Wegovy Dosages: The Complete UK Titration Schedule

Where the schedule comes from, and why it is what it is

The Wegovy titration schedule was not designed arbitrarily. It reflects what the STEP clinical programme found about tolerability: the majority of the gastrointestinal side effects people experience on semaglutide (nausea, loose stools, an unsettled stomach) are most pronounced in the first weeks after a dose increase, then they ease off. Building the dose slowly gives the body time to adapt at each level before the next increase is introduced.

NICE's appraisal of semaglutide for weight management, published as TA875, describes the approved schedule as the clinical basis for the recommendation. The NHS patient guidance on semaglutide reflects the same five-step structure. Between them, they form the authoritative UK reference for this schedule.

One thing worth naming plainly: the 0.25 mg dose is not where the weight-loss effect lives. It is an adjustment phase. Patients sometimes worry that early weeks feel uneventful, that is the point of that pen. The therapeutic work begins as the dose climbs. A prescriber who moves things too quickly is not doing you a favour; nor is one who keeps you at a sub-therapeutic level indefinitely without reason.

The five licensed doses and the newer 7.2 mg pen

The standard UK titration runs: 0.25 mg for the first four weeks, then 0.5 mg, then 1.0 mg, then 1.7 mg, and finally 2.4 mg as the maintenance dose, each stage typically lasting around four weeks, paced by the prescriber based on how you are tolerating the current level. If you want to understand what the dosages for Wegovy mean in practice, including how each step differs from the last, that page walks through the full progression. Some people stay longer at a given step if side effects need more time to settle; others may be advised differently depending on their clinical picture.

In April 2026 the MHRA approved a dedicated single-dose 7.2 mg pen, a pre-set weekly injection designed for adults with a BMI of 30 or above. This higher dose was first available via three separate 2.4 mg pens per week from January 2026, but the single-pen format announced on 14 April 2026 by the MHRA simplifies that considerably. Trial data at 7.2 mg reported around 20.7% average weight reduction over 72 weeks, results that narrow the gap with tirzepatide in head-to-head evidence. The 7.2 mg pen is not a starting dose; the titration still begins at 0.25 mg regardless of which maintenance level is eventually reached.

If you are already established on weekly 2.4 mg injections, a move to 7.2 mg is a clinical decision made with your prescriber, not a self-directed upgrade. Specific dose availability is always confirmed at consultation, it is not something to assume before speaking with a clinician. For a broader look at how the injection and the newer oral tablet compare, the semaglutide doses overview sets out both formats side by side.

What happens if the maintenance dose is not working well enough

UK clinical guidance is direct on this point. NICE TA875 recommends considering stopping Wegovy if a patient has not lost at least five percent of their starting body weight after six months at the maintenance dose. That threshold is not a punishment; it is a safety check to ensure the treatment is doing what it should before continuing long-term use. It also reflects the licensed indication: Wegovy is approved for weight management alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased activity, and the clinical guidance anticipates that lifestyle factors matter alongside the medicine.

Dose reduction is also part of the picture. If side effects at a given level are significant, a prescriber may hold the current dose for longer or step back temporarily. Missing a dose (which happens) should be handled in line with the Patient Information Leaflet; the general principle is to take it as soon as you remember if there is still enough time before the next scheduled dose, but your leaflet and prescriber's advice take precedence over any general guidance.

At nume, a clinician personally reviews your case before any repeat supply and before any dose change. The clinical team page gives more detail on how that oversight works. It is worth checking our FAQs too if you have questions about what the review process involves in practice.

Getting the dose that fits your situation

The prescription schedule is one half of the picture. The other half is whether Wegovy is the right treatment for you at all, and at what point in the titration your individual needs and history sit. BMI thresholds, concurrent medicines, other health conditions and tolerance all feed into that assessment. If you are unsure how the steps compare to one another, a closer look at the dosage levels for Wegovy sets out what each stage involves and how they relate to the overall treatment journey. The STEP 1 trial, which involved adults with obesity without diabetes over 68 weeks, reported an average body-weight reduction of around 15% at the 2.4 mg dose, a result that anchors the evidence base for this medicine in the UK.

People sometimes arrive at considering where to get Wegovy with a specific dose already in mind, often because they have read about results at higher levels. That curiosity is reasonable. What matters clinically, though, is starting correctly and titrating safely, rushing the schedule tends to amplify side effects without meaningfully accelerating results. The timeline for the first dose is a separate question worth understanding before you begin. For context on how treatment costs fit together, the weight-loss treatment overview explains what is typically included in a private prescription service.

If you are ready to find out which dose and treatment pathway fits your circumstances, a free consultation with our prescribers is the right next step. Check your eligibility, the assessment is clinical, same-day, and at no charge. Your pen arrives via tracked DPD delivery the next working day, in plain unbranded packaging, once approved.