What Are the Dosages for Wegovy — and Why the Schedule Matters More Than the Number

The biggest misconception: 2.4 mg is not where you start

Many people arrive at an online consultation expecting to begin Wegovy at what they have read is the "main dose" (2.4 mg) and are surprised to learn that the treatment opens at a fraction of that. This is not a pharmacy being cautious; it is how the licensed schedule works. Semaglutide affects how quickly your stomach empties, and starting at a full maintenance dose before your body has adjusted would mean most people experience severe nausea early on, which can put them off treatment altogether.

The 0.25 mg starting dose exists entirely to help your system settle. It has no meaningful weight-management effect at that level. After four weeks, a prescriber moves you to 0.5 mg, then 1.0 mg, then 1.7 mg, each stage roughly a month apart. You reach 2.4 mg, the standard maintenance dose, around week 16 to 20. If side effects are difficult at any rung, a prescriber may suggest staying longer at a lower dose before stepping up. That call belongs to them, not to the titration calendar.

The NHS medicines page for semaglutide sets out this schedule clearly if you want to read the official patient-level summary alongside this page.

The 7.2 mg dose: what was approved and who it applies to

In January 2026, the MHRA approved 7.2 mg semaglutide as a higher maintenance dose, initially supplied as three 2.4 mg pens used together each week. Then, on 14 April 2026, a dedicated single-dose 7.2 mg pen was approved, one injection per week at the maximum dose, with an auto-dosing mechanism and a covered needle that locks after use. This is a meaningful practical improvement for anyone who reaches the top of the standard schedule and wants to go further.

There is a catch worth knowing: the 7.2 mg licence covers adults with a BMI of 30 or above only. It does not extend to the lower BMI threshold that applies to the 2.4 mg dose (BMI 27 to 29.9 with a weight-related condition), and it does not cover the cardiovascular risk-reduction indication. If you are curious about where you might sit on that scale, the NHS BMI calculator is a quick starting point, though BMI alone does not decide clinical suitability.

Trial data reported around 20.7% average weight reduction over 72 weeks at 7.2 mg, figures that approach what the highest tirzepatide doses produced in their own trials. You can read more about the semaglutide injection and how it compares on our Wegovy overview page.

When dose increases happen, and when they don't

A question our prescribers hear regularly: "Can I speed up the schedule?" The short answer is no, and not because of bureaucracy. The titration steps exist because the side-effect burden is directly tied to how fast semaglutide levels rise in your system. Rushing increases the chance of nausea, vomiting and fatigue landing hard enough to make people stop treatment before it has had a proper chance to work.

At the other end, there are good reasons a prescriber might keep someone at 1.7 mg rather than moving to 2.4 mg, tolerability, a specific health picture, or response at the current dose. NICE guidance for semaglutide (Wegovy) notes that if less than 5% weight loss has occurred after six months at the maintenance dose, continuing the medicine should be reviewed. That review is a clinical one, not something to act on alone. For context on how costs look across the dose journey, our Wegovy cost guide covers what private treatment typically involves.

One practical note on timing: if your delivery arrives just before a bank holiday, or your usual order day falls on a Monday after a long weekend, keep the pen refrigerated at 2 to 8°C until your normal injection day. Room-temperature storage windows vary by product, so the Patient Information Leaflet that comes with your pen is the only reliable guide, do not rely on memory or secondhand advice here.

Wegovy tablets: a separate dose schedule entirely

From June 2026, there is a second form of semaglutide licensed for weight management in the UK: Wegovy tablets. If you want a full breakdown of each step, our Wegovy dosages page walks through the oral escalation ladder in detail, covering the 1.5 mg daily starting point up to the 25 mg maintenance dose, and it is taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, with a small amount of plain water, waiting at least 30 minutes before food or other medicines. It needs no refrigeration, which changes the storage conversation entirely.

The tablet doses are entirely separate from the injection schedule. This distinction matters because there is a different oral semaglutide product (Rybelsus, at 3 mg, 7 mg and 14 mg) that is licensed for type 2 diabetes, not weight loss. Those strengths are not part of the Wegovy tablet ladder and should not be confused with it. If you are considering whether the injection or the tablet route suits you better, our weight-loss treatment overview sets out the options side by side. You can also explore the specific Wegovy doses page for a closer look at how individual steps compare, or read about semaglutide doses across its licensed uses to understand where Wegovy sits within the wider picture.

The NICE technology appraisal for semaglutide (TA875) remains the governing clinical guidance for Wegovy in the UK. Any prescriber working within licensed use and NICE recommendations will be working from that document, alongside the product's own SmPC. Speak to our prescribers if you'd like to understand what the dosage for Wegovy means in practice for your situation, a consultation with a real clinician, not an automated system, is the right place for that conversation. Start at our treatment page.