What is Wegovy used for besides weight loss?

Heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death: the SELECT trial findings

The cardiovascular indication came first. The SELECT trial enrolled over 17,000 adults with established cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity (but without diabetes), and followed them for around five years. Participants taking semaglutide 2.4mg weekly had a 20% lower relative risk of a major cardiovascular event (defined as non-fatal heart attack, non-fatal stroke or cardiovascular death) compared with placebo. The reduction appeared independently of how much weight each participant lost, which was significant: it suggested the heart-protective effect is not solely a downstream consequence of the number on the scales.

The MHRA granted a UK authorisation on the basis of this evidence. Wegovy is now licensed to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events in adults who have established cardiovascular disease and a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 or above with at least one weight-related condition. This is a separate licence from the weight-management one; eligibility for it is a clinical judgement, not a self-assessment. You can read the detail of how the NHS frames these medicines on NHS England's weight-management injections guidance.

What this means practically is that some people taking Wegovy are doing so primarily to protect their heart, with weight loss as a secondary benefit. Others are doing both at once. The prescriber's assessment decides which framework applies.

MASH, the fatty liver disease approval that arrived in July 2026

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH, is a form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in which fat accumulation triggers inflammation and, over time, scarring. In moderate-to-advanced stages it can progress to cirrhosis. Until recently there was no approved pharmacological treatment for it in the UK.

On 3 July 2026 the MHRA changed that, granting conditional approval for semaglutide (Wegovy) as the first medicine licensed in the UK to treat MASH with moderate-to-advanced liver fibrosis. The approval was based on phase 3 trial data showing meaningful reductions in liver inflammation and fibrosis scores compared with placebo. The approval is conditional, meaning additional data will be required as the medicine is used in clinical practice, but the regulator considered the benefit-risk balance sufficiently positive to approve it now. The MHRA's announcement on GOV.UK sets out the regulatory basis in full.

It is worth being clear: this is a specialist hepatology indication. Someone who reads about this and wonders whether their GP can prescribe Wegovy for a liver condition needs a specialist assessment first. The prescription pathway for MASH is distinct from the weight-loss pathway.

The diabetes confusion, why Ozempic is not Wegovy

A question our prescribers hear regularly is whether Wegovy can be used for type 2 diabetes. The short answer is no, not under that name, not under that licence. Ozempic contains the same molecule (semaglutide), but it is a separately licensed product indicated for blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes, at different doses. The MHRA is explicit: Ozempic is not licensed for weight management, and Wegovy is not licensed for type 2 diabetes. Conflating them (or trying to access one in place of the other) risks both clinical and legal problems.

If you want a fuller explanation of what semaglutides are used for across their different branded forms, the semaglutide uses overview on this site covers the distinctions clearly. The NHS medicines page for semaglutide on the NHS website is also a reliable starting point for understanding the different indications in plain language.

Research areas not yet approved, and why that matters

Clinical trials are investigating semaglutide in obstructive sleep apnoea, chronic kidney disease and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Some results have been encouraging. None of these is a UK-approved indication as of summer 2026, and reading a headline about a promising trial result is not a basis for seeking a prescription. The regulatory process exists precisely because promising early signals do not always translate into clear net benefit across real-world populations.

If you're considering Wegovy for any reason, the starting point is a proper clinical assessment. At nume, our prescribers review every consultation personally (the same day it's submitted) and consider the full clinical picture, not just a single data point. The Wegovy overview page explains the weight-management pathway in detail, and the benefits of Wegovy beyond weight loss goes deeper into the cardiovascular and metabolic evidence. If you are also wondering whether semaglutide can be used for weight loss in your particular situation, that page sets out the clinical criteria clearly. If cost is a factor in your thinking, the Wegovy cost page lays out what private treatment involves. When you're ready, speak to our prescribers through a free consultation, there's no obligation, and the conversation is the sensible place to start.