Wegovy information: the key facts you need to know in 2026

Simon Edward • 9 February 2026

Are you considering using Wegovy for weight loss? Read our beginner's guide to get the key information you need in one place.

Wegovy (semaglutide) is a clinically proven weight loss treatment that you take once weekly as an injection. It launched in the UK in September 2023¹ and remains a popular option for those wanting a safe and effective way to lose weight.

If you're considering using Wegovy for weight loss, you probably have lots of questions. Questions like 'How does it work?', 'How much weight can I expect to lose?' and 'Is it still the best option for losing weight?'

That's what this guide is for. We've compiled all the key Wegovy information you need to know in 2026, so you can make an informed decision on whether it's right for you.

How does Wegovy work?

Wegovy contains the active ingredient semaglutide. An active ingredient is the main ingredient in a medication, and the one that causes the drug's effects.

Semaglutide works by mimicking a natural human hormone called 'glucagon-like peptide-1' (GLP-1). This hormone is involved in hunger and blood sugar regulation.

Mimicking GLP-1 aids weight loss in three main ways:

It regulates appetite, helping you feel full and less preoccupied about eating.
It slows digestion (gastric emptying), which helps you feel fuller for longer after eating.
It regulates blood sugar levels and prevents energy dips – a common trigger for craving high-calorie foods.

How much weight will I lose on Wegovy?

Taken once per week over 52 weeks, Wegovy is clinically proven to reduce body weight by an average of 15%.²

Let's say you weighed 93kg (14st, 9lbs) when you started taking Wegovy. Losing 15% of your body weight would put you at 79.05kg (about 12st, 6lbs).

Or, if you started at 108kg (17 stone), you'd weigh 91.8kg (14st, 6lbs) after losing 15%.

However, there are a couple of important points to bear in mind:

This is the average result, and it won't work out the same for everyone. Some people lose more, and some lose less.
The 15% average is based on patients who undertook lifestyle changes as part of their Wegovy treatment. That includes eating a healthy diet and doing more exercise. This is one reason why choosing a good support programme is so important.

How do I take Wegovy?

Wegovy comes in the form of a special injection pen. This is designed to make it easy to inject yourself at home.

You should inject yourself once weekly on the same day each week. It can feel tricky or even scary at first, but most people get used to it quite quickly.

Your Wegovy pen will come with full instructions on how to take the medication. We've also created this quick video to help you inject yourself safely and confidently.

How does Wegovy dosing work?

Most people who take Wegovy start with a 0.25mg dose. Each pen contains four doses – one per week for a month.

After this, you gradually increase your dose to allow your body to adjust. You'll keep increasing your dose until you hit the maximum dose of 2.4mg, or until you reach the highest dose you can tolerate.

The typical Wegovy dosage schedule looks like this:

Month 1: 0.25mg
Month 2: 0.5mg
Month 3: 1mg
Month 4: 1.7mg
Month 5+: 2.4mg

In January 2026, the UK's medicines regulator approved a higher 7.2mg dose of Wegovy.³ Your healthcare provider might recommend this dose from month six onwards if they believe it will benefit your health.

Will I experience side effects?

Like all medications, Wegovy can cause unwanted side effects. These tend to be felt more in the first few weeks as your body adjusts to treatment. You might also feel a temporary spike in side effects when you increase your dose.

In clinical trials, the most common side effects were nausea and stomach problems, including tummy pain, diarrhoea and vomiting. You can find out more in your patient information leaflet or in our guide to the side effects of Wegovy.

For most people, side effects are mild and short-lived. However, they can be stressful and unpleasant – especially if you don't have expert support on hand. At SemaPen, our team is always ready talk through any specific challenges you might be facing.

How do I get Wegovy?

Wegovy is approved as a weight loss treatment in the UK. However, it's a prescription-only medication. That means it must be prescribed by a medical professional after a personal consultation.

This is to protect patients. It makes sure a medical professional can review their needs and make proper recommendations about what treatment could be best for them.

As of 2026, Wegovy is available from private healthcare providers like SemaPen. It's also available to a limited subset of patients on the NHS.

There are different eligibility criteria for each route.

Private eligibility criteria

To get Wegovy on a private prescription, you must:

Have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater, or
Have a BMI of 27 or greater and a weight-related health condition, or
Have a BMI of 27.5 or greater and belong to certain ethnic groups

Other factors, such as your medical history, could affect your eligibility. We'll ask you about these when you take your online consultation in the SemaPen app.

NHS eligibility criteria

Wegovy is available on the NHS in England through specialist weight management clinics. Your doctor will need to refer you to one of these clinics before you can get an NHS Wegovy prescription.

To qualify for Wegovy on the NHS, you must have health problems caused by your weight. You must also:⁴

Have a BMI of 35 or greater, or
Have a BMI of 32.5 or greater and belong to certain ethnic groups, or
Have a BMI of 30 or greater and meet other criteria for treatment from a specialist weight management clinic

If you belong to certain ethnic groups and meet other criteria for treatment, the BMI cutoff is lowered to 27.5.

Is Wegovy still the best option in 2026?

That depends on your unique needs and circumstances.

There is a popular alternative to Wegovy called 'Mounjaro'. This is also an injectable medication, and it works in a similar way to Wegovy.

Mounjaro is proven to be more effective than Wegovy for weight loss. In a 72-week head-to-head trial (where researchers compare drugs under identical conditions):⁵

Those taking Mounjaro lost 20.2% of their starting weight
Those taking Wegovy lost 13.7% of their starting weight

However, Mounjaro is typically more expensive than Wegovy when accessed privately. Depending on your budget and your starting weight, it might make more sense from a financial and weight loss perspective to choose Wegovy over Mounjaro.

How will I know if I'm getting the right support?

Experts agree that expert support and medical supervision are crucial to making the most of weight loss treatments like Wegovy and Mounjaro.

However, this kind of support isn't always available to patients like you. Many online pharmacies simply send you the medication while offering little in the way of long-term advice.

At SemaPen, we've put expert support at the heart of our Wegovy and Mounjaro weight loss programmes. When you join us, you can expect:

Access to our customer support team via WhatsApp or the SemaPen app
Clinical support by email, whenever you need it
Digital health tracking with smart scales (included) – so we can track your weight and overall health together through the app
Regular check-ins to help you stay on track to meet your goals
A 10-month, tailored online fitness programme from Sword Health
A host of tools to help you manage your weight and learn healthy habits – including our unique SemaPen Academy lessons

Want the right support to lose weight – right from day one? Simply download the SemaPen app and take our simple digital consultation. You'll find out instantly whether you're eligible for our expert-led programmes.

Sources

1. Department of Health and Social Care (2023) Accessing Wegovy for weight loss: Everything you need to know [blog post]. Retrieved from https://healthmedia.blog.gov.uk/2023/09/04/accessing-wegovy-for-weight-loss-everything-you-need-to-know/

2. 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

3. 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

4. NHS England (n.d.) Weight management injections. Retrieved from https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/prevention/obesity/medicines-for-obesity/weight-management-injections/

5. Aronne, L.J. et al. (2025) "Tirzepatide as Compared with Semaglutide for the Treatment of Obesity" The New England Journal of Medicine, 393(1) https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2416394

This article was reviewed and approved by Sarah Abdula, Specialist Dietitian, on 28 January 2026.

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