Semaglutide Dosage Chart: Wegovy and Ozempic Doses by Week
A semaglutide dosage chart starts at 0.25 mg once a week on both the Wegovy and Ozempic labels. The Wegovy label then steps up every 4 weeks to a maintenance dose of 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg from week 17. The Ozempic label lists maintenance doses of 0.5 mg, 1 mg or 2 mg, chosen for blood sugar control. This page lays out every step from the FDA labels, the pen strengths, the Wegovy pill schedule, and what the labels never give, such as a chart in syringe units.
Disclaimer: this is label information, not a recommendation. Dose decisions belong with a licensed clinician who knows your history.
Everything here is copied from FDA labels and one published trial. It describes what those documents say. It is not a plan for any one person.
What is the Wegovy dosage chart by week?
The Wegovy label steps the weekly shot up every 4 weeks for 16 weeks. From week 17, the label calls the dose a maintenance dose.
The FDA label for Wegovy injection lists, once weekly under the skin:
| Weeks | Phase | Weekly dose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | Starting dose | 0.25 mg |
| 5 to 8 | Step up | 0.5 mg |
| 9 to 12 | Step up | 1 mg |
| 13 to 16 | Step up | 1.7 mg |
| 17 onward | Maintenance | 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg (2.4 mg marked recommended) |
| After at least 4 weeks on 2.4 mg | Optional increase | Up to a maximum of 7.2 mg |
Disclaimer: this is label information, not a recommendation. Dose decisions belong with a licensed clinician who knows your history.
The Wegovy label sets two conditions on the 7.2 mg step. The label says the person must tolerate 2.4 mg for at least 4 weeks, and more weight reduction must be clinically indicated. Without both, the label stops at 2.4 mg.
The chart is not a race. The label says that if a person does not tolerate a dose during the step-up, the prescriber can consider delaying the next increase for 4 weeks. So under the label, a real schedule can run longer than 16 weeks. The GLP-1 side effects guide covers what the labels list as side effects.
Sources: Wegovy label (FDA, via DailyMed)
What strengths do Wegovy pens come in?
Wegovy pens are single-dose pens. Each pen holds one weekly dose, so there is no dial and nothing to count.
The FDA label for Wegovy describes the pens as:
- 0.5 mL pens holding 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg or 1 mg of semaglutide
- 0.75 mL pens holding 1.7 mg, 2.4 mg or 7.2 mg of semaglutide
Disclaimer: this is label information, not a recommendation. Dose decisions belong with a licensed clinician who knows your history.
This matters for the "Wegovy click dosage chart" searches. A single-dose pen gives its whole dose in one go. There is no click chart for it in the label, because each pen strength is a separate pen.
Sources: Wegovy label (FDA, via DailyMed)
What is the Wegovy pill dosage chart?
The Wegovy tablet is taken once a day, not once a week. It steps up every 30 days and reaches its maintenance dose on day 91.
The FDA label for Wegovy tablets lists, once daily:
| Days | Phase | Daily dose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 30 | Starting dose | 1.5 mg |
| 31 to 60 | Step up | 4 mg |
| 61 to 90 | Step up | 9 mg |
| 91 onward | Maintenance | 25 mg |
Disclaimer: this is label information, not a recommendation. Dose decisions belong with a licensed clinician who knows your history.
The tablet numbers are much bigger than the injection numbers, so the two cannot be swapped mg for mg. The label gives its own link between them, covered in the low dose section below.
Sources: Wegovy label (FDA, via DailyMed)
What is the Ozempic dosage chart?
The Ozempic label starts at the same 0.25 mg weekly dose as Wegovy. The label then lists three maintenance doses, picked by blood sugar control, with 2 mg as the top dose.
The FDA label for Ozempic lists, once weekly under the skin:
- Starting dose: 0.25 mg once weekly for 4 weeks
- Maintenance: 0.5 mg, 1 mg or 2 mg once weekly, based on glycemic control
- Maximum recommended dose: 2 mg once weekly
Disclaimer: this is label information, not a recommendation. Dose decisions belong with a licensed clinician who knows your history.
