What is the Wegovy injection used for, and who can have it?

What conditions is the Wegovy injection actually licensed to treat?

The short answer is chronic weight management, but that phrase covers more ground than people expect. Wegovy is approved for adults whose BMI sits at 30 or higher, and also for adults with a BMI between 27 and 29.9 who have at least one weight-related comorbidity. Conditions that typically qualify in that lower BMI bracket include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia and obstructive sleep apnoea. Lower BMI thresholds apply for South Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds under current UK clinical guidance.

There is a common misconception worth clearing up quietly: many people assume Wegovy and Ozempic are the same product used interchangeably. Both contain semaglutide, but the licensed uses differ. Ozempic is authorised for type 2 diabetes; Wegovy is authorised for weight management. They are not substitutes, and prescribers are not simply handing out whichever pen is available.

Since the original weight-management licence, semaglutide has also received UK approval for reducing major cardiovascular event risk in eligible adults, and, from July 2026, a conditional authorisation for MASH, a form of fatty liver disease involving moderate-to-advanced fibrosis. Both are additional indications layered onto the existing semaglutide authorisation. For the purposes of weight management through a private service like ours, the weight-management indication is the relevant one. The NHS medicines page on semaglutide gives a clear patient-level summary of the approved uses.

How does Wegovy produce weight loss, what is it actually doing?

Semaglutide mimics a gut hormone called GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) that is released naturally after eating. When the injected version circulates, it acts on receptors in the brain's appetite-regulation centres, reducing hunger signals and making smaller portions feel satisfying. It also slows gastric emptying, so food stays in the stomach longer and fullness lasts. The result, for most people on the full maintenance dose, is a significant and sustained reduction in calorie intake, without conscious restriction feeling effortful.

The injection is given once a week, under the skin of the abdomen, thigh or upper arm. Treatment starts at a low dose and the prescriber titrates it upward in stages, typically at roughly four-week intervals, to allow the body to adjust and keep gastrointestinal side effects manageable. The highest licensed maintenance dose in the UK was 2.4mg for many years; the MHRA approved a higher 7.2mg dose (now available as a dedicated single-dose pen) in April 2026 for adults with a BMI of 30 or above. If you want step-by-step guidance on the mechanics, our guide to using the Wegovy injection covers technique and storage in detail.

It is worth knowing that Wegovy is not a short-term fix. Clinical trial data and real-world evidence both show that the appetite-regulating effects are active while the medicine is being taken; stopping treatment tends to reverse a meaningful portion of the weight lost over time, which is why it sits within a broader programme of reduced-calorie eating and increased activity rather than replacing them.

What did the clinical trials show about how well it works?

The STEP 1 trial (published in the New England Journal of Medicine and involving adults with obesity but without diabetes) found an average body-weight reduction of around 15% over 68 weeks at the 2.4mg maintenance dose. That figure consistently placed semaglutide among the most effective medicines then available for weight management. The full STEP 1 paper is available at the NEJM for anyone who wants to read the primary data.

The 7.2mg dose studied in subsequent trials narrowed the gap further, with trial data reporting around 20.7% average weight loss over 72 weeks. That places it closer to the results seen with tirzepatide (Mounjaro) in the SURMOUNT-5 head-to-head trial. For a direct comparison of how the two injections stack up, our page on semaglutide's uses goes into the trial evidence side by side.

NICE assessed Wegovy in 2023 under technology appraisal TA875. It recommended semaglutide for NHS use, but with conditions: treatment is for a maximum of two years, within a specialist weight management service that provides multidisciplinary support, and only for people meeting specific BMI and comorbidity thresholds. The NICE TA875 guidance sets these criteria out in full.

Is Wegovy available on the NHS, and what is the private route?

NHS access exists but is limited. Under NICE TA875, Wegovy is commissioned through specialist weight management services, and waiting lists in many areas stretch to months or longer. The NHS eligibility criteria are stricter than the licensed criteria; a BMI that qualifies under the Wegovy licence does not automatically mean an NHS prescription is available.

Private prescribing follows the licensed criteria rather than NICE's NHS conditions, which means the two-year cap and the requirement for a specialist service do not apply in the same way. What does not change is the clinical rigour: every private prescription still requires assessment by a qualified prescriber who reviews your medical history, current medicines and BMI before a pen is dispensed. If you have already completed a course of treatment, our guidance on what to do with a used Wegovy pen explains how to dispose of it safely.

Cost is often a practical concern. The cost context for Wegovy in the UK explains what drives the price variation between providers, and what a headline price typically does or does not include. At nume, one price covers your consultation, prescription, treatment and next-working-day tracked delivery, with no subscription tied to it. Our prescribers are GPhC-registered Independent Prescribers who review each consultation personally. If Wegovy is right for you clinically, you can start your free consultation today.