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What are the Ozempic dose steps?

GLP Guidebook teamUpdated 5 Oct 202613 sourcesWritten from published sources
The short answer

The US and EU labels start Ozempic (semaglutide) at 0.25 mg weekly for 4 weeks, then 0.5 mg. For more blood-sugar control, the dose can rise to 1 mg, then 2 mg, at least 4 weeks apart. India sells only 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg, with MRPs of ₹5,660 to ₹9,100 for 4 doses since April 2026.

Before you go further
  • GLP‑1 medicines such as Ozempic are prescription-only in India, not sold over the counter.11
  • A government statement on 1 Apr 2026 said only endocrinologists, internal-medicine specialists and cardiologists can prescribe them.11 CDSCO expert-committee minutes attach a similar condition to some approvals (endocrinologist or internal-medicine specialist), but we found no rule covering every brand.12,13
  • The risks are in Guide 5: Side effects and risks.
  • Nothing here promises any result, and no brand here is a recommendation.

What are the Ozempic dose steps on the label?

The US and EU labels take Ozempic (semaglutide) through up to 4 doses, from 0.25 mg to 2 mg a week.1,2

Your doctor sets your dose. These steps come from the US and EU labels. We found no public Indian label. A doctor may move more slowly or stay on a lower dose.1,2
  1. Weeks 1–40.25 mg once a week, a starting dose only. The EU label says it “is not a maintenance dose”.1,2
  2. From week 50.5 mg once a week.1
  3. If needed1 mg, after at least 4 weeks on 0.5 mg, when blood sugar needs more control.1
  4. If needed2 mg, after at least 4 weeks on 1 mg. The top dose, not sold in India.1,4

The dose you stay on (the maintenance dose) is 0.5 mg, 1 mg or 2 mg on the US label. Blood-sugar control decides which.1 For type 2 diabetes with kidney disease, the US label's maintenance dose is 1 mg.1 India's ladder stops at 1 mg, its top strength.4 On the US label, Wegovy, the same medicine sold in India for weight, goes up every 4 weeks through 0.5, 1 and 1.7 mg to a usual dose of 2.4 mg, or stays at 1.7 mg.9,10 Wegovy vs Ozempic compares the two.

Why does Ozempic start at such a low dose?

The US label steps the dose up slowly to lower the risk of stomach side effects.1

Semaglutide copies a gut hormone, GLP‑1. It helps release insulin when blood sugar is high, and it slows how fast food leaves your stomach.1 In the label's trials, most reports of nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea came while the dose was being raised.1 Feeling sick (nausea) hit 16% on 0.5 mg and 20% on 1 mg, against 6% on a dummy injection.1

RisksThe risks, in brief
  • Stomach effects are common, and most start while the dose is going up (US label).1
  • Pancreatitis (a swollen pancreas) has been reported.1
  • Dehydration from vomiting or diarrhoea can harm the kidneys.1
  • Gallbladder problems, such as gallstones, have been reported.1
  • Pregnancy: stop at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy (US label).1
  • Hypos (low blood sugar) are more likely with insulin or a sulfonylurea.1
  • The US label rules it out for anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN 2; tell your doctor if this applies.1
Full detail in Guide 5: Side effects and risks →
Get help now: call 112 for stomach pain that is severe or won't go away, sometimes spreading to your back, with or without vomiting.1

Which Ozempic strengths are sold in India, and what is the MRP?

India sells 3 Ozempic strengths, 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1 mg, and each pen is priced as 4 weekly doses.3,4

At the December 2025 launch, The National reported 4 weekly doses per pen.3 US starter pens hold 4 doses of 0.25 mg plus 2 of 0.5 mg, or 4 of 0.5 mg. The US 1 mg and 2 mg pens hold 4 each.1 We could not confirm how Indian pens are filled.

