What is Wegovy?

What is Wegovy used for?

For adult weight management, injectable Wegovy is licensed for an initial BMI of at least 30, or at least 27 with a weight-related condition, alongside diet and physical activity. Some injectable presentations also cover eligible adolescents and cardiovascular risk reduction in adults with established cardiovascular disease. [1]

In July 2026, the MHRA also approved the injection for MASH, a liver disease involving inflammation and scarring, in adults with moderate-to-advanced fibrosis. That indication is conditional on further confirmatory evidence. It should not be turned into a general claim that Wegovy treats every form of fatty liver. [3]

Ask your clinician to name the indication being treated. That makes it easier to understand which outcomes matter and which follow-up arrangements apply. A general weight-management guide cannot replace a liver or cardiovascular specialist's assessment.

Identify the presentation before reading a dosing guide

The UK FlexTouch pen is a multidose pen with four labelled injections. By contrast, the separate Wegovy 7.2 mg pen, first authorised on 13 April 2026, contains one dose and uses a different injection mechanism. Its pack contains four single-use pens. [4][5]

The current label allows 7.2 mg weekly for weight management in adults with obesity when needed, after at least four weeks at 2.4 mg. It is not a starting dose. The authorised device-specific options include one 7.2 mg injection or three 2.4 mg injections when prescribed. Do not construct this regimen yourself or use click counting to approximate it. [6]

At collection, ask the pharmacist to identify the exact device and demonstrate its instructions. If your new box looks different, compare its full name with the prescription before using it. An online demonstration of a different country's pen may be unsuitable even when the branding looks familiar.

How the tablet option fits in

The MHRA authorised Wegovy tablets on 11 June 2026. They are taken daily and have specific fasting and administration requirements. This is a separate formulation, not a weekly injection turned into an equivalent number of milligrams by arithmetic. [2][7]

When considering a tablet, think about a typical weekday, weekend and travel day. Ask whether the administration routine fits around breakfast and other medicines. For an injection, ask whether you can manage the device, storage and sharps arrangements. These are concrete preferences to discuss alongside clinical suitability.

Interpreting the trial results

STEP 1 tested semaglutide 2.4 mg injections with lifestyle support in adults without diabetes. At 68 weeks, average weight change was −14.9%, compared with −2.4% with placebo, in the analysis counting outcomes regardless of treatment discontinuation or rescue intervention. [8]

That result does not describe all current Wegovy presentations. Evidence for tablets and the 7.2 mg regimen comes from different studies. Comparing the largest percentages in separate headlines can obscure differences in participants, follow-up and analysis. Read the actual formulation and endpoint before treating a number as relevant to your prescription.

What should be discussed before starting?

Digestive effects are common with semaglutide. Your clinician should also know about other medicines, diabetes-related eye disease, previous pancreatic problems and pregnancy plans. The NHS patient information provides a useful starting point for that discussion. [9]

Seek urgent medical help for severe, persistent stomach pain, particularly if it reaches the back. Sudden loss or rapid deterioration of vision also requires urgent assessment; the MHRA identifies NAION as a very rare semaglutide risk. [10][11]

Tell the team before any planned anaesthetic or deep sedation that you use a GLP-1 medicine. Ask for their individual instructions rather than choosing a stopping interval from an online post. [12]

Plan the review as well as the start

NICE places weight-management medicines within wider dietary, activity and behavioural support. NHS eligibility and service arrangements are separate from a marketing authorisation. [13]

Before treatment, agree what will be measured, who will arrange reviews and who to contact between them. Ask how the service handles interruptions, lack of benefit or side effects. A clear plan should also explain how you will discuss continuing or stopping treatment, rather than leaving that conversation until the final pen or tablet pack.

Questions and answers