What semaglutides are used for — and why it matters which one

You've searched this because the answer isn't obvious

There's a reasonable chance you've already seen the word semaglutide in several different places, a news story about weight-loss jabs, a friend's prescription for Ozempic, an article about Wegovy. The names overlap, the uses seem to overlap, and it's genuinely hard to know what any of it means for you personally. That confusion is understandable. The same molecule appears under different brand names, at different doses, for different licensed purposes, and the rules around which is which are stricter than most people expect.

Semaglutide works by mimicking a gut hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain that you've eaten, slows the rate at which food leaves the stomach, and helps regulate blood sugar. At lower doses, this action is particularly useful in type 2 diabetes. At higher doses (2.4mg weekly by injection, or 25mg daily by tablet) the appetite-suppressing effect is strong enough to support meaningful, sustained weight loss in people with obesity. The specific licensed uses of semaglutide in the UK depend entirely on the product and strength in question.

None of these products is available without a prescription following clinical assessment. That's not a technicality, it reflects how powerful this medicine is and how carefully the prescriber needs to match the right product to the right person.

The three UK products and their licensed indications

Ozempic (0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1mg, 2mg injection): licensed for type 2 diabetes only. Not licensed for weight management. It appears in weight-loss conversations because it contains semaglutide and was, for a period, prescribed off-label, but the MHRA is clear that it should not be used for weight loss when weight-management-licensed alternatives exist. If you're searching about semaglutide for weight management, Ozempic is not the route.

Wegovy injection (0.25mg to 2.4mg, and now up to 7.2mg): licensed for weight management in adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 or above alongside a weight-related health condition. The STEP 1 trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, reported roughly 15% average weight loss over 68 weeks at the 2.4mg maintenance dose. In April 2026, the MHRA approved a single-dose 7.2mg pen (the highest dose yet available) for adults with a BMI of 30 or above, where trial data showed around 20.7% average loss. Treatment is titrated slowly by the prescriber, starting at 0.25mg.

Wegovy tablets (1.5mg, 4mg, 9mg, 25mg): the UK's first oral GLP-1 medicine licensed for weight loss. The MHRA approved it on 11 June 2026, the UK was the first country in Europe to do so. It's licensed for adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 to 29.9 with a weight-related condition. The OASIS 4 phase 3 trial reported around 13.6% average weight loss over 64 weeks. Among participants who stayed fully adherent, the average reached approximately 17%. It's taken once daily on an empty stomach, needs no refrigeration, and suits people who prefer not to inject. The full profile of Wegovy covers both formulations in more depth.

One more product worth naming: Rybelsus (oral semaglutide at 3mg, 7mg and 14mg) is licensed for type 2 diabetes, not weight loss. The dose strengths are different, the indication is different, and it should not be confused with Wegovy tablets.

What semaglutide is now approved to treat beyond weight and diabetes

The licensed uses of semaglutide are expanding. Since 2024, Wegovy has carried a UK authorisation for reducing the risk of major cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke) in eligible adults with obesity and established cardiovascular disease. That makes it unusual: a weight-loss medicine that also has a cardiovascular outcome indication in its own right.

In July 2026, the MHRA granted conditional approval for semaglutide (Wegovy) to treat MASH (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, a progressive form of fatty liver disease) in adults with moderate-to-advanced fibrosis. This was announced by the MHRA on 3 July 2026. It's a conditional approval, meaning the evidence base is still being built, but it signals how broad the potential of this molecule may be.

For most readers, this context is informational. If you're exploring semaglutide for weight management specifically, the evidence for semaglutide as a weight-loss medicine is well established through multiple large trials. The broader indications don't change what matters to you, but they do explain why this class of medicine is receiving so much attention from clinicians and researchers alike. More on what Wegovy is used for beyond weight loss is covered separately.

How a prescriber decides which semaglutide product applies to you

The short answer: your BMI, your medical history, any existing conditions, and your preferences all go into the assessment. A prescriber who reviews your consultation isn't just checking whether you clear the BMI threshold. They're looking at whether weight-management treatment is the right clinical approach, whether there are conditions that make semaglutide unsuitable, and which formulation makes practical sense for your circumstances.

NICE recommends semaglutide (Wegovy injection) within specialist weight management services for a maximum of two years, for adults with obesity and at least one weight-related comorbidity, at the thresholds set out in NICE Technology Appraisal TA875. Private prescribing follows the licensed indications in the SmPC rather than NICE's commissioning criteria, which is why eligible adults can access treatment without the specialist-service requirement or the two-year cap. A prescriber still makes that call individually.

If you want to understand what private treatment involves (including how Wegovy pricing works across doses and providers) those questions are worth exploring before you reach a decision. At nume, a GPhC-registered prescriber reads every consultation personally, the same day it's submitted. When you're ready, speak to our prescribers and they'll help you work out whether this is the right route for you.