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Dosage information

GLP-1 dosage

GLP-1 dosage is set by each product's FDA label and adjusted by the prescriber for each patient.12 Every label starts low and steps up to limit stomach side effects.34 Steps usually come every 4 weeks for weekly injections and every 30 days for daily tablets.14 Retatrutide, which is not approved, has study doses only.13 Research-labeled vials have no label dose.5

This page summarizes published sources for information only. It is not medical advice and does not tell anyone to use a product. Questions about your own health belong with a licensed clinician. For questions about an order or a product, contact us.

How the labels set the dose

Every GLP-1 label starts at a low dose and raises it in steps.34 The labels say the slow climb is there to reduce stomach and bowel side effects.34 The prescriber then picks a maintenance dose from the label's options, based on response and tolerability.42 Weekly injections are given on the same day each week, at any time of day, with or without food.37

GLP-1 dosage for weight loss on the FDA labels

Five GLP-1 products carry FDA weight-reduction labels.1264 The schedules below are the labels' own. The prescriber decides each step and the maintenance dose for a given patient.

Product Form Label schedule Maintenance or maximum
Wegovy (semaglutide) Weekly injection 0.25 mg in weeks 1 to 4, then 0.5 mg, 1 mg and 1.7 mg, each for 4 weeks1 2.4 mg (or 1.7 mg) from week 17; adults may go up to 7.2 mg after at least 4 weeks on 2.4 mg1
Wegovy tablets (semaglutide) Daily tablet 1.5 mg on days 1 to 30, 4 mg on days 31 to 60, 9 mg on days 61 to 901 25 mg once daily from day 911
Zepbound (tirzepatide) Weekly injection 2.5 mg for 4 weeks as a starting dose only, then 5 mg, rising in 2.5 mg steps after at least 4 weeks2 5, 10 or 15 mg; maximum 15 mg2
Saxenda (liraglutide) Daily injection 0.6 mg a day in week 1, then 1.2, 1.8 and 2.4 mg in weeks 2 to 46 3 mg a day from week 56
Foundayo (orforglipron) Daily tablet 0.8 mg, then 2.5 mg and 5.5 mg, each after at least 30 days4 May step up to 9, 14.5 or 17.2 mg, each after at least 30 days, based on response and tolerability; maximum 17.2 mg4

For obstructive sleep apnea, the Zepbound maintenance dose is 10 or 15 mg weekly.2 Wegovy tablets are taken in the morning on an empty stomach with up to 4 ounces of water.1 Food, drinks and other oral medicines wait at least 30 minutes.1 Foundayo, by contrast, can be taken with or without food.4

Type 2 diabetes labels

Product Form Label schedule Maximum
Ozempic (semaglutide) Weekly injection 0.25 mg for 4 weeks, then 0.5 mg; 1 mg and then 2 mg if more control is needed, each after at least 4 weeks3 2 mg; 1 mg is the maintenance dose for chronic kidney disease3
Mounjaro (tirzepatide) Weekly injection 2.5 mg, rising in 2.5 mg steps after at least 4 weeks on each dose7 15 mg for adults; 10 mg for children 10 and older7
Rybelsus (semaglutide) Daily tablet 3 mg for 30 days, a starting dose that does not control blood sugar, then 7 mg8 14 mg if more control is needed8
Ozempic tablets (semaglutide) Daily tablet 1.5 mg for 30 days, then 4 mg8 9 mg if more control is needed8
Trulicity (dulaglutide) Weekly injection 0.75 mg, then 1.5 mg after 4 weeks, then 1.5 mg steps after at least 4 weeks each9 4.5 mg9
Victoza (liraglutide) Daily injection 0.6 mg a day for 1 week, then 1.2 mg10 1.8 mg a day10
Byetta (exenatide) Twice-daily injection 5 mcg twice daily before meals11 10 mcg twice daily after 1 month, based on clinical response11

The two semaglutide tablet brands are not interchangeable milligram for milligram.8

Retatrutide: study doses only

Retatrutide is not approved, and no dose is established for any person.135 The doses below were given once weekly by injection under the skin to screened adults in Lilly's trials.1415 They record what was studied, not a dose for anyone.1415

Trial People Weekly doses studied Length
Phase 2 338 adults with obesity or overweight 1, 4, 8 or 12 mg; the 12 mg group started at 2 mg14 48 weeks14
TRIUMPH-1 (phase 3) 2,339 adults with obesity, no diabetes 4, 9 or 12 mg15 80 weeks15
TRIUMPH-2 (phase 3) 1,152 adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes 4, 9 or 12 mg16 80 weeks16
TRANSCEND-T2D-1 (phase 3) 537 adults with type 2 diabetes 4, 9 or 12 mg17 40 weeks17

Label doses and unapproved products

The schedules above belong to the approved products. FDA says compounded GLP-1 drugs are not FDA approved, and that unapproved versions do not undergo its review for safety, effectiveness and quality.5 FDA counts products falsely labeled 'for research purposes' and sold for human use among those unapproved drugs.5 FDA also notes that a GLP-1 overdose can cause severe nausea, severe vomiting and severe low blood sugar.12 With semaglutide's half-life of about one week, observation and treatment may need to last a long time.12 FDA's reports of dosing errors with compounded vials are summarized on GLP-1 side effects.