Side by side, the two injection labels line up like this by week:
| Weeks | Wegovy label, weekly dose | Ozempic label, weekly dose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | 0.25 mg | 0.25 mg |
| 5 to 8 | 0.5 mg | Maintenance options start: 0.5 mg, 1 mg or 2 mg (the label quote we used does not tie them to weeks) |
| 9 to 12 | 1 mg | Same maintenance options |
| 13 to 16 | 1.7 mg | Same maintenance options |
| 17 onward | 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg | 0.5 mg, 1 mg or 2 mg, based on blood sugar control |
| Highest dose | 7.2 mg, after at least 4 weeks on 2.4 mg | 2 mg |
Disclaimer: this is label information, not a recommendation. Dose decisions belong with a licensed clinician who knows your history.
Ozempic pens are multi-dose pens with a dial. The label matches each pen to the doses it gives:
| Dose per injection | Pen holds | Strength per mL |
|---|---|---|
| 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg | 2 mg in 3 mL | 0.68 mg/mL |
| 1 mg | 4 mg in 3 mL | 1.34 mg/mL |
| 2 mg | 8 mg in 3 mL | 2.68 mg/mL |
Disclaimer: this is label information, not a recommendation. Dose decisions belong with a licensed clinician who knows your history.
Sources: Ozempic label (FDA, via DailyMed)
Is there an Ozempic click chart?
Not from the maker: the Ozempic pen instructions tell users not to set a dose by counting clicks. The instructions say to read the dose in mg on the dose counter.
The instructions say you will hear a click every time you turn the dose selector. They also say to always use the dose counter and the dose pointer to see how many mg you select. The instructions give that rule for every pen, including the Ozempic 2 mg pen.
Click charts shared online try to turn clicks into smaller doses. Those charts are not part of the label, and the label tells users not to dose that way. This page does not publish one.
Sources: Ozempic label (FDA, via DailyMed)
Is 0.5 mg of Ozempic enough to lose weight?
The Ozempic label does not answer that, because its doses are not set for weight loss. Ozempic is labelled for blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes.
The label lists Ozempic as an add-on to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. The label says its maintenance doses, including 0.5 mg, are chosen based on glycemic control. The label that sets semaglutide doses for weight reduction is the Wegovy label. For how the two brands differ, see Wegovy vs Ozempic.
Sources: Ozempic label (FDA, via DailyMed); Wegovy label (FDA, via DailyMed)
Do you lose weight on the maintenance dose of Wegovy?
Yes, on average: in the STEP 1 trial, people on weekly semaglutide lost far more weight than people on placebo. STEP 1 reported an average change by week 68 of -14.9% of body weight, against -2.4% on placebo.
Those are averages from a supervised trial. An average says nothing about one person, and a trial result is not a promise for anyone else.
For how the weeks unfold before maintenance, see how long Wegovy takes to start working.
Can you stay on a low dose of the Wegovy pill?
The tablet label lists only one maintenance dose, 25 mg a day. The lower tablet doses are step-up doses, not maintenance doses.
For people who cannot tolerate the top tablet dose, the FDA label for Wegovy says:
- If 25 mg once daily is not tolerated, consider switching to Wegovy injection 1.7 mg once weekly
Disclaimer: this is label information, not a recommendation. Dose decisions belong with a licensed clinician who knows your history.
So the label route for someone who cannot handle 25 mg is a switch to the weekly injection at 1.7 mg. It does not list holding a lower tablet dose as maintenance.
Sources: Wegovy label (FDA, via DailyMed)
What is semaglutide dosing in units?
No FDA label gives semaglutide doses in syringe units. The approved pens are set in mg, either as single-dose pens or on a dose counter.
