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| Semaglutide | Wegovy | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The active ingredient: a GLP-1 analog and receptor agonist used in Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy561 | Novo Nordisk's semaglutide brand for weight reduction, cardiovascular risk and MASH1 |
| Active ingredient | Semaglutide itself, with 94% sequence homology to human GLP-11 | Semaglutide, in both the injection and the tablets1 |
| Maker | Novo Nordisk, for every US semaglutide brand762 | Novo Nordisk1 |
| Form | Weekly injection or daily tablet, depending on the brand56 | Single-dose pens (0.25 to 7.2 mg), prefilled syringes, a 4-dose FlexTouch pen, and tablets of 1.5 to 25 mg1 |
| Approved uses | Type 2 diabetes with cardiovascular risk reduction (Ozempic, Rybelsus) and kidney risk reduction (Ozempic injection), plus Wegovy's uses561 | Long-term weight reduction (adults; the injection also in children 12 and older), lower heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death risk in adults with established cardiovascular disease and obesity or overweight, and noncirrhotic MASH with F2 to F3 fibrosis (injection, accelerated approval)1 |
| Dosing schedule | Ozempic 0.25 to 2 mg weekly; Rybelsus 3 to 14 mg daily56 | Injection: 0.25 mg weekly, raised every 4 weeks to 2.4 mg (or 1.7 mg) from week 17, up to 7.2 mg for adult weight reduction; tablets: 1.5 mg rising to 25 mg daily from day 911 |
| First US approval | December 5, 2017, as Ozempic7 | June 4, 20212 |
Key differences
Same molecule, higher doses
Wegovy shares its active ingredient with the diabetes brands but not their dose range. Wegovy injections climb through 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 1.7 mg in 4-week steps, reaching a maintenance dose of 2.4 mg (or 1.7 mg) from week 17.1 Adults who have tolerated 2.4 mg for at least 4 weeks may go up to 7.2 mg, sold as Wegovy HD, when more weight reduction is clinically indicated.12 Ozempic's weekly maximum is 2 mg.5 Tablets follow the same pattern: Wegovy tablets reach 25 mg a day, while Rybelsus stops at 14 mg.16 The prescriber sets each step, and the label says to consider delaying the next increase by 4 weeks if a step is not tolerated.1
Tablet doses are much larger than injected doses. Only about 1% to 2% of an oral dose reaches the blood, against 89% of an injected dose.1 Wegovy tablets contain an absorption enhancer, salcaprozate sodium (SNAC), to help.1 Nothing needs to be mixed: the injection is a ready-to-use solution, and on single-dose pens the dose is preset.1
A label that grew in steps
Wegovy's uses were added over five years.
- June 4, 2021: FDA approved Wegovy injection after a priority review.2
- December 23, 2022: the label added children 12 and older with obesity.2
- March 8, 2024: FDA approved it to lower the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke in adults with cardiovascular disease and obesity or overweight, calling it the first weight loss medicine also approved for this use.4
- August 15, 2025: the injection gained an accelerated approval for noncirrhotic MASH with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis (F2 to F3); continued approval may depend on a confirmatory trial.21
- December 22, 2025: Wegovy tablets were approved under a separate application, for adults only, covering weight and cardiovascular risk.31
- March 19, 2026: a new dosing regimen allowed up to 7.2 mg once weekly.2
What the Wegovy trials showed
The label's trials tested these higher doses. In STEP 1, 1,961 adults with obesity or overweight and no type 2 diabetes took 2.4 mg weekly or placebo for 68 weeks. Mean weight change was -14.9% vs -2.4% on placebo, and 30.2% lost at least 20% of their weight vs 1.7%.1 In a 72-week study of 1,407 adults with obesity and no type 2 diabetes, weight changed -18.8% on 7.2 mg, -15.5% on 2.4 mg and -3.9% on placebo.1 In OASIS 4, 307 adults took 25 mg tablets or placebo for 64 weeks, with weight change of -13.6% vs -2.4%.1
The non-weight uses rest on their own trials. In SELECT, 17,604 adults aged 45 or older with established cardiovascular disease (a prior heart attack, stroke or peripheral arterial disease) and a BMI of 27 or more, but no diabetes, were followed for a median of 41.8 months. Heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death occurred in 6.5% on Wegovy vs 8% on placebo (hazard ratio 0.80).1 In ESSENCE, week-72 biopsies of 800 adults with MASH showed the disease resolved without worse fibrosis in 63% vs 34%.1 Stopping matters: in STEP 4, adults switched to placebo after 20 weeks regained 6.9% of body weight by week 68, while those who stayed on Wegovy lost a further 7.9%.1
Side effects rise with these doses. In the weight trials, 73% on Wegovy had a stomach or bowel side effect vs 47% on placebo, mostly during dose increases.1 Altered skin sensation (dysesthesia) was reported by 22% on 7.2 mg, against 6% on 2.4 mg and 0.3% on placebo.1
Diabetes is not a Wegovy use
Wegovy is not FDA approved to treat type 2 diabetes or blood sugar; its indications are weight, cardiovascular risk and MASH.1 Adults with type 2 diabetes were studied for weight and lost less than adults without diabetes in STEP 1: -9.6% vs -3.4% on placebo over 68 weeks, while HbA1c fell 1.6 percentage points vs 0.4.1 The semaglutide brands for blood sugar control are Ozempic and Rybelsus, plus Ozempic tablets.56 The Wegovy label says using it with other semaglutide-containing products or with any other GLP-1 receptor agonist is not recommended.1
Semaglutide that is not Wegovy
A product named semaglutide is not Wegovy unless it is the approved product. Compounded semaglutide is not FDA approved and does not go through FDA review for safety, effectiveness and quality.8 FDA declared the national shortage of semaglutide injection products resolved on February 21, 2025.9 FDA says some semaglutide sold by compounders may be salt forms, such as semaglutide sodium and semaglutide acetate. It calls these different active ingredients from the one in approved drugs and knows of no lawful basis for compounding with them.8 On February 6, 2026, FDA said companies cannot claim in promotional materials that compounded products are generic versions of, or the same as, FDA-approved drugs.10 As of May 31, 2026, FDA had received 990 adverse event reports linked to compounded semaglutide.8
Which page to read next
Start with What is Wegovy? for the complete label, then Wegovy dosage and Wegovy side effects. Wegovy and weight loss covers the weight trials in more depth. The semaglutide profile covers the molecule in every brand. Related pairs: Ozempic vs Wegovy and Mounjaro vs Wegovy. For other pairings, go back to Compare GLP-1 medicines.
