What are the doses of Wegovy, and how does the schedule work?

What strengths does Wegovy come in, and what order are they taken?

The standard Wegovy injection schedule runs: 0.25 mg for the first four weeks, then 0.5 mg, then 1.0 mg, then 1.7 mg, then 2.4 mg as the standard maintenance dose. Each rung lasts roughly a month, giving your system time to settle before the next increase. That comes to around five months from first injection to full maintenance dose, though the exact pace depends on tolerability and what your prescriber decides at each review.

In April 2026 the MHRA approved a dedicated single-dose 7.2 mg pen, making it the highest licensed strength of semaglutide for weight management in the UK. This was a meaningful step: trials reported around 20.7% average weight loss at 7.2 mg over 72 weeks, which narrows the gap considerably with tirzepatide's headline results. The 7.2 mg pen has its own built-in covered needle and locks automatically after use, so the injection mechanism differs slightly from the earlier pens.

You can find a full breakdown of how each stage fits into the treatment arc on our guide to the stages of Wegovy treatment, and if you want to understand what the levels of Wegovy mean in practice, that page walks through each strength in detail. The key point at this stage is that no strength is optional or skippable, the titration order is set by the licence, and your prescriber won't fast-track you past a step without clinical reason. The NHS medicines page for semaglutide gives a reliable plain-English reference for the schedule as well.

Why does Wegovy start at 0.25 mg rather than a higher therapeutic dose?

The 0.25 mg starting strength isn't designed to produce weight loss, its job is to let the body adjust to semaglutide before the dose climbs into the range where it has a meaningful effect on appetite. GLP-1 receptor agonists slow gastric emptying and act on hunger signals in the brain, and both of those mechanisms can cause nausea, particularly in the first weeks. Starting low and titrating slowly is how the incidence and severity of that nausea are reduced.

Think of it this way: the 0.25 mg pen is doing groundwork, not heavy lifting. Most people notice little change in appetite at this point, which is entirely expected. Weight loss typically becomes more noticeable as the dose climbs toward 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg, and the STEP 1 trial (which studied semaglutide 2.4 mg over 68 weeks) reported an average body-weight reduction of around 15% at the maintenance dose, as published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Patience with the early weeks pays off. A prescriber who rushes the schedule to try to accelerate results is actually making side effects more likely, not less. At nume, every dose step is reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber before it is approved, a real clinician reads your case, not software.

Who can access the 7.2 mg dose, and what makes it different?

The 7.2 mg pen is licensed only for adults with a BMI of 30 or above, the cardiovascular indication that covers some people with BMI between 27 and 30 does not extend to this higher dose. Patients established on 2.4 mg weekly injections move to 7.2 mg following the same titration principle, with a clinical assessment confirming suitability first.

Practically, the pen works differently: it is pre-set to deliver the full 7.2 mg in one weekly injection, with an auto-dosing mechanism and a covered needle that locks after use. That's a change from the earlier multi-dose Wegovy pens. Whether a specific pen format is in stock is confirmed at consultation, we don't advertise particular formats as guaranteed, because supply can vary.

If cost is part of your thinking, the Wegovy price comparison page sets out the private market context honestly, including what a transparent price should cover beyond the pen itself. It is also worth knowing that the 7.2 mg dose is not yet available on the NHS; NHS access to Wegovy remains through specialist weight management services under NICE guidance TA875.

Does the dose ever go back down, and what happens if side effects are a problem?

Yes. If side effects at a given strength are difficult (persistent nausea, significant vomiting or other GI symptoms that aren't settling) a prescriber can hold the current dose for longer before stepping up, or reduce it temporarily. This is a clinical decision, not something to self-manage.

The same logic applies the other way: if someone has been off treatment for a period and wants to restart, going back to a lower dose rather than resuming at the point they stopped is usually the safer approach. The prescriber decides that based on how long the break was and what caused it.

Our guide to the potential downsides of Wegovy covers GI side effects in more detail, including when symptoms warrant contacting your prescriber urgently. Severe, persistent stomach pain that radiates to the back needs prompt medical attention, as the MHRA has highlighted this as a sign to take seriously with GLP-1 medicines. Store your pens in the fridge door when you get home, that consistent, easy habit keeps them in the right temperature range between 2 and 8°C, and you'll actually remember to check the date before each dose.

Semaglutide as a medicine has a broader story beyond the injection pen. Our semaglutide overview covers how the molecule works and why it holds several different UK licences, while the Wegovy pillar page brings together everything specific to the weight-management indication.

If you'd like to understand whether the Wegovy dose schedule suits your situation, check your eligibility with our clinical team, there's no fee for the consultation, and a prescriber will review your details the same day.