The standard Wegovy injection schedule: 5 steps over ~17 weeks
The FDA-approved Wegovy injection is titrated in five steps, each lasting 4 weeks, so the full climb to the 2.4 mg maintenance dose takes about 16–17 weeks (roughly 4 months). The label states: initiate at 0.25 mg once weekly for weeks 1–4, then escalate to 0.5 mg (weeks 5–8), 1 mg (weeks 9–12), and 1.7 mg (weeks 13–16), reaching the 2.4 mg maintenance dose at week 17 and onward.
This slow ramp exists for one reason: to reduce gastrointestinal side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation, which are most common when the dose changes. The 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, and 1 mg strengths are labeled as initiation and escalation doses only — they are not approved as maintenance doses, meaning they are stepping stones, not destinations.
Wegovy is injected subcutaneously (under the skin) in the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm, once weekly on the same day each week, at any time of day, with or without food.
- Weeks 1–4: 0.25 mg once weekly (start)
- Weeks 5–8: 0.5 mg once weekly
- Weeks 9–12: 1 mg once weekly
- Weeks 13–16: 1.7 mg once weekly
- Week 17+: 2.4 mg once weekly (maintenance)
2.4 mg vs 1.7 mg: both are approved maintenance doses
For weight management, the label lists two approved maintenance doses: 2.4 mg once weekly (recommended) or 1.7 mg once weekly. The 2.4 mg dose is the target for most people because it was the dose studied for maximum weight loss, but 1.7 mg is a legitimate, approved maintenance dose for people who don't tolerate the higher one.
The label spells out a specific step-down path for tolerance problems at maintenance: if a person cannot tolerate 2.4 mg once weekly, the prescriber may reduce the maintenance dose to 1.7 mg once weekly. If the person cannot tolerate 1.7 mg either, the label directs discontinuing Wegovy. This is a prescriber decision — the point is that staying at a lower dose is an approved option, not a failure.
Wegovy 2.4 mg is also the dose approved to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, heart attack, or stroke) in certain adults, and for noncirrhotic MASH (a liver condition) with moderate-to-advanced fibrosis.
The new 7.2 mg high dose (Wegovy HD)
On March 19, 2026, the FDA approved a higher 7.2 mg once-weekly dose of Wegovy injection, marketed as Wegovy HD, for weight loss and long-term weight maintenance in certain adults with obesity or overweight. According to the label, the 7.2 mg dose is a maximum dose reserved for people who have already tolerated the 2.4 mg dose for at least 4 weeks and for whom additional weight reduction is clinically indicated. It is not a starting dose and is not part of the initial titration.
The approval was based on the STEP UP trial (Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 2025), a 72-week randomized phase 3b study of 1,407 adults with obesity and without diabetes. In STEP UP, participants on 7.2 mg lost an average of 18.7% of body weight (treatment-regimen estimand) versus 15.6% for 2.4 mg and 3.9% for placebo; when analyzed among those who adhered to treatment, average weight loss reached 20.7%. About one in three people on 7.2 mg (roughly 31–33%) achieved 25% or greater weight loss.
The trade-off is tolerability: gastrointestinal adverse events were more common on 7.2 mg (about 71% of participants) than on 2.4 mg (about 61%) or placebo (about 43%). Whether the 7.2 mg dose is appropriate for a given person is entirely a prescriber's call.
What the label says about not tolerating a dose
The Wegovy label anticipates that some people will struggle at a given step, and it gives prescribers explicit instructions — which is exactly why patients should not improvise. During dose escalation, if a person does not tolerate a scheduled dose, the label directs the prescriber to consider delaying the escalation for 4 weeks (staying on the current dose longer) rather than pushing ahead.
At the maintenance phase, the built-in step-down applies: 2.4 mg down to 1.7 mg, and discontinuation if 1.7 mg still isn't tolerated. For the oral tablet, if a person can't tolerate the 25 mg maintenance dose, the label suggests a prescriber may consider switching to the Wegovy 1.7 mg injection.
None of this is something to do on your own. The label frames every adjustment as a clinical decision. Do not increase, decrease, skip, double, or delay a dose without your prescriber directing it.
Missed doses: what the FDA label instructs
The Wegovy injection label gives a clear rule for a missed weekly dose that depends on timing. If one dose is missed and the next scheduled dose is more than 2 days (48 hours) away, administer the missed dose as soon as possible. If the next scheduled dose is less than 2 days away, skip the missed dose and resume on the regularly scheduled day.
If 2 or more consecutive doses are missed, the label directs reinitiating at a lower dose and following the escalation schedule again, because restarting at the full dose after a gap can bring back gastrointestinal symptoms.
This is reference information from the label. If you miss a dose, the safest step is to contact your prescriber or pharmacist rather than guessing.
- Missed dose, next dose >2 days away: take it as soon as possible
- Missed dose, next dose <2 days away: skip it, resume on schedule
- 2+ consecutive doses missed: the label directs re-starting escalation at a lower dose (prescriber-guided)
The oral Wegovy pill: a completely different dosing schedule
On December 22, 2025, the FDA approved the Wegovy pill (once-daily oral semaglutide 25 mg) — the first oral GLP-1 approved for weight management. Its numbers look nothing like the injection because oral semaglutide is absorbed far less efficiently, so the milligrams are much larger. Do not compare pill milligrams to injection milligrams.
Per the label, the tablet starts at 1.5 mg once daily for 30 days, then titrates every 30 days through the available strengths (1.5, 4, 9, and 25 mg) to a 25 mg once-daily maintenance dose. The pill must be taken on an empty stomach in the morning with no more than 4 ounces (a small sip) of water, swallowed whole, followed by at least a 30-minute wait before eating, drinking, or taking other oral medications. Only one tablet per day.
In the OASIS 4 trial, adults on the 25 mg oral dose lost about 16.6% of body weight when they adhered to treatment (about 13.6% regardless of adherence) over roughly 15 months — similar to injectable Wegovy 2.4 mg. The pill and injection were not compared head-to-head in the same trial.
A note on compounded semaglutide
Dosing charts you may see for compounded semaglutide do not necessarily match this FDA schedule. Compounded semaglutide is not an FDA-approved finished drug — compounded products are prepared by pharmacies and are not reviewed by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or quality, and their concentrations and titration instructions can differ from the branded label.
Whenever you see a Wegovy dosage chart, confirm whether it reflects the FDA-approved product (the schedule on this page) or a compounded formulation. When in doubt, the branded FDA label and your prescriber are the authoritative sources.
glp1zoom is an educational comparison site. We do not prescribe, dispense, or sell medication, and nothing here is medical advice. Doses, timing, and titration are decisions for you and a licensed clinician.