Wegovy®
Wegovy® Pens:
Generic name: semaglutide
Medication class: GLP-1 receptor agonist
Form: Once-weekly subcutaneous injection supplied in a prefilled pen
Wegovy® is a prescription medication used with a reduced-calorie eating plan and increased physical activity. This page discusses Wegovy injection pens only. It does not cover oral semaglutide or Wegovy tablets.
What Are Wegovy® Pens?
Wegovy contains semaglutide, a medication that acts like glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a naturally occurring hormone involved in appetite regulation. Wegovy can reduce hunger, help people feel full sooner, and make fullness last longer. It also slows stomach emptying, particularly after treatment begins.
Wegovy is injected under the skin once weekly using a prefilled pen. It is not insulin and should not be injected into a vein or muscle.
What Are Wegovy® Pens Used For?
Wegovy® injection is FDA-approved, along with diet and physical activity, for:
Long-term weight reduction and maintenance in adults with obesity
Long-term weight reduction and maintenance in adults who are overweight and have at least one weight-related condition
Long-term weight reduction and maintenance in patients ages 12 years and older with obesity
Reducing the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke in adults with established cardiovascular disease who have obesity or are overweight
Treating noncirrhotic metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis in adults
Eligibility depends on the indication, medical history, current medications, treatment goals, and the prescribing clinician’s assessment. A prescription is not guaranteed.
How Effective Is Wegovy® for Weight Loss?
In a major clinical trial of adults without diabetes, participants who remained in the study lost an average of approximately 15% of their starting body weight after 68 weeks with Wegovy 2.4 mg, compared with approximately 2% with placebo. Individual results vary. Some people lose more, some lose less, and some do not respond adequately.
The 7.2 mg Wegovy HD® dose is an option for certain adults who tolerate 2.4 mg but need additional weight reduction. It is not approved for pediatric patients, cardiovascular risk reduction, or MASH treatment. A higher dose is not automatically appropriate and may cause more side effects.
Wegovy works best as part of a long-term treatment plan that includes adequate protein and fluid intake, physical activity, sleep, and strategies to preserve muscle mass.
Available Wegovy® Pen Doses
Wegovy® injection pens are available in the following once-weekly doses:
0.25 mg
0.5 mg
1 mg
1.7 mg
2.4 mg
7.2 mg Wegovy HD for eligible adults
The pen strength prescribed should match the intended dose. Do not attempt to divide a dose or use a pen differently from its labeled instructions.
Typical Wegovy® Dose Schedule
Wegovy® is increased gradually to improve tolerability:
Weeks 1–4: 0.25 mg weekly
Weeks 5–8: 0.5 mg weekly
Weeks 9–12: 1 mg weekly
Weeks 13–16: 1.7 mg weekly
Week 17 onward: Maintenance dose based on indication and tolerability
Eligible adults needing additional weight reduction: 7.2 mg weekly
MASH maintenance: 2.4 mg weekly
Cardiovascular risk reduction maintenance: 1.7–2.4 mg weekly
Your clinician will select the appropriate maintenance dose based on your treatment goals, response, and side effects. Dose increases may be delayed to improve tolerability. Do not increase or change your dose without medical guidance.
How to Use a Wegovy® Pen
Use Wegovy® once each week, on the same day each week. It may be injected at any time of day, with or without food.
Keep the pen capped until you are ready to inject.
Check the medication through the pen window. Do not use it if the solution is cloudy, discolored, contains particles, has been frozen, or the pen appears damaged.
Choose the abdomen, front of the thigh, or upper arm. Avoid skin that is bruised, tender, red, hard, scarred, or affected by stretch marks.
Rotate the injection spot each week.
Follow the instructions supplied with your specific pen. Keep the pen against the skin until the dose has finished and the indicator has stopped moving.
Place the used pen in an FDA-cleared sharps container immediately after the injection.
Do not share a Wegovy® pen. People who are blind or have impaired vision should not use the pen without help from someone trained to operate it.
What If I Miss a Dose?
According to the Wegovy® prescribing information:
When the next scheduled dose is more than 48 hours away, the missed dose is generally administered as soon as possible.
When the next scheduled dose is less than 48 hours away, the missed dose is generally skipped and the regular schedule resumed
After two or more consecutive missed doses, the prescribing information allows either resuming as scheduled or restarting the dose-escalation schedule when needed to reduce gastrointestinal side effects.
Patients should contact their healthcare provider for individualized instructions before restarting treatment or changing their dosing schedule. Extra doses should not be used to compensate for a missed dose.
Changing Your Injection Day
General prescribing guidance states that the weekly injection day can be changed when at least 48 hours have passed since the previous dose.
Patients should check with their healthcare provider before changing their injection schedule.
Individual instructions may differ based on side effects, treatment response, and other medical considerations.
Common Side Effects
The most common Wegovy® side effects are gastrointestinal and may be more noticeable when treatment begins or the dose increases. They include:
Nausea
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Constipation
Abdominal pain
Indigestion or heartburn
Bloating, burping, or gas
Headache
Fatigue
Dizziness
Hair loss
Low blood sugar, primarily when used with insulin or medications that increase insulin release
Side effects often improve as the body adjusts, but persistent or severe symptoms should be reported. Do not assume that severe nausea or inability to eat means the medication is working better.
