Wegovy UK approval date and what has changed since it launched

The myth: Wegovy only just arrived in the UK

A lot of people researching Wegovy assume it is a brand-new medicine with limited availability. That is not quite right. Novo Nordisk's semaglutide 2.4 mg injection was first approved for weight management in the UK in 2022 under the brand name Wegovy, and NICE issued its recommendation (TA875) in March 2023, clearing the way for NHS prescribing within specialist weight management services. Supply constraints in the early period led to restricted availability, which may be why many readers still think of it as new.

The reality is that the landscape has moved on considerably. By 2025 supply had stabilised, the treatment was more widely available privately, and Novo Nordisk had already submitted data on a higher dose. If you have been waiting to find out whether Wegovy is available, it is, and through more routes than existed two years ago. You can read a full overview of the treatment on our semaglutide information page.

The approval story did not stop at 2023. Understanding the full timeline matters because each new approval changed what your prescriber can offer, and on what terms.

Key MHRA approval dates and what each one changed

The MHRA approved a 7.2 mg maintenance dose for Wegovy on 12 January 2026, initially delivered as three separate 2.4 mg pens per week. That was followed on 14 April 2026 by approval of a dedicated single-dose 7.2 mg pen, one pre-set weekly injection with an auto-dosing mechanism, a built-in covered needle, and a lock after use. The approval is specifically for adults with a BMI of 30 or above; it does not extend to lower BMI thresholds or to the cardiovascular indication. The starting dose remains 0.25 mg regardless of which pen format is used, titrated roughly every four weeks by a prescriber up to the 7.2 mg maximum.

Trials at the 7.2 mg dose reported around 20.7% average weight loss over 72 weeks, narrowing the gap with tirzepatide 15 mg data from the SURMOUNT programme. The MHRA's announcement on GOV.UK sets out the exact approval scope. Separately, on 3 July 2026 the MHRA granted conditional approval for semaglutide (Wegovy) to treat MASH (a form of fatty liver disease with moderate-to-advanced fibrosis) in adults. That indication is distinct from weight management and is mentioned here for completeness.

Then on 11 June 2026 came the oral form. Wegovy tablets (25 mg oral semaglutide, co-formulated with an absorption enhancer) became the first oral GLP-1 medicine approved in the UK for weight management. The UK was the first in Europe to licence it. If you are curious how the tablet compares in terms of results and practicalities, our Wegovy treatment page covers both forms.

What the NICE recommendation actually requires, and why private access differs

NICE's TA875 recommendation for the injectable Wegovy came with meaningful conditions. It applies within specialist weight management services only, for a maximum of two years, for adults with a BMI of at least 35 (or 30–34.9 where specialist-referral criteria are met) and at least one weight-related comorbidity. If less than 5% weight loss is achieved after six months on the maintenance dose, continuing treatment should be reviewed. Ethnic-background adjustments (typically 2.5 kg/m² lower thresholds) apply throughout.

NHS waiting lists for those specialist services can be long. Private prescribing operates under the medicine's licensed criteria rather than the NICE commissioning framework, which is why people who do not meet the NHS thresholds, or who simply cannot wait, access treatment privately. A prescriber still assesses the full clinical picture; eligibility is not guaranteed by BMI alone. For context on what private treatment costs and what is included, our Wegovy prices page walks through the honest numbers.

Wegovy tablets do not yet have a NICE appraisal (that process takes time after MHRA approval) so they are private-prescription only at launch. Whether injection or tablet is the better fit for you depends on your clinical history, preferences and circumstances. That is the conversation a prescriber is there to have.

A note on what 'use by' and expiry mean for these medicines

Readers sometimes arrive at this topic meaning something different by "date", not the approval date, but the expiry or use-by date on the pen itself. Storage and expiry are covered separately if that is what you are looking for: how to check a Wegovy pen's use-by date and whether semaglutide goes out of date are two common questions our team fields. The short answer is that pens stored outside recommended conditions or used after expiry may not work as expected, and the Patient Information Leaflet is the definitive reference for your specific pen. Likewise, the full semaglutide approval history goes into greater regulatory detail than this page needs to.

If you are ready to find out whether Wegovy or another licensed weight-management treatment might be appropriate for you, a free consultation with one of our prescribers is the starting point. There is no obligation, and a real clinician reviews your answers the same day.

We know it can feel disorienting to keep reading about new approvals and changing dates, you just want to know where you stand now. Hopefully this page has given you a clear, honest answer. Start your free consultation and our prescribers can take it from there.