StrengthMRP for 4 weekly dosesSource
0.25 mg₹5,660Novo Nordisk (₹1,415 a week, from 1 Apr 2026) and Business Standard4,5
0.5 mg₹8,100Printed MRP on 2 pharmacy listings, Oct 2026; we found no news figure7
1 mg₹9,100Novo Nordisk (₹2,275 a week) via Reuters, 1 Apr 2026, and Business Standard4,6

MRPs checked 5 Oct 2026. Each MRP is for one pen and dates from April 2026 or later, after GST on medicines fell from 12% to 5% on 22 Sep 2025.8 Pharmacies may sell below the MRP.7

We count a year as 52 weekly doses, so a month is about 4.3 doses. A year on 1 mg is 13 pens, or ₹1,18,300 at MRP.4,6 Guide 6 lists every GLP‑1 price in India, including generic semaglutide.

Work out a year's cost at each dose

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Related questions

What should you do if you miss a dose of Ozempic or Mounjaro? How long does Ozempic take to work? Is Ozempic available in India? Where should you inject Ozempic or Mounjaro? Is semaglutide the same as Ozempic?
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Sources

  1. Novo Nordisk. Ozempic (semaglutide) injection US prescribing information, revised 05/2026. US label, not the Indian one: we found no public Indian label. Sections 2.2, 3, 4, 5.2, 5.5, 5.6, 5.9, 6.1, 8.3 (Table 1 and gastrointestinal adverse reactions), 12.1, 12.2, 16. novo-pi.com
  2. European Medicines Agency. Ozempic: summary of product characteristics (EU label), sections 4.2 and 6.5. ema.europa.eu (PDF)
  3. The National. Ozempic launches in India, with weight loss drug priced at under $25 a week, 12 Dec 2025. thenationalnews.com
  4. Business Standard (Sanket Koul). As generics wave builds up, Novo Nordisk slashes Ozempic, Wegovy prices, 31 Mar 2026. business-standard.com
  5. Novo Nordisk India announcement, via BioSpectrum India. Novo Nordisk India sets patient-centred price of Rs 202/day for starting dose of Ozempic and Wegovy, 31 Mar 2026. biospectrumindia.com
  6. ThePrint (Reuters). Novo Nordisk again cuts Ozempic, Wegovy prices by up to 48% in India as generics flood market, 1 Apr 2026. theprint.in
  7. PharmEasy and MrMed product listings for Ozempic, printed MRP (0.25 mg ₹5,660, 0.5 mg ₹8,100, 1 mg ₹9,100; one prefilled pen each), checked 5 Oct 2026. Used only where 2 pharmacies agree.
  8. Press Information Bureau (Ministry of Finance). Recommendations of the 56th meeting of the GST Council, 3 Sep 2025: GST on “all other drugs and medicines” cut from 12% to 5%, from 22 Sep 2025. gstcouncil.gov.in (PDF)
  9. Novo Nordisk. Wegovy (semaglutide) injection US prescribing information, revised 06/2026. US label. Section 2.2, Table 1. novo-pi.com
  10. BusinessToday (Neetu Chandra Sharma). Novo Nordisk launches anti-obesity drug Wegovy in India at Rs 4,336.25 per dose, 24 Jun 2025. businesstoday.in
  11. PIB Research (Government of India). GLP-1 Drugs: Use, Risks, and Regulation. Backgrounder, 1 Apr 2026. pib.gov.in (PDF)
  12. CDSCO. Recommendations of the Subject Expert Committee (Endocrinology & Metabolism), 100th meeting, 20–21 Apr 2023, item 1 (tirzepatide, Eli Lilly). Committee minutes, not the final permission. cdsco.gov.in (PDF) · archived copy
  13. CDSCO. Recommendations of the Subject Expert Committee (Endocrinology & Metabolism), 13–14 Feb 2024, items 3–4 (semaglutide, Novo Nordisk). Committee minutes for two named products. cdsco.gov.in (PDF) · archived copy

Last checked 5 Oct 2026 · Next review due 6 Apr 2027 · Report an error

How this answer was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above. We checked each MRP on 5 Oct 2026. It's general information, not medical advice. Talk to a qualified doctor before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. How we write