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What is Wegovy 7.2 mg, and how does it compare with 2.4 mg?

The higher weekly semaglutide dose approved in the UK in 2026: who it is licensed for, how it is taken, trial results and side effects.

GLP Guidebook teamPublished 12 Oct 20269 min read13 sourcesWritten from published sources

Written for the United Kingdom. Other country versions are coming.

The short answer

Wegovy 7.2 mg is a higher weekly dose of semaglutide, approved in the UK in 2026 for adults with a BMI of 30 or more. In a 72-week trial, weight fell 18.7% on 7.2 mg, 15.6% on 2.4 mg and 3.9% on a dummy injection. Nausea and a tingling skin feeling were more common.

Key takeaways

  • Wegovy 7.2 mg is a weekly semaglutide dose the MHRA approved in January 2026 for adults with obesity only, meaning a BMI of 30 or more.1
  • In the 72-week STEP UP trial, weight fell 18.7% on 7.2 mg, 15.6% on 2.4 mg and 3.9% on a dummy injection; Novo Nordisk paid for it.2
  • Nausea affected 38.9% on 7.2 mg against 12.6% on a dummy injection, and 3.2% stopped because of stomach effects, the UK label says.3
  • Dysaesthesia, an altered skin feeling such as tingling or burning, was reported by 21.6% on 7.2 mg against 0.3% on a dummy injection.3
  • A single-dose 7.2 mg pen was approved on 14 April 2026; before that the dose meant three 2.4 mg injections on the same day.4
On this page
  1. What is Wegovy 7.2 mg, and who is it licensed for?
  2. How is the 7.2 mg dose taken?
  3. How much more weight did people lose on 7.2 mg?
  4. Which side effects are more common at 7.2 mg?
  5. Is Wegovy 7.2 mg available on the NHS?
  6. When is 7.2 mg not used?
  7. Questions people ask
  8. How we researched this

What is Wegovy 7.2 mg, and who is it licensed for?

It is a higher weekly dose of semaglutide, three times the usual 2.4 mg top dose. In the UK it is licensed only for adults with obesity, meaning a BMI of 30 or more.1

Before you go further
  • GLP‑1 medicines are prescription-only in the UK. On the NHS or privately, a healthcare professional has to assess you before a prescription is issued.5
  • The label facts here come from the UK product information (the SmPC, the official label each maker publishes on the electronic Medicines Compendium). Where we use a US or EU label instead, we say so.
  • The 7.2 mg dose is an option a prescriber may add after at least 4 weeks on 2.4 mg, "if needed". It is not a standard next step for everyone.3
  • Every risk of these medicines is in Guide 5: Side effects and risks.
  • This post describes labels, guidance and trials. It is not a plan for your treatment, and no dose or brand guarantees any result.

Semaglutide is the medicine; Wegovy is the brand used for weight. It copies a gut hormone, GLP‑1, that makes you feel full sooner.5 The MHRA approved the 7.2 mg weekly dose on 6 January 2026, and announced it on 16 January.1

  • Who it covers: adults with a BMI of 30 or more, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and exercise.1
  • Who it doesn't: people with a BMI under 30 using Wegovy for weight, and people using it to lower heart risk.1
  • Teenagers: the UK label says weekly doses above 2.4 mg are not recommended for 12- to 17-year-olds.3

Our ethnicity and BMI post explains the lower NHS cut-offs some groups get. The 7.2 mg licence itself names no ethnicity adjustment.1

How is the 7.2 mg dose taken?

At first it meant three 2.4 mg injections on the same day. Since April 2026 there is also a single-dose 7.2 mg pen, one injection a week.1,4

The dose ladder starts at 0.25 mg and rises every 4 weeks: 0.5, 1, 1.7, then 2.4 mg from week 17.1 The 7.2 mg step can come from week 21 at the earliest.1 The UK label says to delay a step, or go back a dose, if stomach symptoms are bad.3

  • With the standard pen: three 2.4 mg doses one after another, at least 5 cm apart, with a new needle each time. Each pen holds four 2.4 mg doses, so it may take more than one pen.1
  • With the single-dose pen: one injection of 7.2 mg in 0.75 ml, approved on 14 April 2026.4,6
  • Storage: the single-dose pen goes in the fridge, but may be kept out for up to 28 days below 30°C.6 Part-used standard pens go back in the fridge with the needle off.1

How much more weight did people lose on 7.2 mg?

In the main trial, people lost 18.7% of their weight on 7.2 mg over 72 weeks, against 15.6% on 2.4 mg and 3.9% on a dummy injection.2,3

How these trials work:

  • People are split at random into groups. One group gets a dummy injection (placebo) with no medicine in it.
  • Everyone gets the same diet and activity advice.
  • The gap between groups is what the medicine added. A trial average is not a promise: some people lose much more, some very little.
STEP UPSemaglutide 7.2 mg vs 2.4 mg vs dummy

1,407 adults with a BMI of 30 or more and no diabetes, average weight 113 kg (17 st 11 lb), for 72 weeks. Novo Nordisk paid for the trial.2

Weight lost, % of starting weight

7.2 mg18.7%
2.4 mg15.6%
Dummy injection3.9%

7.2 mg added about 3 points on top of 2.4 mg.

