Medicines regulator approves up to 7.2mg dose of semaglutide (Wegovy) for patients with obesity only

It is administered as 3 injections of 2.4 mg for weight management in adult patients with obesity only, in addition to a reduced-calorie diet and exercise, who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30kg/m² or higher.  

This does not apply to overweight patients with a BMI of less than 30kg/m² using Wegovy for weight management or for patients using Wegovy to lower their risk of serious heart problems.  

Patients should always use this medicine exactly as their prescriber tells them and to check with their doctor, pharmacist or nurse if they’re not sure.  

When a patient with obesity first starts using Wegovy, the starting dose is 0.25mg per week. A prescribing healthcare professional will then instruct a patient to gradually increase their dose every 4 weeks until they reach the dose of 2.4 mg per week. 

If needed, a dose increase to 7.2 mg per week (3 injections of 2.4 mg) can be made after a minimum of 4 weeks on 2.4 mg. The maximum dose is 7.2 mg per week.

For the Wegovy 7.2 mg weight management dose, patients will need to inject three doses of 2.4 mg, one after each other on the same day. The injections can be given in the same body area but should be at least 5cm apart. Patients must change the needle between each dose and may need to use multiple pens.  

Each pen contains four 2.4 mg doses. Patients should not discard the pen until their fourth dose has been taken. Partially used pens should be stored in the fridge with the needle removed. Patients should make sure they have a sufficient supply of pens to complete their dose before they start injecting. Once all four 2.4mg doses have been used, patients should dispose of the pen safely, as instructed by their prescriber.  

Anyone who suspects they are having a side effect from this medicine should talk to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse and report it directly to the MHRA Yellow Card scheme, either through the website (https//yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/) or by searching the Google Play or Apple App stores for MHRA Yellow Card.  

Notes to editors 

For weight management