WEGOVY®

What is Wegovy®?

Wegovy® is a prescription medication containing semaglutide, a GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonist. It is indicated for chronic weight management in individuals with obesity or overweight who have at least one weight-related comorbidity. Semaglutide mimics a natural hormone that regulates appetite, food intake, and body weight.

Semaglutide is produced using recombinant DNA technology in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast). Unlike other GLP-1 analogues, semaglutide has a long half-life (approximately one week), making it suitable for once-weekly subcutaneous injection.

---

Indications of Wegovy®

Adults:

Wegovy® is indicated as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for:

• Obese adults (BMI ≥30 kg/m²)

• Overweight adults (BMI ≥27 to <30 kg/m²) with at least one weight-related condition such as:

  • Type 2 diabetes

  • Hypertension

  • Dyslipidemia

  • Obstructive sleep apnea

  • Cardiovascular disease

Adolescents (≥12 years old):

• Indicated for adolescents with obesity (BMI ≥95th percentile for age and sex) and body weight over 60 kg

• Treatment should be discontinued if the patient has not lost at least 5% of body weight after 12 weeks on the maintenance dose (2.4 mg or maximum tolerated dose)

---

Wegovy® Administration Technique

Wegovy® is administered as a subcutaneous injection once weekly, at any time of day, with or without food. It is injected into the:

• Abdomen

• Thigh

• Upper arm

Dose Escalation Schedule:

To improve tolerability and reduce gastrointestinal side effects, the dose is gradually increased over 16 weeks:

Missed Dose: If missed, the dose should be taken within 5 days. If more than 5 days have passed, skip the dose and resume on the scheduled day.

Read our comprehensive article on the Wegovy Meal Plan.

---

How Does Wegovy® Work?

Semaglutide targets GLP-1 receptors in the brain, particularly in the hypothalamus and brainstem, to:

• Reduce appetite and calorie intake

• Increase satiety and fullness

• Reduce food cravings

• Improve control over eating behavior

Additionally, it slows gastric emptying, lowers blood glucose levels by stimulating insulin and inhibiting glucagon (when glucose is high), and promotes weight loss primarily by reducing fat mass.

---

Clinical Effectiveness

In the STEP clinical trials, semaglutide showed consistent, clinically meaningful weight loss across populations. Highlights from the trials include:

• STEP 1: 14.9% weight reduction in adults with obesity after 68 weeks (vs. 2.4% with placebo)

• STEP 2: In patients with type 2 diabetes, 9.6% reduction with Wegovy vs. 3.4% with placebo

• STEP 3: Wegovy combined with intensive behavioral therapy led to a 16% reduction in body weight

• STEP 4: Sustained weight loss up to 17.4% over 68 weeks with continued Wegovy use

• STEP 5: 15.2% average weight loss sustained over 104 weeks

• STEP TEENS: Adolescents lost 16.1% of body weight vs. 0.6% with placebo

---

Contraindications and Side Effects

Contraindications:

• Hypersensitivity to semaglutide or any excipient

• History of medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2

Common Side Effects:

• Gastrointestinal: Nausea (43.9%), vomiting, diarrhea, constipation

• Neurological: Headache, dizziness

• Metabolic: Hypoglycemia (particularly with concurrent sulfonylureas or insulin)

• Others: Hair loss, increased heart rate, injection site reactions

Serious Adverse Events:

• Acute pancreatitis

• Cholelithiasis (gallstones)

• Worsening of diabetic retinopathy (especially in insulin-treated patients)

Most gastrointestinal symptoms are transient and occur during dose escalation.

---

How Do You Store Wegovy®?

• Store in a refrigerator (2°C to 8°C)

• Can be stored at room temperature (up to 30°C) for up to 28 days

• Do not freeze

• Protect from light and keep in original packaging

---

Who Manufactures Wegovy®?

Wegovy® is developed and manufactured by Novo Nordisk A/S, a global leader in diabetes and obesity care. The company is headquartered in Denmark and is known for its research-driven portfolio of GLP-1 therapies, including Ozempic® and Rybelsus®.

---

Additional Considerations

Cardiovascular Benefits:

In the SELECT trial involving 17,604 patients with established cardiovascular disease and overweight/obesity, semaglutide reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) by 20% compared to placebo (hazard ratio 0.80).

Pharmacokinetics:

• Bioavailability: ~89%

• Half-life: ~7 days

• Steady-state levels reached after 4–5 weeks

  • Extensively bound to plasma proteins (>99%)