MHRA approves 'triple-strength' Wegovy dose: what now?
A new, higher dose of Wegovy saw patients achieve nearly 21% weight loss – and it's just won UK approval. Find out what this means for you.
On 6 January 2026, the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved a new, higher dose Wegovy for people living with obesity.¹
The injectable weight loss medication has previously been available at a maximum dose of 2.4mg. Now, with the MHRA's backing, doctors can prescribe a maximum dose of 7.2mg. This has led some outlets to refer to the 7.2mg dose as 'triple-strength Wegovy'.²
It's triple the strength – but is it triply as effective? Not quite. But clinical trial results are positive, with some participants losing close to 21% of their starting body weight when taking the 7.2mg dose.³
What does this mean for you as a Wegovy patient? Let's learn more about 'triple-strength' Wegovy – its dosing schedule, its benefits and its availability.
What are the new Wegovy doses?
Wegovy is taken once weekly as a subcutaneous (under-the-skin) injection. Patients typically start at the lowest possible dose (0.25mg), administering four weekly injections before stepping up to a stronger dose.
All being well, the patient continues stepping up their dose every four weeks until they reach the so-called 'maintenance dose'. Until now, the maximum maintenance dose has been 2.4mg.
Following the MHRA's announcement, however, doctors can now prescribe a higher maintenance dose of 7.2mg.
| Wegovy dosing schedule | |
|---|---|
| Weeks 1 to 4 | 0.25mg |
| Weeks 5 to 8 | 0.5mg |
| Weeks 9 to 12 | 1mg |
| Weeks 13 to 16 | 1.7mg |
| Weeks 17 to 20 | 2.4mg (previous maximum dose) |
| Weeks 21+ | 7.2mg (new maximum dose) |
Doctors can only prescribe the new 'triple-strength' Wegovy after patients have taken the 2.4mg dose for at least four weeks.¹
Currently, the 7.2mg dose is administered as three 2.4mg doses, taken one after the other on the same day.¹ However, as Medscape reports, a single 7.2mg injection pen is in development and will likely become available later in 2026.⁴
How effective is 'triple-strength' Wegovy?
The MHRA's backing of the new dose follows the publication of trial data showing significant benefits for patients taking 'triple-strength' Wegovy.
In the STEP UP trial, participants who received the 7.2mg dose lost an average of 18.7% of their starting body weight.³ At the previous maximum dose, the average weight loss is 14.9%.⁵
The benefits were even more pronounced for participants who rigidly stuck to their treatment, including diet and exercise. These participants lost 20.7% on average³ – just a little shy of Mounjaro's average of 20.9%.⁶
Compared to those taking a placebo (a harmless 'dummy drug' with no effects), the higher-dose participants were also:³
- Around 12 times as likely to lose at least 5% of their body weight
- More than 25 times as likely to lose at least 20%
- More than 100 times as likely to lose at least 25%
How can I access 'triple-strength' Wegovy?
With the MHRA's backing, doctors in the UK can now offer 7.2mg Wegovy on private prescription.
However, it's not available for everyone. To be eligible for the new dose, patients must:¹
- Be living with obesity (have a BMI of 30 or greater)
- Have previously taken the 2.4mg dose for at least 4 weeks
Crucially, the new dose is
only
available to people with a BMI of 30 or greater. Patients who would be eligible for the 2.4mg dose at a lower BMI are not automatically eligible for the 'triple-strength' dose.
And while 7.2mg Wegovy can now be offered privately, it remains to be seen whether the NHS will follow suit. Typically, a drug is first recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), after which NHS England is obligated to fund the medication. However, this process takes time and is far from guaranteed.
Finally, will we be offering 'triple-strength' Wegovy at SemaPen? We keep a close eye on new treatment options and are evaluating the 7.2mg dose. As ever, our most important consideration is whether it benefits our patients – both in terms of health benefits and cost. Watch this space.
SemaPen is a UK-based
weight loss injection clinic founded by Professor David Kerrigan, former president of the British Obesity & Metabolic Surgery Society. For more news and advice,
follow our blog.
Sources
1. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (2026) Medicines regulator approves up to 7.2mg dose of semaglutide (Wegovy) for patients with obesity only [news story]. Retrieved from
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/medicines-regulator-approves-up-to-72mg-dose-of-semaglutidewegovy-for-patients-with-obesity-only
2. Lang, K. (2026) "What is 'triple strength' Wegovy, and why has the MHRA approved it?"
BMJ, 392:s111
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.s111
3. Wharton, S. et al. (2025) "Once-weekly semaglutide 7·2 mg in adults with obesity (STEP UP): a randomised, controlled, phase 3b trial"
The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 13(11)
https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(25)00226-8
4. Meredith, S. (2026) MHRA Backs Higher-Dose Wegovy After 20% Weight Loss [news story]. Retrieved from
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/mhra-backs-higher-dose-wegovy-after-20-weight-loss-2026a10001lq
5. Wilding, J.P.H. et al. (2021) "Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity"
The New England Journal of Medicine, 384(11)
https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2032183
6. Jastreboff, A.M. et al. (2022) "Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity"
The New England Journal of Medicine, 387(3)
https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2206038
This article was reviewed and approved by Lujain Alhassan, Bariatric Dietitian on 20 January 2026.
