Wegovy® (semaglutide) injection 2.4 mg is an injectable prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity, to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack, or stroke in adults with known heart disease and with either obesity or overweight and that may help adults and children aged 12 years and older with obesity, or some adults with overweight who also have weight-related medical problems, to help them lose excess body weight and keep the weight off.
Wegovy®, along with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity, is used to help children aged 12 years and older with obesity to lose excess body weight and keep it off.
Wegovy® Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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About Wegovy®
Wegovy® is an injectable prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity:
- to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack, or stroke in adults with known heart disease and with either obesity or overweight.
- that may help adults and children aged 12 years and older with obesity, or some adults with overweight who also have weight-related medical problems, to help them lose excess body weight and keep the weight off
Wegovy® contains semaglutide and should not be used with other semaglutide-containing products or other GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines.
It is not known if Wegovy® is safe and effective for use in children under 12 years of age.
Get more on lowering cardiovascular risk
Semaglutide is the ingredient in Wegovy® that makes the medicine work. Novo Nordisk is the only company in the United States with FDA-approved medicines containing semaglutide. Compounded or knockoff semaglutide is not real FDA-approved medicine, and it’s not proven safe and effective. There is not an FDA-approved generic semaglutide medicine, and Novo Nordisk does not provide semaglutide to any entity for the purposes of compounding (ie, compounded semaglutide). Be sure to talk with your licensed health care professional if you have any questions.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants to make sure that the medicines you take have been evaluated for safety, effectiveness, and quality. So to ensure this, they look at the results from medical studies to decide if a medicine can be approved.
Wegovy® is an FDA-approved medicine that’s made by Novo Nordisk. Semaglutide is the ingredient in Wegovy® that makes the medicine work. Compounded or knockoff semaglutide is not real FDA-approved medicine, and it’s not proven safe and effective. The FDA has warned that compounded medicines claiming to contain semaglutide can be risky. Some have been found to contain dangerous impurities, banned substances, or incorrect doses.
Unfortunately, patients have no way of knowing what is inside the products being promoted as “compounded semaglutide,” and that’s dangerous.
Learn more about the risks of non-FDA-approved compounded semaglutide medicines
Wegovy® works by mimicking a hormone, called GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), which targets areas of the brain involved in regulating appetite and food intake. This can help you eat less, which can lead to weight loss.
In a medical study, which lasted about 1 year and 4 months (68 weeks), adults living with obesity or overweight with a related medical problem lost ~15% body weight (or about 35 lb). Adults taking placebo (an inactive injection) lost an average of ~2.5% body weight (or about 6 lb). The average starting weight for both groups was 232 lb.*
*Results are from a 68-week medical study of 1,961 adults with obesity (body mass index, ie, BMI, ≥ 30) and adults with overweight (BMI ≥ 27) who also had weight-related medical problems, including high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Adults with diabetes were excluded. Both groups received instruction for a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity. During the trial, 17% of participants taking Wegovy® discontinued treatment compared with 22% taking placebo.
What could that mean for you? Well everyone is different, but take a closer look at the data to get some insight.
- 83% or about 8 in 10 adults achieved 5% or more weight loss with Wegovy®, compared with 31% taking placebo
- 66% or about 6 in 10 adults achieved 10% or more weight loss with Wegovy®, compared with 12% taking placebo
- 48% or about half of adults achieved 15% or more weight loss with Wegovy®, compared with 5% taking placebo
In the same study, about 1 in 3 adults (30%) lost 20% or more weight with Wegovy® compared with 2% of adults on placebo. That’s about 46 lb based on a starting weight of 232 lb. This result was not the primary goal of the study and should be considered as additional information.
People respond to medicines differently, so there is no set time for when you can expect to see results with Wegovy®. Ask your health care professional about what might be realistic for you.
Research shows that when combined with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity, Wegovy® lowers the risk of major CV events like death, heart attack, or stroke in adults with known heart disease and with either obesity or overweight.
It is not fully understood how Wegovy® lowers the risk of CV events.
The most common side effects of Wegovy® may include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach (abdomen) pain, headache, tiredness (fatigue), upset stomach, dizziness, feeling bloated, belching, low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, gas, stomach flu, heartburn, and runny nose or sore throat.
Tell your health care professional if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.
Wegovy® information designed around you
Explore how Wegovy® could fit into your life with personalized emails, information, and resources.
Taking Wegovy®
Wegovy® comes in 5 different doses: 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, and 2.4 mg. Each dose comes in its own color pen.