Tips for Mild Stomach Side Effects
Eat smaller meals and stop eating when comfortably full.
Eat slowly and avoid large, greasy, fried, or very rich meals.
Choose bland, lower-fat foods when nauseated.
Drink fluids regularly in small amounts.
Remain upright after eating.
Avoid increasing the dose while symptoms remain poorly controlled unless your clinician advises otherwise.
Contact your clinician if side effects interfere with hydration, nutrition, daily activities, or medication use.
Thyroid C-cell tumor warning
Wegovy® has a boxed warning because semaglutide caused thyroid C-cell tumors in rodents. It is unknown whether Wegovy® causes these tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma, in humans.
Do not use Wegovy® if you or a family member has had medullary thyroid carcinoma or if you have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). Contact your clinician promptly for a neck lump, persistent hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, or shortness of breath.
Serious Risks and Warning Signs
Other serious risks
Wegovy® may cause:
Pancreatitis
Gallbladder disease, including gallstones or gallbladder inflammation
Dehydration and acute kidney injury from persistent vomiting or diarrhea
Severe gastrointestinal reactions
Low blood sugar when combined with insulin or an insulin secretagogue
Worsening diabetic retinopathy in some patients with type 2 diabetes
Increased resting heart rate
Serious allergic reactions
Suicidal thoughts or behavior
Aspiration of stomach contents during anesthesia or deep sedation because Wegovy delays stomach emptying
Seek urgent medical care for:
Trouble breathing or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
Severe or persistent upper abdominal pain, especially if it radiates to the back
Severe abdominal pain with fever, jaundice, or pale/clay-colored stool
Repeated vomiting, inability to keep fluids down, fainting, confusion, or markedly reduced urination
New or worsening suicidal thoughts or thoughts of self-harm
Severe low-blood-sugar symptoms that do not improve with treatment
Who Should Not Use Wegovy®?
Do not use Wegovy® if you:
Have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma
Have MEN 2
Have had a serious allergic reaction to semaglutide or an ingredient in Wegovy
Are pregnant
Wegovy® is not recommended for patients with severe gastroparesis. Tell your clinician if you have a history of pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, kidney disease, diabetic retinopathy, severe digestive problems, or a planned surgery or procedure requiring anesthesia.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Weight loss is not recommended during pregnancy. Stop Wegovy® when pregnancy is recognized and contact your clinician. Because semaglutide remains in the body for an extended period, Wegovy® should generally be stopped at least two months before a planned pregnancy.
It is not known whether semaglutide from Wegovy® injection passes into human breast milk. Discuss the potential risks, the benefits of breastfeeding, and the clinical need for treatment with your healthcare professional.
Medication Interactions and Duplicate Therapy
Wegovy® slows stomach emptying and may affect the absorption of some oral medications. Give your clinician a complete list of prescription drugs, over-the-counter products, vitamins, and supplements.
Do not combine Wegovy® with another semaglutide-containing medication or another GLP-1 receptor agonist unless specifically directed as part of a supervised transition. Patients using insulin or medications such as sulfonylureas may need closer glucose monitoring or dose adjustment because the risk of hypoglycemia can increase.
Surgery, Endoscopy, or Sedation
Tell the surgical, anesthesia, and procedural teams that you use Wegovy® before any planned procedure. Wegovy® can leave food or liquid in the stomach longer than expected, which may increase aspiration risk during anesthesia or deep sedation. Follow the individualized instructions provided by the procedural and prescribing clinicians; do not stop or continue the medication based only on general online advice.
How to Store Wegovy® Pens
Refrigerate Wegovy at 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C).
Keep it in the original carton to protect it from light.
Do not freeze it or use a pen that has been frozen.
When needed, an unopened single-dose pen may generally be kept at 46°F to 86°F (8°C to 30°C) for up to 28 days before the cap is removed.
Keep Wegovy ® away from direct heat and sunlight.
Keep all medications out of the reach of children and pets.
Follow the storage instructions supplied with your exact product. Ask a pharmacist if the pen was exposed to temperatures outside the recommended range.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Both contain semaglutide, but they have different FDA-approved indications, dose ranges, and product labeling. They should not be used together.
Is Wegovy® the same as Ozempic®?
Is Wegovy® insulin?
No. Wegovy® is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, not insulin.
Can I take Wegovy® every other week?
Wegovy® is labeled for once-weekly use. Using it less often may reduce effectiveness and can make side effects more likely when treatment is resumed. Change the schedule only under the direction of your prescriber.
Can I increase my dose if I stop losing weight?
Not automatically. Weight-loss plateaus are common and do not always mean a higher dose is appropriate. Your clinician should assess adherence, tolerability, nutrition, activity, sleep, other medications, and the overall treatment response first.
How long will I need Wegovy® ?
Obesity is a chronic disease, and Wegovy® is intended for long-term management when it remains effective, safe, and appropriate. Stopping treatment commonly leads to increased appetite and weight regain. Your long-term plan should be individualized.
Important Medical Disclaimer
This information is for general education and does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, the FDA-approved prescribing information, or the instructions supplied with your pen. Wegovy® is available by prescription only and is not appropriate for everyone. Treatment decisions should be made with a licensed healthcare professional who has reviewed your medical history and current medications.
Last reviewed: August 2026
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