Return to What is GLP-1? for the class overview, or see trial outcomes on GLP-1 benefits and uses. Product pages carry the full schedules: Wegovy dosage, Zepbound dosage, Ozempic dosage, Mounjaro dosage, Rybelsus dosage, semaglutide dosage, tirzepatide dosage and retatrutide dosage. How the pens are used is covered on Wegovy injection sites and pen use.

More on GLP-1

  • GLP-1 side effects

    Side effects of GLP-1 as reported in labels, trials and published studies, with links to the full profile. Reviewed by a qualified reviewer.

  • GLP-1 benefits and uses

    What published sources report about GLP-1 and its uses, with the evidence level of each finding. No promises.

Frequently asked questions

What is the GLP-1 dosage for weight loss?

It depends on the product, and the prescriber sets it. On the FDA labels, Wegovy injection steps up to 2.4 mg once weekly, with an option of 7.2 mg for adults.1 Zepbound settles at 5, 10 or 15 mg weekly.2 Saxenda reaches 3 mg a day, Wegovy tablets 25 mg a day and Foundayo up to 17.2 mg a day.614 Each one starts lower and climbs in steps.12

How much tirzepatide to start with?

Both tirzepatide labels start at 2.5 mg injected under the skin once weekly.72 The Zepbound label says 2.5 mg is a starting dose for 4 weeks, not a maintenance dose.2 After that, the dose rises in 2.5 mg steps, each after at least 4 weeks on the current dose, to a maximum of 15 mg.2 The prescriber decides each step.

What happens if a weekly GLP-1 dose is missed?

The labels set a time window. For Ozempic, a missed dose is taken as soon as possible within 5 days.3 After that it is skipped, and the next dose is taken on the usual day.3 For Mounjaro and Zepbound the window is 4 days (96 hours).72 Their weekly day can be changed if doses stay at least 3 days (72 hours) apart.72

Is there a dose for research-labeled GLP-1 vials?

No. Label doses belong to FDA-approved products, and FDA treats research-labeled GLP-1 products sold for human use as unapproved drugs.5 Retatrutide has no approved dose for any person, and Lilly says it cannot legally be sold or marketed for human use.13 FDA has also warned sellers whose research-labeled GLP-1 products went to consumers with dosing instructions.5

Written by D2C Peptides Editorial Team.

Pending qualified review.

Updated .

Sources

  1. WEGOVY (semaglutide) injection and tablets, prescribing information (revised 6/2026). U.S. National Library of Medicine, DailyMed (label by Novo Nordisk), 2026.
  2. ZEPBOUND (tirzepatide) injection, prescribing information (revised 8/2026). U.S. National Library of Medicine, DailyMed (label by Eli Lilly), 2026.
  3. OZEMPIC (semaglutide) injection, prescribing information (revised 5/2026). U.S. National Library of Medicine, DailyMed (label by Novo Nordisk), 2026.
  4. FOUNDAYO (orforglipron) tablets, prescribing information (revised 7/2026). U.S. National Library of Medicine, DailyMed (label by Eli Lilly), 2026.
  5. FDA's Concerns with Unapproved GLP-1 Drugs Used for Weight Loss. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026.
  6. SAXENDA (liraglutide) injection, prescribing information (revised 6/2026). U.S. National Library of Medicine, DailyMed (label by Novo Nordisk), 2026.
  7. MOUNJARO (tirzepatide) injection, prescribing information (revised 8/2026). U.S. National Library of Medicine, DailyMed (label by Eli Lilly), 2026.
  8. RYBELSUS and OZEMPIC (semaglutide) tablets, prescribing information (revised 1/2026). U.S. National Library of Medicine, DailyMed (label by Novo Nordisk), 2026.
  9. TRULICITY (dulaglutide) injection, prescribing information (revised 3/2026). U.S. National Library of Medicine, DailyMed (label by Eli Lilly), 2026.
  10. VICTOZA (liraglutide) injection, prescribing information (revised 10/2025). U.S. National Library of Medicine, DailyMed (label by Novo Nordisk), 2025.
  11. BYETTA (exenatide) injection, prescribing information (revised 9/2025). U.S. National Library of Medicine, DailyMed (label by AstraZeneca), 2025.
  12. FDA alerts health care providers, compounders and patients of dosing errors associated with compounded injectable semaglutide products. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2024.
  13. Is retatrutide available in the consumer market? (Lilly Medical answer, last reviewed August 4, 2026). Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly Medical), 2026.
  14. Triple-Hormone-Receptor Agonist Retatrutide for Obesity: A Phase 2 Trial. New England Journal of Medicine (PubMed record, National Library of Medicine), 2023.
  15. Retatrutide, a Triple Hormone Receptor Agonist, for Treatment of Obesity (TRIUMPH-1). New England Journal of Medicine (PubMed record, National Library of Medicine), 2026.
  16. Retatrutide in adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes (TRIUMPH-2): a double-blind, parallel-group, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. The Lancet (PubMed record, National Library of Medicine), 2026.
  17. Efficacy and safety of retatrutide, a GIP, GLP-1, and glucagon receptor agonist, in people with type 2 diabetes and inadequate glycaemic control with diet and exercise (TRANSCEND-T2D-1): a double-blind, randomised, phase 3 trial. The Lancet (PubMed record, National Library of Medicine), 2026.