What's the Highest Dose of Wegovy Available in the UK?

Is 2.4mg still the highest dose of Wegovy, or has something changed?

Until early 2026, 2.4mg was the standard maintenance ceiling for Wegovy in the UK. On 12 January 2026 the MHRA approved a higher 7.2mg maintenance dose, initially administered as three 2.4mg pens taken in a single weekly session. Then, on 14 April 2026, a purpose-built single-dose 7.2mg pen was approved, one injection, once a week, with a pre-set dose and a built-in covered needle that locks after use. You can read the details on the gov.uk news announcement about the 7.2mg pen approval.

So if you've seen older articles describing 2.4mg as the top of the range, they're now out of date. The question of whether 2.4mg is still the highest Wegovy dose comes up regularly, it isn't, as of 2026.

One important limit: the 7.2mg dose is licensed for adults with a BMI of 30 or above. It isn't indicated for people below that threshold or for Wegovy's separate cardiovascular indication. A prescriber decides whether it's clinically appropriate for you specifically, your BMI alone doesn't guarantee suitability.

How do you actually get from the starting dose to the highest dose of Wegovy?

You don't begin at 7.2mg. Nobody does. The titration ladder for Wegovy runs: 0.25mg, then 0.5mg, then 1.0mg, then 1.7mg, then 2.4mg, and now 7.2mg as a further step for those who have tolerated 2.4mg. Each rung lasts around four weeks, so reaching the maximum dose of Wegovy takes the better part of a year, and only happens if your prescriber is satisfied with your tolerance at each level. For a full breakdown of the schedule, the Wegovy dosing page covers the complete sequence.

The slow pace is deliberate. Semaglutide's most common side effects (nausea, vomiting, loose stools, indigestion) tend to be worst in the first few weeks after a dose change, then settle. Rushing the ladder doesn't improve results; it mainly increases the chance of stopping early because the side effects became unmanageable. The NHS medicines page for semaglutide explains this profile clearly and is worth reading before starting treatment.

A question our prescribers hear regularly: does everyone need to reach 7.2mg? Not at all. The right maintenance dose is the highest one you tolerate well and that's producing the clinical response your prescriber expects. Some people do excellently at 1.7mg or 2.4mg, and if you're curious about what the lowest dose of Wegovy looks like and when it might be the right stopping point, that's worth exploring with your prescriber too.

What does the evidence show at 7.2mg compared with 2.4mg?

The trial data at 7.2mg is meaningfully better than at 2.4mg. Across 72 weeks, participants on the higher dose achieved around 20.7% average weight reduction, compared with approximately 15% in the STEP 1 trial at the 2.4mg maintenance dose. That's a substantial step up, and if you want to understand what the highest mg of Wegovy means in practice, it brings Wegovy's results closer to those seen with tirzepatide (Mounjaro) at its highest dose, though direct comparisons between medicines are always easier to make on paper than in a clinic. For a side-by-side look at the two medicines, the Wegovy overview page links to the relevant evidence.

It's also worth knowing that the 7.2mg pen design is different from earlier Wegovy pens: it's a single pre-set injection with an auto-dosing mechanism, a covered needle and a lock that engages after use. When it arrives, the packaging is plain and unbranded, a discreet box via DPD, tracked to your door. That consistency in delivery matters when you're managing a medicine that needs refrigeration before use.

If you're exploring treatment options or thinking about what dose might be relevant for you, cost is a practical consideration too. The weight-loss treatment overview covers what private treatment typically involves, and our FAQs answer common questions about starting.

Who can prescribe the 7.2mg dose, and what does clinical assessment involve?

Wegovy is a prescription-only medicine. The 7.2mg dose doesn't sit outside that, a prescriber still assesses you, reviews your current treatment history, and makes a clinical judgement about whether moving to the higher dose is appropriate. You can't self-select it, and it wouldn't be dispensed without a valid prescription following that review.

At nume, every consultation is read by a GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber on the same day, a real clinician, not automated software. Photo ID verification and live weight confirmation are part of every assessment, and patients moving to a higher dose provide evidence of their current treatment before any change is approved. Our clinical team oversees the pharmacy's prescribing standards directly.

If you'd like to discuss whether Wegovy (at any dose) is clinically suitable for you, the right place to start is a proper consultation rather than a search result. Check your eligibility and our prescribers will take it from there.