Wegovy (Semaglutide): Uses, Pill vs Pen, Side Effects, Cost

Wegovy is a weekly injection or daily tablet of semaglutide made by Novo Nordisk, first FDA approved in 2021, for weight loss, heart risk and MASH liver disease. List price is $1,349.02 per month; self-pay starts at $149 per month. In the STEP 1 trial, people lost 14.9% of body weight on average.

Active ingredient: semaglutide
Manufacturer: Novo Nordisk
How it is taken: weekly injection or daily tablet
First FDA approval: 2021
List price: $1,349.02 per month
Self-pay from: $149 per month
Average weight loss in trials: 14.9%
Most common side effect: Nausea 44% vs 16% on placebo
FDA shortage: Resolved February 21, 2025

Wegovy at a glance

How long it stays in your body

About 1 week is the half-life: half the drug is gone by 7 d, and about 3% remains after five half-lives (35 d).

Weight loss in the main trial

In STEP 1, people lost 14.9% of body weight over 68 weeks, versus 2.4% on placebo.

How the price changes over time

Monthly amounts in US dollars come from the maker's price page: the list price and self-pay offers.

Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), healthsystemtracker.org, prnewswire.com 1 2.

Wegovy uses and forms

The FDA label is where Wegovy uses, forms and warnings come from. Both your prescriber and the label set your dose.

Wegovy at a glance
	What the label says
Approved use	It lowers the risk of heart attack, stroke, or heart-related death in adults with heart disease and either obesity or overweight (injection and tablets).
Approved use	Losing weight and keeping it off over the long term, together with diet and activity, applies to adults and children 12 and older who have obesity, or adults who are overweight and have a weight-related condition.
Approved use	For adults, it treats MASH liver disease with moderate to advanced scarring and no cirrhosis (injection).
Approved use	For adults, the tablets are approved for both weight loss and heart risk.
Forms	Four options: a single-dose syringe, a tablet, a single-dose pen, and the FlexTouch pen (4 doses)
Strengths on the label	the Label lists these strengths: 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, 2.4 mg, plus 7.2 mg (Wegovy HD). Tablet strengths are 1.5 mg, 4 mg, 9 mg and 25 mg
Boxed warning	This medicine caused thyroid C-cell tumors in rodents, as stated in the boxed warning. It is not known whether it causes these tumors in people. It must not be used if your personal or family history includes medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), or if you have MEN 2.
Storage	Pens stay in the fridge; if needed, they may be left out for up to 28 days. Tablets stay in the bottle they came in, at room temperature.

Sources: FDA label (DailyMed).

What the Wegovy trials showed

Results seen in the main Wegovy trials
Trial	Who took part	Length	Group	Average weight loss	Placebo
STEP 1	Adults with obesity or overweight, without diabetes	68 weeks	Semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly	14.9%	2.4%
OASIS 4	Adults with obesity or overweight, without diabetes	64 weeks	Wegovy pill 25 mg daily	13.6%	2.4%
STEP 2	Adults with obesity or overweight who also have type 2 diabetes	68 weeks	Semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly	9.6%	3.4%
STEP-HFpEF	Adults with obesity and heart failure, where the ejection fraction is preserved	52 weeks	Semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly	13.3%	2.6%

Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), PubMed 1 2 3 4 5.

Wegovy side effects

The label's trials show how often each side effect appeared compared with placebo (a dummy treatment). For weight management, the people in the trials were adults with obesity or overweight.

Table 3. Adverse Reactions (at least 2% and Greater Than Placebo) in Injection-treated Adults with Obesity or Overweight for Weight Reduction receiving WEGOVY 2.4 mg
Side effect	Wegovy 2.4 mg	Placebo
Nausea	44%	16%
Diarrhea	30%	16%
Vomiting	24%	6%
Constipation	24%	11%
Abdominal Pain	20%	10%
Headache	14%	10%

Sources: FDA label (DailyMed).

The Label's Warnings list thyroid C-cell tumor risk, acute pancreatitis, severe gastrointestinal adverse Reactions, Hypersensitivity Reactions, acute gallbladder disease, hypoglycemia, acute Kidney Injury Due to Volume Depletion. The label also lists Diabetic Retinopathy Complications for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Drawn from the label warnings: FDA label (DailyMed).

Wegovy interactions

Drug interactions listed on the label for Wegovy
Taken with	What the label says
Insulin or sulfonylureas	Taking it with insulin or a sulfonylurea makes low blood sugar more likely. Glipizide and glimepiride are examples, and your doctor may lower those doses.
Oral medicines	It slows how fast the stomach empties, which can change how other pills are absorbed.
Levothyroxine	Levothyroxine levels went up in a study of Semaglutide tablets, which means thyroid levels may need checking.

Sources: FDA label (DailyMed).

Check a GLP-1 interaction

Which GLP-1 medicine?1 of 2

What do you want to combine it with?2 of 2

Wegovy cost and coverage

Wegovy prices by route
How you pay	Price
List price before insurance	$1,349.02 per month
Wegovy Savings Offer (insured)	from $25 per month
Self-pay: Wegovy pill 1.5 mg	$149 per month
Self-pay: Wegovy pill 4 mg	$199 per month
Self-pay: Wegovy pill 9 mg and 25 mg	$299 per month
Self-pay price of the Wegovy pen intro: the first 2 fills at 0.25 mg, plus the 0.5 mg dose	$199 per month
Self-pay: Wegovy pen 0.25 mg to 2.4 mg	$349 per month
Self-pay: Wegovy HD 7.2 mg pen	$399 per month
Self-pay via TrumpRx	$149 per month
Medicare GLP-1 Bridge (Wegovy, eligible Part D)	$50 per month

In November 2026 these prices were checked: TrumpRx 1 2, NovoCare 1 2, CMS.

Alternatives to Wegovy

Other medicines that serve the same purpose as Wegovy
Medicine	Ingredient	How it is taken	Shared use	Trial weight loss	Self-pay from
Ozempic	semaglutide	weekly injection	heart risk	Not listed	$199 per month
Rybelsus	semaglutide	daily tablet	heart risk	Not listed	Not listed
Mounjaro	tirzepatide	weekly injection	heart risk	Not listed	Not listed
Zepbound	tirzepatide	weekly injection	weight loss	20.9%	$299 per month
Foundayo	orforglipron	daily tablet	weight loss	11.1%	$149 per month
Trulicity	dulaglutide	weekly injection	heart risk	Not listed	Not listed
Saxenda	liraglutide	daily injection	weight loss	7.4%	Not listed
Victoza	liraglutide	daily injection	heart risk	Not listed	Not listed