Unit charts belong to vials, often compounded or research vials. A unit is a mark on an insulin syringe. It measures volume, not drug. So how many mg are in 40 units of semaglutide depends on how much drug is in each mL of that vial, and that changes from vial to vial. A chart made for one vial strength only fits a vial that truly holds that strength. No official source we found gives such a chart, or says how to mix a vial.
The FDA has warned about this. It received multiple reports of harm, some needing hospital care, that may be related to dosing errors with compounded injectable semaglutide. It says the errors came from patients measuring and giving themselves wrong doses, and in some cases from health care professionals miscalculating doses.
If you are reading a vial label and want to see the math, the semaglutide reconstitution calculator turns mg, mL and units into each other, and the insulin syringe units chart shows what a unit is. Both show math only. They do not pick a dose.
Is there a microdosing semaglutide chart?
Not an official one: our search of the three semaglutide labels and PubMed found no dose called microdosing, including for a microdose GLP-1 pill.
The lowest step on the Wegovy and Ozempic injection labels is 0.25 mg once weekly, and it is a starting step. The lowest tablet steps are 1.5 mg a day for Wegovy and 3 mg a day for Rybelsus, and both are starting steps too. Anything below those is outside the labels. Our microdosing semaglutide guide and the wider microdosing GLP-1 guide go through what people mean by it and what is known.
Sources: Wegovy label (FDA, via DailyMed); Ozempic label (FDA, via DailyMed); Rybelsus label (FDA, via DailyMed)
How do GLP-1 dose schedules compare?
Every GLP-1 label on this chart starts low and climbs. They differ in how often the dose is given, how big each step is, and the top dose.
The FDA labels for each product list:
| Product (drug) | How often | Start | Maintenance or top dose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wegovy injection (semaglutide) | Weekly | 0.25 mg for weeks 1 to 4 | 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg from week 17; maximum 7.2 mg |
| Wegovy tablet (semaglutide) | Daily | 1.5 mg for days 1 to 30 | 25 mg from day 91 |
| Ozempic (semaglutide) | Weekly | 0.25 mg for 4 weeks | 0.5 mg, 1 mg or 2 mg; maximum 2 mg |
| Rybelsus (semaglutide) | Daily | 3 mg for days 1 to 30 (label says this dose is not effective for glycemic control) | Not covered by our sources |
| Saxenda (liraglutide) | Daily | 0.6 mg in week 1, then 1.2 mg, 1.8 mg, 2.4 mg | 3 mg from week 5 |
| Victoza (liraglutide) | Daily | Not covered by our sources | Maximum 1.8 mg, after at least one week on 1.2 mg |
| Zepbound (tirzepatide) | Weekly | 2.5 mg for 4 weeks (not a maintenance dose) | 5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg; maximum 15 mg |
| Mounjaro (tirzepatide) | Weekly | 2.5 mg | Maximum 15 mg in adults, 10 mg in children |
Disclaimer: this is label information, not a recommendation. Dose decisions belong with a licensed clinician who knows your history.
Two patterns stand out. The semaglutide and tirzepatide shots are weekly, while the liraglutide shots and the semaglutide tablets (Wegovy, Rybelsus) are daily. And the mg numbers are not comparable across drugs: on these labels, 2.5 mg of tirzepatide is a starting dose, while 2.4 mg of semaglutide is a Wegovy maintenance dose. The numbers only mean something inside their own label.
Zepbound also comes in a multi-dose vial. Its label lists the 2.5 mg dose as 0.6 mL, drawn from a vial holding 10 mg in 2.4 mL, which is 4.17 mg/mL. The label tells vial users to use a syringe suited to the dose, for example a 1 mL syringe that can measure a 0.5 mL or 0.6 mL dose. That is the only place in these labels where a dose is given as a volume.
For the full tirzepatide schedule, see the tirzepatide dosage guide. For how the two drugs compare head to head, see tirzepatide vs semaglutide.
Sources: Wegovy label (FDA, via DailyMed); Ozempic label (FDA, via DailyMed); Rybelsus label (FDA, via DailyMed); Saxenda label (FDA, via DailyMed); Victoza label (FDA, via DailyMed); Zepbound label (FDA, via DailyMed); Mounjaro label (FDA, via DailyMed)
What is semaglutide made of?