You can take Wegovy® with or without food.
Wegovy® is taken once a week, any time of day, with or without food.
Yes, it’s recommended that you take Wegovy® on the same day every week at a time that is most convenient for you.
Take Wegovy® 1 time each week, on the same day each week, at any time of the day. You may change the day of the week you take Wegovy® as long as your last dose was given 2 or more days before.
It’s always important to properly throw away your used Wegovy® pen. After injecting your Wegovy® dose, do not throw away the pen in your household trash or recycling bin. Instead, use either
- An FDA-cleared sharps disposal container
- A sturdy household container with a tight-fitting lid, like a heavy-duty plastic container. Make sure it’s puncture and leak resistant, properly labeled, and stored upright
You can request a complimentary sharps disposal container from Novo Nordisk. Learn more.
How you dispose of your sharps container is also important. Follow the guidelines for where you live. To find a sharps disposal location near you, visit safeneedledisposal.org.
Yes, you can travel with your Wegovy® pen.
- When traveling by air, keep your Wegovy® pen with you or in your carry-on. Otherwise, the medicine might freeze in the baggage compartment
- If needed, Wegovy® may be stored between 46 °F and 86 °F in the original carton for up to 28 days
Be sure to check with the airline to see if they have any specific rules that might apply to you.
If the next scheduled dose is more than 2 days away (48 hours), take the missed dose as soon as possible.
If the next scheduled dose is less than 2 days away (48 hours), do not administer the dose. Take your next dose on the regularly scheduled day.
If you miss doses of Wegovy® for 2 or more weeks, take the next dose on the regularly scheduled day or call your health care professional to talk about how to restart your treatment.
If your pen isn't working correctly, please call 1-833-4-WEGOVY.
Do not use Wegovy® if it is not clear and colorless. Safely throw away the Wegovy® pen and contact our Patient Customer Care Center at 833-934-6891 for a replacement.
Get the Wegovy® Quick Start Guide
Download the Wegovy® Quick Start Guide for helpful information on taking and storing Wegovy®, side effects, and more.
Wegovy® cost, savings, & support
Yes, there’s an app for that. Find and fill your Wegovy® with the Find My Meds app. The app
- Locates a nearby retail chain pharmacy with Wegovy® in stock, and transfers your prescription there
- Notifies you when your fill is ready and provides location details. The pharmacy will typically hold it for at least 7 days
- Sends you reminders before your current prescription runs out
Visit FindMyMedsApp.com to learn more and download the app for free.
Your out-of-pocket cost for Wegovy® will depend on a number of factors. For example, your insurance coverage. You can see if you have coverage for Wegovy® and your estimated cost right now. It only takes a few minutes.
With the Wegovy® Savings Offer, commercially insured patients with coverage for Wegovy® may pay as little as $0 for a one-month supply of Wegovy®.*
If your insurance does not cover Wegovy®, or you pay cash for your prescriptions, you can expect to pay $499 for a one-month supply.
*28-day supply equivalent to one month of treatment. Pay as little as $0 subject to a max savings of $225/month. Government beneficiaries excluded. Novo Nordisk reserves the right to modify or cancel this program at any time. See WegovyTerms.com for full terms.
Yes, WeGoTogether® is for adults taking Wegovy®. WeGoTogether® partners with you to help you lose weight and keep it off with Wegovy®. We understand what it’s taken for you to get here, and we’re excited for where you’re headed. We’ll listen to what works for your lifestyle and tap into your motivations to help you discover more ways to control your weight and health.
WeGoTogether® is always free and available with your choice of support features so you can
- Conveniently access your dedicated Health Coach to get off to a good start with Wegovy®
- Set goals with your Coach and take action
- Stay on course with helpful feedback and reminders
- Track your progress and access resources online through your personal portal
- See your progress with Snapshot Reports, which you can show to your care team
Still have questions?
You can call the Wegovy® Navigation Line at 1-833-4-WEGOVY, Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm ET.
GET INSPIRED BY REAL VOICES
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Obesity isn't a character flaw or being lazy, it's a disease. It made a difference to have someone recognize that. |
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Kae, a mom of 2, medical office assistant, and professionally trained sound tech who has been taking Wegovy® since 2021* |
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*Real Wegovy® patient. Kae is compensated by Novo Nordisk.
Questions?
Need assistance or information?
Call the Wegovy® Navigation Line at 1-833-4-WEGOVY (1-833-493-4689) between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM ET, Monday–Friday.