Frequently asked questions
What is the generic name for Wegovy?
Semaglutide. Wegovy injection and Wegovy tablets both contain it, and it is the same active ingredient found in Ozempic and Rybelsus.156 All of these are Novo Nordisk products, but each brand has its own label, doses and approved uses.156 Wegovy is the one approved for long-term weight reduction, for lowering the risk of major cardiovascular events in adults with established cardiovascular disease and obesity or overweight, and for MASH, a liver disease.1
Is there a diabetic version of Wegovy?
Wegovy itself is not approved to treat type 2 diabetes or blood sugar.1 Novo Nordisk's semaglutide brands for blood sugar control are Ozempic, a weekly injection of 0.25 to 2 mg, and the daily tablets Rybelsus and Ozempic tablets.56 Wegovy was studied for weight in adults with type 2 diabetes: over 68 weeks, weight changed -9.6% vs -3.4% on placebo, and HbA1c fell 1.6 percentage points vs 0.4.1
Does Wegovy contain more semaglutide than Ozempic?
Its doses are higher. Wegovy's recommended weekly maintenance dose is 2.4 mg, and adults who tolerate it for at least 4 weeks may go up to 7.2 mg when more weight reduction is clinically indicated, while Ozempic tops out at 2 mg a week.15 Wegovy tablets reach 25 mg a day, against 14 mg for Rybelsus.16 The molecule is the same; the label, dose range and approved uses differ, and the prescriber sets the dose.
Is compounded semaglutide the same as Wegovy?
No. Compounded semaglutide is not FDA approved and does not go through FDA review for safety, effectiveness and quality.8 FDA says some semaglutide sold by compounders may be salt forms, such as semaglutide sodium and semaglutide acetate, which are different active ingredients from the one in approved drugs.8 In February 2026, FDA said companies cannot claim in promotional materials that compounded products are generic versions of, or the same as, FDA-approved drugs.10
Can Wegovy be used with other semaglutide products?
The label advises against it: using Wegovy with other semaglutide-containing products or with any other GLP-1 receptor agonist is not recommended.1 The label does allow a switch between its own forms: people on the 2.4 mg injection may start 25 mg tablets one week after the last injection, and people on 25 mg tablets may start the 2.4 mg injection the day after the last tablet.1 The prescriber decides on any switch.
Who makes semaglutide?
In the US, Novo Nordisk holds the FDA approvals for Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy.7623 FDA approved its first semaglutide product, Ozempic injection, on December 5, 2017.7 Rybelsus tablets have been marketed since September 2019 and now share a label with Ozempic tablets.6 Wegovy injection was approved on June 4, 2021,2 and Wegovy tablets on December 22, 2025, under a separate application.3
Written by D2C Peptides Editorial Team.
Pending qualified review.
Updated .
Sources
- WEGOVY (semaglutide) injection and WEGOVY (semaglutide) tablets: Full Prescribing Information, Medication Guide and Instructions for Use (revised 06/2026). U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Novo Nordisk labeling), 2026.
- Drugs@FDA: NDA 215256 (WEGOVY) product list and approval history. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026.
- Drugs@FDA: NDA 218316 (WEGOVY tablets) product list and approval history. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026.
- FDA Approves First Treatment to Reduce Risk of Serious Heart Problems Specifically in Adults with Obesity or Overweight. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (news release), 2024.
- OZEMPIC (semaglutide) injection, solution: prescribing information, Medication Guide and Instructions for Use (Revised 5/2026, SPL version 20). U.S. National Library of Medicine, DailyMed (label from Novo Nordisk), 2026.
- OZEMPIC (oral semaglutide) tablet; RYBELSUS (oral semaglutide) tablet: prescribing information (Revised 1/2026). U.S. National Library of Medicine, DailyMed (label from Novo Nordisk), 2026.
- Drugs@FDA: NDA 209637 OZEMPIC product and approval history. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026.
- FDA's Concerns with Unapproved GLP-1 Drugs Used for Weight Loss (content current as of 10/01/2026). U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026.
- FDA clarifies policies for compounders as national GLP-1 supply begins to stabilize. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2025.
- FDA Intends to Take Action Against Non-FDA-Approved GLP-1 Drugs (FDA Statement, February 6, 2026). U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026.