Wegovy 7.2 mg: who it's for, how you step up, and what the trials showed

Who can take Wegovy 7.2 mg?

Wegovy 7.2 mg is for adults using Wegovy to lose weight who already take 2.4 mg a week. The US label allows it for people who have tolerated 2.4 mg for at least 4 weeks when more weight loss is clinically needed¹. In the UK it is limited to adults with obesity, meaning a BMI of 30 or more^2–3.

In the US, FDA approved the higher dose on March 19, 2026⁵. On the label, 7.2 mg sits under "weight reduction in adults" as the maximum dose. The other Wegovy uses stop lower. For lowering heart attack and stroke risk, the maintenance dose is 2.4 mg or 1.7 mg. For the liver condition MASH it's 2.4 mg¹. The label also says the 7.2 mg dose hasn't been established for children¹.

In the UK, the MHRA approved the 7.2 mg dose on January 6, 2026, and announced it on January 16³. It does not apply to people with a BMI under 30 or to people using Wegovy for heart risk³. For teens 12 and older, the UK SmPC says weekly doses above 2.4 mg are not recommended².

Both trials behind the dose enrolled adults with a BMI of 30 or more^6–7. Whether you move up is a decision for you and your prescriber.

How do you step up from Wegovy 2.4 mg to 7.2 mg?

You go straight from 2.4 mg to 7.2 mg a week, after at least 4 weeks on 2.4 mg. Neither the US label nor the UK SmPC has a step in between^1–2. The usual schedule reaches 2.4 mg at week 17, so the earliest week for 7.2 mg is week 21^1,3.

In the two trials, people climbed to 2.4 mg or 7.2 mg over 20 weeks and then stayed on that dose for 52 weeks¹. Stomach side effects were most common during those first 20 weeks of dose increases².

If a step is hard to tolerate, the US label says to consider waiting 4 more weeks before the next one¹. The UK SmPC says to consider delaying the increase, or going back to the previous dose until symptoms improve².

Is Wegovy 7.2 mg one injection or three?

In the US, Wegovy 7.2 mg is one injection from a Wegovy HD single-dose pen, which holds 7.2 mg in 0.75 mL¹. In the UK it can be one injection from a 7.2 mg pen or three 2.4 mg injections, one after another on the same day, depending on the pen you have².

The US label lists 7.2 mg only as the Wegovy HD pen. The US Wegovy FlexTouch pen gives four 2.4 mg doses (9.6 mg in 3 mL), and single-dose syringes go up to 2.4 mg¹. Before you remove the cap, a single-dose pen can be kept out of the fridge at 8°C to 30°C (46°F to 86°F) for up to 28 days, in its carton¹.

In the UK, the January 2026 approval used three 2.4 mg injections from the standard Wegovy FlexTouch pen³. The MHRA approved a single-dose 7.2 mg pen on April 14, 2026⁴. Its SmPC gives the date of first authorisation as April 13, 2026, and it comes in packs of 4 pens². It can be kept out of the fridge for up to 28 days at no more than 30°C².

If you use the three-injection method, the MHRA and the SmPC give these directions^2–3:

1. 1
   Check you have enough pens

   Each UK FlexTouch pen holds four 2.4 mg doses. You may need more than one pen to finish a week's dose³.
2. 2
   Inject three 2.4 mg doses, one after another

   All three go in on the same day^2–3.
3. 3
   Keep them at least 5 cm apart

   They can go in the same body area, but at least 5 cm (about 2 inches) apart^2–3.
4. 4
   Change the needle each time

   Use a new needle for each of the three injections^2–3.
5. 5
   Store part-used pens in the fridge

   With the needle removed. Don't throw a pen away until its fourth dose is used³.

What did the STEP UP trials show for Wegovy 7.2 mg?

In STEP UP, adults with obesity and without diabetes lost an average of 18.8% of their body weight on Wegovy 7.2 mg over 72 weeks, compared with 15.5% on 2.4 mg and 3.9% on placebo¹. That's 3.3 percentage points more than 2.4 mg¹.

STEP UP enrolled 1,407 adults with a BMI of 30 or more. They were randomly assigned 5:1:1 to 7.2 mg, 2.4 mg or placebo, alongside diet and activity advice⁶. Most were women (74%), the average age was 47, and the average starting weight was 113 kg¹.

STEP UP T2D enrolled 512 adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes, assigned 3:1:1⁷. Weight fell 13.2% on 7.2 mg, 10.4% on 2.4 mg and 3.8% on placebo¹.

Some reports quote 20.7% for 7.2 mg. That figure assumes everyone stayed on treatment. On that basis the averages were 20.7% on 7.2 mg, 17.5% on 2.4 mg and 2.4% on placebo^2,5. The 18.8% figure counts everyone who was randomized, whether or not they kept taking it^1,5.

Wegovy 7.2 mg side effects compared with 2.4 mg

Wegovy 7.2 mg caused more nausea, vomiting and altered skin feeling than 2.4 mg in the trials. Nausea affected 39% on 7.2 mg, 35% on 2.4 mg and 13% on placebo. About 5% stopped because of side effects on either dose, compared with 2% on placebo¹.

Dysesthesia means changed skin sensation: tingling, burning, skin pain or skin that feels extra sensitive¹. It was the biggest difference between the doses. The label says it became more common as the dose went up¹. Among people who had it on 7.2 mg, 2% stopped treatment, 8% paused and 23% had their dose lowered. Most of those recovered, but 18% of everyone who had it didn't report recovering by the end of the trial¹. Of 38 people who went back up to 7.2 mg after recovering, 17 had it again¹.

Hair loss was reported by 5.8% on 7.2 mg, mostly women (8.4% of women, 0.2% of men), compared with 3.3% on 2.4 mg and 1% on placebo¹. The UK SmPC says it was more common in people who lost 20% or more of their weight, and most recovered while staying on treatment².

For what helps with nausea and other common effects, see our GLP-1 side effects guide.

Can you go back down from Wegovy 7.2 mg to 2.4 mg?

Yes, the labels leave room for it. The US label says to consider how well you respond and tolerate it when choosing the maintenance dose, which can be 1.7 mg, 2.4 mg or up to 7.2 mg¹. The UK SmPC says that with significant stomach symptoms, your prescriber can consider going back to the previous dose until they improve².

Semaglutide has a half-life of about 1 week. After your last 2.4 mg or 7.2 mg dose, it stays in your blood for about 5 to 7 weeks¹. So a change of dose takes a few weeks to fully settle.

Missed-dose rules are the same for every Wegovy injection dose. In the US, take a missed dose if your next one is more than 2 days away. If 2 or more doses in a row are missed, the label says your prescriber may restart the dose increases at a lower dose¹. The UK rule is to take it within 5 days². Our missed GLP-1 dose guide has the day-by-day table.