Wegovy 7.2mg Explained: The UK High-Dose Semaglutide Guide

What Wegovy 7.2mg is

Wegovy is the weight-management brand of semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist. Until recently the maintenance dose topped out at 2.4mg a week. The 7.2mg dose was studied in the STEP UP programme for people who reached 2.4mg and still had further to go, and the manufacturer secured UK authorisation for it in early 2026. It sits at the top of a titration ladder that starts at 0.25mg, so nobody begins treatment on 7.2mg.

The dose is reached over several weeks of escalation from 2.4mg, and the prescriber will only move you up if the lower dose has been tolerated and there is a clinical reason to go further, typically a plateau while still above your target weight or BMI.

What the STEP UP trial showed

STEP UP was a 72-week phase 3b trial comparing semaglutide 7.2mg, 2.4mg and placebo in adults with obesity and without diabetes, alongside lifestyle support. The headline results:

The difference between the two doses is real but smaller than the threefold jump in dose suggests. The benefit is concentrated among people who respond well to semaglutide and want to push further, at the cost of a higher chance of nausea, vomiting and other gut effects in the first weeks.

Who a prescriber will consider for 7.2mg

• You have already reached 2.4mg and tolerated it without severe gastrointestinal problems.
• Weight loss has stalled on 2.4mg while you remain above your target, and diet and activity have been reviewed first.
• No history of pancreatitis or other reasons to avoid higher GLP-1 exposure.
• You are able to keep up protein, fluid and micronutrient intake, because appetite suppression at this dose can be strong.

How UK pharmacies supply it

At launch, UK providers have supplied the 7.2mg dose as three 2.4mg injections given on the same day each week, because a single 7.2mg pen was not yet in UK distribution. That means three pens per weekly dose and a correspondingly higher monthly cost. Check with your provider whether a dedicated 7.2mg pen is now available, as packaging and price change as supply matures. Price tracking for Wegovy injections, including the 7.2mg dose where listed, is on iGovy.

Wegovy 7.2mg versus Mounjaro 15mg

People at the top of the Wegovy ladder often ask whether they would do better on tirzepatide. The 7.2mg dose narrows the gap without closing it.

The trials were separate studies with different populations, so the percentages are indicative rather than a head-to-head result. For someone already established on Wegovy, the practical advantage of 7.2mg is continuing on a medicine you tolerate rather than switching products and restarting titration. If you are weighing a switch, read our balanced switching guide and what Mounjaro is.

Side effects to expect

• Gut effects. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation are more frequent in the first four weeks after moving to 7.2mg. Smaller meals, slower eating and fluids help; persistent vomiting needs a prescriber review.
• Dysaesthesia. Altered skin sensation, tingling or heightened sensitivity to touch was reported more often at 7.2mg than at 2.4mg. It is usually mild and settles, but tell your prescriber.
• Nutrition. Strong appetite suppression makes it easy to under-eat protein and fluids. Prescribers should check weight loss is not too rapid and that intake is adequate.
• Serious but rare. Pancreatitis and gallbladder disease are class risks for GLP-1 medicines. Severe, persistent abdominal pain needs urgent medical attention.