STEP UP T2DSemaglutide 7.2 mg vs dummy, with type 2 diabetes

512 adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes, for 72 weeks. Novo Nordisk paid for the trial.7

Weight lost, % of starting weight

7.2 mg13.2%
Dummy injection3.9%

HbA1c (average blood sugar) fell 1.5 points more than on the dummy.

Put another way. In STEP UP, 48% on 7.2 mg lost at least a fifth of their weight, against 33% on 2.4 mg and 3% on the dummy.3 About 9 in 10 on either dose lost at least 5%, but so did 37% on the dummy.3

A worked example. For someone starting at 113 kg, 18.7% is about 21 kg (3 st 5 lb); 15.6% is about 18 kg (2 st 11 lb), by our arithmetic. The extra from the higher dose is about 3 kg (7 lb).

The trial groups were uneven in size, with 1,005 people on 7.2 mg but 201 on 2.4 mg.3 Only 4.5% of the people in STEP UP were Asian.3 In people with type 2 diabetes the loss was smaller: 13.2% on 7.2 mg.7

Which side effects are more common at 7.2 mg?

Stomach effects, and an odd skin sensation called dysaesthesia. About 1 in 5 people on 7.2 mg reported dysaesthesia, against fewer than 1 in 100 on the dummy.3

Stomach side effects over 72 weeks: 7.2 mg vs dummy injection
% of people in STEP UP trials, UK Wegovy label
UK Wegovy label (SmPC), section 4.8, STEP UP trials, checked 12 Oct 2026. Most stomach events came in the first 20 weeks, while the dose was rising.3

So about 26 in 100 felt sick because of the medicine itself, by our arithmetic (38.9 minus 12.6). Stomach effects led 3.2% to stop for good.3 In the published trial, any stomach event affected 71% on 7.2 mg, 61% on 2.4 mg and 43% on the dummy.2

Dysaesthesia means altered skin feeling: tingling, burning, or skin that feels sensitive to touch. The UK label puts it at 21.6% on 7.2 mg against 0.3% on the dummy. Most cases were mild to moderate and settled while people stayed on treatment.3 At 2.4 mg the label figure is 2.1% against 1.2%.3

Hair loss was reported by 5.3% on 7.2 mg against 1.0% on the dummy, mostly mild.3 Serious adverse events were 6.8% on 7.2 mg, 10.9% on 2.4 mg and 5.5% on the dummy.2

Free toolQuestions before a dose change

Builds a printable list for your prescriber, including side effects so far. No sign-up.

Open the question list

Is Wegovy 7.2 mg available on the NHS?

NICE's guidance on Wegovy dates from 2023, before the 7.2 mg dose existed. We found no NICE or NHS statement on using 7.2 mg in NHS weight services.8

NICE recommends Wegovy within a specialist weight management service, for a maximum of 2 years.8 It says to consider stopping if less than 5% of starting weight is lost after 6 months.8 Those rules were written for the doses licensed in 2023.8

We found no official UK list price for the 7.2 mg pen on 12 October 2026. For what NHS and private routes cost in general, see how much Mounjaro and Wegovy cost in the UK. The NHS route is in Wegovy on the NHS.

When is 7.2 mg not used?

The UK licence excludes people with a BMI under 30, heart-risk use, and teenagers. Other limits come from the label's warnings.1,3

  • BMI under 30. The 7.2 mg dose does not apply to people with overweight using Wegovy for weight.1
  • Heart-risk use. It does not apply to people using Wegovy to lower the risk of heart problems.1
  • Bad stomach symptoms. The label says to consider delaying a step or lowering to the previous dose.3
  • Pregnancy. Semaglutide should not be used in pregnancy, and should be stopped at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy.3
RisksThe risks, in brief
  • Stomach effects are very common on the UK Wegovy label (more than 1 in 10), and more common at 7.2 mg.3
  • Pancreatitis is uncommon (1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000) on the UK Wegovy label. The MHRA sign is severe stomach pain that won’t go away and may spread to the back.3,9
  • Gallstones are common (1 in 10 to 1 in 100) on the UK Wegovy label.3
  • Dehydration from vomiting or diarrhoea can, rarely, harm the kidneys.3
  • Sudden loss of sight (NAION) has been linked to semaglutide in very rare cases; the MHRA says to go to eye casualty or A&E urgently.10
Full detail in Guide 5: Side effects and risks →
Get help now: call 999 for a life-threatening emergency.11 Call for severe stomach pain that won’t go away, especially if it spreads to your back.9 For a sudden loss of sight, go to eye casualty or A&E straight away.10 For urgent advice that is not an emergency, use NHS 111 in England, Scotland and Wales, online or by phone.12 Northern Ireland has no 111 service: call your GP practice or the GP out-of-hours service.13

Questions people ask

Is Wegovy 7.2 mg available in the UK?

