Wegovy dosing: 0.25 mg to 2.4 mg in four steps
Wegovy injection starts at 0.25 mg once weekly and steps up four times: 0.5 mg at week 5, 1 mg at week 9, 1.7 mg at week 13, then a maintenance dose of 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg from week 17. The June 2026 label revision added a 7.2 mg weekly maximum for adults who tolerate 2.4 mg for at least four weeks and need further weight reduction. The tablet runs on its own 30-day schedule from 1.5 mg to 25 mg.
| What the label says | Wegovy injection | Wegovy tablets |
|---|---|---|
| Starting dose | 0.25 mg, weeks 1 to 4 | 1.5 mg, days 1 to 30 |
| How it climbs | 0.5 mg weeks 5 to 8, 1 mg weeks 9 to 12, 1.7 mg weeks 13 to 16, maintenance from week 17 | 4 mg days 31 to 60, 9 mg days 61 to 90, then maintenance |
| Maintenance | 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg, with 2.4 mg marked recommended | 25 mg daily |
| Maximum | 7.2 mg weekly | 25 mg daily |
| If you miss one | Take it if the next scheduled dose is more than 2 days away. Skip it if the next dose is less than 2 days away, and resume on the regular day. | Skip the missed dose and take the next one the following day. |
| Moving your dosing day | The label says the time of day and the injection site can change without a dosage modification. | Daily dosing. The label requires an empty stomach in the morning with up to 4 ounces of water and nothing else, then a 30 minute wait before food, other drinks or other oral medicines. |
| A step you cannot tolerate | “If patients do not tolerate a dose during dosage escalation, consider delaying dosage escalation for 4 weeks.” | For a patient who cannot tolerate the 25 mg tablet, the label says to consider the 1.7 mg injection instead. |
| Coming back after a gap | If 2 or more consecutive doses are missed, the label says to reinitiate dosage escalation at a lower dosage. It does not name which lower dosage. | The reinitiation sentence in this label is written for the injection. It says nothing about restarting the tablet after a gap. |
Why the steps exist
The label gives one reason and gives it plainly: follow the escalation "to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal adverse reactions." The ladder manages nausea.
Wegovy also allows a pause. Two of the six labels let a prescriber slow the climb, and both belong to Novo Nordisk. If a patient does not tolerate a dose during escalation, the label says to consider delaying escalation for 4 weeks.
STEP-1, the clinical trial behind the weight-reduction indication, described nausea and diarrhea as typically transient and mild to moderate, and said they subsided with time. It published no week-by-week curve, so nobody can tell you which week yours settles.
What the dose does to your bill
Of the 25 programs GLP Chart tracks, 14 publish a Wegovy price, according to GLP Chart's price check on August 31, 2026, and the dose moves the number on some of them and not others. The clearest case is the tablet. NovoCare lists it at $149 a month at the 1.5 mg starter dose and $299 at the 25 mg maintenance dose. The medication bill doubles between day 1 and day 91, so "from $149" is a titration price.
Compare every Wegovy route at its maintenance price →
Storage and travel
Refrigerate before first use. The two Wegovy presentations differ on how long a pen may sit at room temperature before it has to be thrown away.
| Product | In the fridge | Out of the fridge |
|---|---|---|
| Wegovy single-dose pen or syringe | 36 to 46 F | If needed, before the cap comes off, at 46 to 86 F for up to 28 days. Keep it in the original carton, away from light. |
| Wegovy FlexTouch single-patient-use pen | 36 to 46 F before first use | 59 to 86 F for 56 days after first use. |
| Wegovy tablets | The label gives no refrigeration instruction | Keep them in the original bottle in a dry place, away from moisture. |
Do not freeze it and do not use one that has been frozen.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I stay on each Wegovy dose?
Four weeks. The label prints it as a table: 0.25 mg for weeks 1 through 4, 0.5 mg for weeks 5 through 8, 1 mg for weeks 9 through 12, 1.7 mg for weeks 13 through 16, then the maintenance dosage from week 17.
What is the maximum dose of Wegovy?
7.2 mg once weekly for the injection, added in the June 2026 label revision for adults who tolerated 2.4 mg for at least four weeks and need further weight reduction. The tablet stops at 25 mg daily.
What if I miss a Wegovy dose?
The label answers it backwards from the other drugs. Take the missed injection if the next scheduled dose is more than 2 days away, and skip it if the next dose is less than 2 days away. Miss 2 or more in a row and the label tells the prescriber to reinitiate dosage escalation at a lower dosage.
Can I stay on 1.7 mg instead of going to 2.4 mg?
The label lists both 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg as maintenance dosages for weight reduction in adults, with 2.4 mg marked recommended, and tells the prescriber to consider treatment response and tolerability when choosing. Your prescriber writes the dose.
Does a higher Wegovy dose cost more?
It depends on the route. NovoCare lists the Wegovy tablet at $149 a month at the 1.5 mg starter dose and $299 at the 25 mg maintenance dose, so the medication bill doubles on the way up. A program advertising the tablet from $149 is quoting a titration price.
Every dosage sentence on this page is written to a prescriber, not to you. Holding a dose, dropping back or stopping changes what the drug is doing. Take the label language to the appointment.
Sources
Evidence checked August 31, 2026
Each clinical claim above links to the document it came from, so you can read the source instead of trusting us. GLP Chart has no medical reviewer, and does not borrow a name for one. What that means.
- The Wegovy injection escalation table, the 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg maintenance dosages, the 7.2 mg maximum, the tablet schedule, the missed-dose rules, the reinitiation sentence and storageFDA prescribing information for Wegovy, injection and tablets (DailyMed, revised June 2026)
- Nausea and diarrhea on semaglutide described as transient and subsiding with timeSTEP-1: once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity (NEJM, 2021)
- Published cash price of the Wegovy tablet at the starter dose and at the maintenance doseNovoCare pricing for Wegovy, Novo Nordisk
