as a dedicated single-dose pen approved on 14 April 2026. Trial data reported average weight loss approaching 20.7% over 72 weeks at this higher dose. The 7.2mg option is licensed for adults with a BMI of 30 or above only, and the starting dose remains 0.25mg regardless. If you want the detail on how the pen format works, the Wegovy pen dose page explains the mechanics. Worth noting: NICE's appraisal of semaglutide (TA875) recommends reviewing continuation if less than 5% weight loss has occurred after six months on the maintenance dose. Your prescriber makes that call.

Staying on track: routine, storage and missed doses

Once you are on a regular weekly dose, the practical side of Wegovy becomes part of ordinary life. The pen is stored in the fridge at 2°C to 8°C, though it can sit at room temperature for a limited period after removal; the exact window is in your Patient Information Leaflet, which is the document to follow. Many people keep their current pen in the fridge door and pick a fixed weekday as their injection day, simple, and easy to keep consistent.

Missed doses happen. The general SmPC principle is that if fewer than five days have passed since a missed dose, you can take it and then continue on your usual day; if more than five days have passed, skip it and resume your next scheduled dose. Do not take two doses to make up for one missed. This is one of those moments where your Patient Information Leaflet or a direct call to your prescriber gives you a better answer than a general estimate. If you have questions about how the full schedule fits together, the Wegovy doses guide covers the wider picture, and the weight-loss treatment overview explains what treatment involves from consultation through to aftercare. For context on how NHS England describes the expectations around weight-management injections, including wrap-around care, their guidance is publicly available.

When to speak to a prescriber about your Wegovy dose

The titration schedule sets a framework, not a rigid conveyor belt. If side effects at a given step are significant, a prescriber may recommend staying at that dose longer before moving up. If you have been on 2.4mg for six months and progress is limited, continuing is something to review rather than assume. New circumstances, a planned surgical procedure, a change in other medicines, all of these need a prescriber's input before anything in your schedule shifts.

People transferring from another provider sometimes arrive mid-schedule. A prescriber at nume will ask for evidence of your current treatment and dose before continuing; that is a safety step. The Wegovy overview explains who the medicine is licensed for and how eligibility works. For the detail on one specific step in the ladder, the Wegovy third dose page goes into that further. When you are ready to talk through your situation with a clinician, you can speak to our prescribers through a free consultation, reviewed the same day by a GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber.