Wegovy (Semaglutide Injection 2.4 mg)

Wegovy is Novo Nordisk's brand name for semaglutide 2.4 mg delivered as a once-weekly subcutaneous injection, approved by the FDA in June 2021 for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related comorbidity. It is a pure GLP-1 receptor agonist — semaglutide binds to and activates the GLP-1 receptor with very high potency and, critically, has a long half-life of approximately one week, allowing for once-weekly dosing. The higher 2.4 mg dose used in Wegovy (versus the 1 mg or 2 mg doses in Ozempic) was specifically engineered to maximize weight-loss efficacy. The STEP 1 Phase 3 trial in adults without diabetes demonstrated average weight loss of 14.9% at 68 weeks — roughly 34 pounds — versus 2.4% for placebo. Among completers who adhered to treatment, average weight loss approached 16-17%. Importantly, Wegovy has a landmark cardiovascular outcomes dataset that no other pure weight-loss drug can match: the SELECT trial enrolled 17,604 non-diabetic adults with obesity or overweight and established cardiovascular disease (CVD), and demonstrated a 20% relative risk reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) — heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death — over an average of 34 months. This led to FDA approval of a cardiovascular risk-reduction indication in March 2024, making Wegovy the first weight-loss drug ever approved to protect the heart. Weekly doses escalate from 0.25 mg through 0.5, 1.0, 1.7, and ultimately 2.4 mg over 16-20 weeks to minimize gastrointestinal side effects. Wegovy is delivered via a pre-filled, single-use autoinjector pen. The drug faces supply constraints that have historically limited access, though manufacturing expansion has improved availability. Monthly list price is approximately $1,349, with Novo Nordisk's savings program bringing costs to as low as $25 per month for eligible commercially insured patients.