Semaglutide is a peptide. The Wegovy label says its peptide backbone is produced by yeast fermentation.
Sources: Wegovy label (FDA, via DailyMed)
What do the labels not give you?
Many charts online fill gaps the labels leave open. These are the gaps we checked and could not fill from an official source.
A units chart
No label converts semaglutide mg to syringe units. Units depend on the vial, and the FDA links measuring errors to real harm.
A click chart
The Ozempic instructions say not to set a dose by counting clicks.
A microdose
No label or published trial dose we found is called microdosing.
A mixing chart for compounded vials
These are compounded or research vials. No official source we found gives a mixing chart for them.
A lower tablet maintenance dose
The Wegovy tablet label lists 25 mg as its maintenance dose, with a switch to the 1.7 mg weekly injection for people who cannot tolerate it.
Semaglutide also has a shelf life once a pen or vial is opened. See does semaglutide expire for the storage rules.
Sources: Ozempic label (FDA, via DailyMed); Wegovy label (FDA, via DailyMed); FDA, concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs
Common questions
What is the semaglutide dosage chart for Wegovy?+
The Wegovy label lists 0.25 mg once weekly in weeks 1 through 4. The Wegovy label then lists 0.5 mg in weeks 5 through 8, 1 mg in weeks 9 through 12 and 1.7 mg in weeks 13 through 16. From week 17, the Wegovy label lists a maintenance dose of 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg once weekly, with 2.4 mg marked as recommended.
Is 0.5 mg of Ozempic enough to lose weight?+
The Ozempic label does not set its doses for weight loss. The Ozempic label lists it for blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. The Ozempic label says its maintenance doses of 0.5 mg, 1 mg or 2 mg are chosen based on glycemic control. The weight reduction doses are on the Wegovy label.
What exactly is semaglutide made of?+
The Wegovy label says the peptide backbone of semaglutide is produced by yeast fermentation.
How does Ozempic work?+
The FDA label sections used for this dose chart do not cover how the drug works in the body, so this page does not answer that.
How to mix semaglutide 20mg?+
No official source we found gives a mixing chart for a 20mg semaglutide vial. These are compounded or research vials. The FDA has linked measuring errors with compounded semaglutide to reports of harm.
What is the highest dose of Wegovy and of Ozempic?+
The Wegovy label allows a maximum of 7.2 mg once weekly for people who tolerate 2.4 mg for at least 4 weeks, when more weight reduction is clinically indicated. The Ozempic label says its maximum recommended dosage is 2 mg once weekly.
Can I count clicks to set an Ozempic dose?+
No. The Ozempic pen instructions say to always use the dose counter and the dose pointer to see how many mg you select. The instructions say not to set the dose by counting the number of clicks you hear.
How many units is a semaglutide dose?+
No FDA label we checked gives a units chart. The Wegovy and Ozempic labels set pen doses in mg. The FDA reports that dosing errors with compounded semaglutide have led to harm, some needing hospital care.
Sources: Wegovy label (FDA, via DailyMed); Ozempic label (FDA, via DailyMed); FDA, concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs
Disclaimer: this is label information, not a recommendation. Dose decisions belong with a licensed clinician who knows your history.
Related reading
Wegovy vs Ozempic
Same drug, two labels: what differs
Tirzepatide Dosage
The Zepbound and Mounjaro steps
Microdosing Semaglutide
What people mean by it and what is known
Semaglutide Reconstitution Calculator
The mg, mL and units math for a vial
Does Semaglutide Expire?
Shelf life and storage rules
How Long Wegovy Takes to Work
What the label and trials show by week
This guide is for education only and is not medical advice. It describes what FDA labels and a published trial report about semaglutide and related medicines. It does not tell anyone what to take, how much, or when. Talk to a licensed clinician about any dose.