The licensed uses of Wegovy in the UK — and what they mean for you

You've been prescribed Wegovy for weight loss, here's what the licence actually says

Picture the moment a prescriber hands you a Wegovy prescription. The conversation has probably been framed around weight and metabolic health, but the licence covering that prescription is more specific than most people realise. The MHRA's UK authorisation for Wegovy covers adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or a BMI of 27 to 29.9 accompanied by at least one weight-related condition, type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, raised blood pressure, dyslipidaemia, or obstructive sleep apnoea are the most commonly cited examples. It must always be used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity; the injection is one part of a managed programme, not a standalone fix.

Lower BMI thresholds apply for some ethnic backgrounds under UK guidance, a 2.5 kg/m² reduction for South Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African, and African-Caribbean backgrounds is built into the NICE assessment framework. The Wegovy overview page covers those eligibility details more fully.

Worth noting before moving on: Ozempic is also semaglutide, but it carries a separate licence for type 2 diabetes management, it is not authorised for weight loss, and the two are not interchangeable at the prescribing level. Similarly, Rybelsus tablets are oral semaglutide for diabetes. If you want a fuller picture of the range of conditions semaglutide is used to treat, it is worth reviewing before assuming all semaglutide products serve the same purpose.

The cardiovascular use, a second, distinct indication

This one surprises people. Wegovy holds a UK authorisation for reducing the risk of major cardiovascular events (things like heart attack and stroke) in adults who have established cardiovascular disease and either obesity (BMI ≥30) or overweight (BMI 27–29.9) with a weight-related condition. This is a standalone licensed indication, separate from the weight-management use, and was supported by the SELECT trial, which involved more than 17,000 participants with existing heart disease.

Practically, this means a prescriber might recommend Wegovy to a patient whose primary goal is cardiovascular risk reduction, not weight loss per se. The weight loss that follows is real and meaningful, but it is not the legal basis for prescribing in this scenario. If you are unsure which indication applies to your situation, that is a question worth raising directly with your prescriber, a one-minute check of your most recent clinic letter will usually tell you whether cardiovascular risk was documented as part of your referral. Understanding the mechanism by which Wegovy produces weight loss can also help put the broader effects into context.

The NHS medicines page for semaglutide outlines both indications and is a reliable reference if you want to read the plain-language description of how the medicine is used.

The MASH approval (the newest addition to Wegovy's licenced uses

On 3 July 2026 the MHRA granted conditional approval for Wegovy as the first medicine licensed to treat MASH) metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, in adults with moderate-to-advanced liver fibrosis. MASH is a progressive form of fatty liver disease closely linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome; until this approval, no drug was authorised specifically for it in the UK.

The approval was based on trial evidence showing that semaglutide reduced liver inflammation and fibrosis scores in affected patients. This is a conditional approval, meaning Novo Nordisk will continue to provide further data as a condition of the licence. It does not change how Wegovy is prescribed for weight management; it is a separate clinical pathway for patients whose liver disease meets the criteria, and is managed by hepatologists and specialist teams rather than general weight-management services.

For the purposes of a private weight-management consultation, this indication is unlikely to be the driving reason for a referral, but it is a meaningful signal of the breadth of semaglutide's evidence base. The MHRA's announcement on GOV.UK has the full detail if you want to read the primary source.

What Wegovy is not used for, and where the boundaries sit

A licence defines both what a medicine is approved for and, by implication, what it is not. The MHRA has been explicit: GLP-1 medicines are not assessed or approved for quick weight loss or for cosmetic purposes. Wegovy is not licensed for use in people under 18, during pregnancy, while breastfeeding, or for anyone actively trying to conceive. People with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 are excluded, as are those with a history of pancreatitis, though your prescriber will review your medical history in full before any prescription is issued.

Oral semaglutide for weight management now also exists in the UK: the MHRA approved Wegovy tablets in June 2026, with a different dosing schedule and the advantage of no refrigeration. Those considering the tablet form can read about Wegovy's dose structure and how it differs between injection and tablet formats.

If you are weighing up whether Wegovy's licensed uses align with your situation, a prescriber is the right person to work through that with you. At nume, our prescribers review every consultation personally. You can see how we approach clinical assessments on our weight-loss treatment page, or explore the ingredients and pharmacology behind Wegovy if you prefer to understand the science first. When you are ready, you can speak to our prescribers through a free consultation, there is no obligation, and pricing is shown transparently on that page so you can factor in the full cost before you decide.