Yes. The MHRA approved the 7.2 mg weekly dose in January 2026 and a single-dose 7.2 mg pen in April 2026, for adults with a BMI of 30 or more.1,4

How much more weight do you lose on Wegovy 7.2 mg?

In STEP UP, about 3 percentage points more than on 2.4 mg over 72 weeks: 18.7% against 15.6%. On a dummy injection it was 3.9%.2

What are the side effects of Wegovy 7.2 mg?

Mostly stomach effects: 38.9% felt sick against 12.6% on a dummy. Altered skin feeling (dysaesthesia) was reported by 21.6% on 7.2 mg against 0.3% on a dummy, mostly mild.3

Can you go straight to 7.2 mg?

No. The UK label starts at 0.25 mg and steps up every 4 weeks to 2.4 mg. A move to 7.2 mg comes after at least 4 weeks on 2.4 mg, if needed.1,3

Is Wegovy 7.2 mg on the NHS?

We found no NICE or NHS statement on it. NICE’s 2023 Wegovy guidance predates the 7.2 mg dose.8

Shorter answers: How much is Wegovy in the UK?

How we researched this

On 12 Oct 2026 we read the UK Wegovy FlexTouch and Wegovy 7.2 mg labels and the MHRA’s January and April 2026 press releases. We also read the STEP UP and STEP UP T2D abstracts and declarations. Side-effect rates come from the UK label; the overall stomach-event and serious-event figures come from the published trial.

Both trials were paid for by Novo Nordisk, which makes Wegovy. We found no official UK list price for the 7.2 mg pen and no NICE statement on the dose, so we give neither. We left out private provider prices, which we never publish.

Before you move on

  • 7.2 mg is for adults with a BMI of 30 or more, after at least 4 weeks on 2.4 mg.
  • It added about 3 points of weight loss over 2.4 mg in one 72-week trial.
  • Nausea and altered skin feeling were more common.
  • NICE has not yet said how it fits NHS weight services.
Side effects and risksI'm already on itDoctor questions tool

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Sources

  1. MHRA. Medicines regulator approves up to 7.2mg dose of semaglutide (Wegovy) for patients with obesity only. Press release, 16 January 2026. gov.uk
  2. Wharton S, Freitas P, Hjelmesæth J et al. Once-weekly semaglutide 7.2 mg in adults with obesity (STEP UP): a randomised, controlled, phase 3b trial. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2025;13(11):949–63. Funded by Novo Nordisk; two authors are Novo Nordisk employees. DOI · PMID 40961952
  3. Novo Nordisk. Wegovy FlexTouch (semaglutide) pens: UK summary of product characteristics (SmPC), date of revision 09/2026. Sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.8, 5.1, 5.2, 6.3, 6.4. emc
  4. MHRA. Single-dose 7.2mg semaglutide (Wegovy) pen approved to treat adult patients with obesity. Press release, 14 April 2026. gov.uk
  5. MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency). GLP‑1 medicines for weight loss and diabetes: what you need to know. First published 5 June 2025, updated 5 February 2026. gov.uk
  6. Novo Nordisk. Wegovy 7.2 mg single-dose pre-filled pen (semaglutide): UK SmPC, first authorised 13 April 2026, date of revision 09/2026. Sections 2, 4.1, 4.2, 6.3, 6.4. emc
  7. Lingvay I, Bergenheim SJ, Buse JB et al. Once-weekly semaglutide 7.2 mg in adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes (STEP UP T2D): a randomised, controlled, phase 3b trial. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2025;13(11):935–48. Funded by Novo Nordisk. DOI · PMID 40961953
  8. NICE. Semaglutide for managing overweight and obesity (TA875), recommendations 1.1 and 1.2. Published 8 March 2023, last updated 4 September 2023. nice.org.uk
  9. MHRA. Drug Safety Update: GLP‑1 receptor agonists and dual GLP‑1/GIP receptor agonists: strengthened warnings on acute pancreatitis, including necrotising and fatal cases. Volume 19, issue 6, 29 January 2026. gov.uk
  10. MHRA. Drug Safety Update: Semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus): risk of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). 5 February 2026. gov.uk
  11. NHS. When to call 999. Page last reviewed 3 February 2023. nhs.uk
  12. NHS. When to use NHS 111 online or call 111. Opened 12 October 2026. nhs.uk
  13. nidirect (Northern Ireland government). GP out of hours service. Opened 12 October 2026. nidirect.gov.uk

Last checked 12 Oct 2026 · Next review due 12 Apr 2027 · Report an error

How this post was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above. It's general information, not medical advice. Talk to a qualified doctor, nurse or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. How we write