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Dosage information

Semaglutide dosage

Semaglutide dosage is set by a prescriber from the FDA labels: weekly injections start at 0.25 mg and rise in steps of at least 4 weeks, and daily tablets start at 1.5 mg or 3 mg.123 No dose is approved for research-labeled semaglutide vials, which have no approved application.4 This page reports published schedules, not advice.

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.

Who sets the dose

Every approved semaglutide product is prescription only, so the dose is chosen and adjusted by the prescriber for each patient.121367 The schedules below are the published starting points on the FDA labels, plus the doses tested in major trials. They are reference information, not instructions.

Weekly injection schedules

Product and use Start Step-ups Maintenance Highest dose
Ozempic injection, type 2 diabetes1 0.25 mg once weekly for 4 weeks 0.5 mg, then 1 mg and 2 mg if more glucose control is needed, each after at least 4 weeks 0.5 mg to 2 mg; 1 mg for chronic kidney disease 2 mg once weekly
Wegovy injection, weight, heart risk or MASH2 0.25 mg once weekly for 4 weeks 0.5 mg, 1 mg and 1.7 mg, each for 4 weeks 2.4 mg or 1.7 mg from week 17; 2.4 mg for MASH 7.2 mg for adult weight reduction, after at least 4 weeks on 2.4 mg

Both labels raise the dose gradually to reduce gastrointestinal side effects.12 The Ozempic label says to inject once weekly on the same day each week, at any time of day, with or without meals.10 Ozempic pens deliver 0.25, 0.5, 1 or 2 mg per dose, and single-dose prefilled syringes come in 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg.1214

Daily tablet schedules

Product and use Days 1 to 30 Next step Later dose
Wegovy tablets, weight and heart risk2 1.5 mg once daily 4 mg on days 31 to 60, then 9 mg on days 61 to 90 25 mg once daily from day 91 (maintenance)
Rybelsus, type 2 diabetes3 3 mg once daily, a starting dose not effective for glucose control 7 mg once daily on days 31 to 60 14 mg once daily from day 61 if more glucose control is needed
Ozempic tablets, type 2 diabetes15 1.5 mg once daily, a starting dose not effective for glucose control 4 mg once daily on days 31 to 60 9 mg once daily from day 61 if more glucose control is needed

Each tablet is taken on an empty stomach in the morning with up to 4 ounces of plain water, and food, drinks and other oral medicines wait at least 30 minutes.83 Switching between Rybelsus and Ozempic tablets is allowed only after the first 30 days, with Rybelsus 7 mg and 14 mg matching Ozempic tablets 4 mg and 9 mg.315

Tablet and injection doses compared

About 89% of an injected dose reaches the bloodstream, against roughly 1% to 2% of a tablet dose.9 Approved tablet doses go up to 25 mg a day, while weekly injected doses run from 0.25 mg to 7.2 mg.2

How long a dose stays in the body

Semaglutide has an elimination half-life of about 1 week.16 It remains in the circulation for about 5 to 7 weeks after the last 2.4 mg or 7.2 mg injection or 25 mg tablet.16 Because of that long washout, the labels say to stop it at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy.1718

Doses tested in major trials

Trial Who took part Dose Length
STEP 111 1,961 adults with obesity or overweight and no diabetes 2.4 mg once weekly 68 weeks
SUSTAIN-619 3,297 people with type 2 diabetes 0.5 or 1.0 mg once weekly 104 weeks
FLOW20 3,533 people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease 1.0 mg once weekly Median follow-up of 3.4 years
ESSENCE21 800 people with MASH and stage 2 or 3 fibrosis (interim analysis) 2.4 mg once weekly 72 weeks
SURMOUNT-522 751 adults with obesity and no type 2 diabetes, randomized to semaglutide or tirzepatide (open label) Maximum tolerated dose, 1.7 or 2.4 mg once weekly 72 weeks

These doses describe what the trials tested, not a schedule to follow.

No approved dose for research vials

No dose is approved for research-labeled semaglutide vials: FDA treats such products, when intended for human use, as unapproved new drugs with no approved application.423 FDA has linked patients' self-measured doses from compounded semaglutide vials to overdoses of five to 20 times the intended amount, including errors from confusion between milliliters, milligrams and units.5 Concentration math for lab handling is on How to reconstitute Semaglutide.

Back to What is Semaglutide?. The side effects that shape these schedules are on Semaglutide side effects, and results at these doses are on Semaglutide benefits and uses. For the wider class, see GLP-1 dosage and Peptide dosage basics.

More on Semaglutide

  • Semaglutide side effects

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

  • Semaglutide benefits and uses

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

  • How to reconstitute Semaglutide

    How Semaglutide is reconstituted, the supplies used, and the calculator, step by step. Sourced and reviewed.

Frequently asked questions

How much semaglutide peptide should I take?

No page here can give a personal dose. The only established doses are on the FDA labels for the approved products.12 Ozempic and Wegovy injections start at 0.25 mg once weekly and are raised gradually by a prescriber.12 Research-labeled vials have no approved dose, and FDA has linked patients' self-measured doses from compounded semaglutide vials to overdoses of five to 20 times the intended amount.45

Can you get semaglutide in a tablet?

Yes, with a prescription. Rybelsus (3, 7 and 14 mg) and Ozempic tablets (1.5, 4 and 9 mg) are once-daily tablets for type 2 diabetes.36 FDA approved Wegovy tablets (1.5 to 25 mg) on December 22, 2025, for weight reduction and heart risk reduction.72 Tablets are taken on an empty stomach with up to 4 ounces of water, and only about 1% to 2% of an oral dose reaches the bloodstream.389

What happens if you miss a dose of semaglutide?

For the weekly injection, the Ozempic label says a missed dose should be given as soon as possible within 5 days. If more than 5 days have passed, the missed dose is skipped and the next one is taken on the regular day.10 The weekly dose can be taken at any time of day, with or without food.10 Questions about a specific missed dose go to the prescriber or pharmacist.

Why is the semaglutide dose increased slowly?

The labels raise the dose in steps of at least 4 weeks specifically to lower the risk of gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea and vomiting.12 Those effects stay common even with gradual increases: in STEP 1, gastrointestinal events led 4.5% of people on semaglutide to stop treatment, compared with 0.8% on placebo.11 For Wegovy injection, the maintenance dose is reached only in week 17.2

Written by D2C Peptides Editorial Team.

Pending qualified review.

Updated .

Sources

  1. OZEMPIC (semaglutide) injection prescribing information, section 2 Dosage and Administration. DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine (Novo Nordisk label, revised 5/2026), 2026.
  2. WEGOVY (semaglutide) injection and tablets prescribing information, section 2 Dosage and Administration. DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine (Novo Nordisk label, revised 6/2026), 2026.
  3. OZEMPIC (semaglutide) tablets and RYBELSUS (semaglutide) tablets prescribing information, Dosage and Administration. DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine (Novo Nordisk label, revised 1/2026), 2026.
  4. Warning Letter: Xcel Research LLC (MARCS-CMS 694608), December 10, 2024. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2024.
  5. FDA alerts health care providers, compounders and patients of dosing errors associated with compounded injectable semaglutide products. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (content current as of 07/26/2024), 2024.
  6. Drugs@FDA: OZEMPIC tablets and RYBELSUS, NDA 213051. U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
  7. Drugs@FDA: WEGOVY tablets, NDA 218316. U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
  8. Same source as 2: WEGOVY (semaglutide) prescribing information, section 2.1 tablet administration.
  9. Same source as 2: WEGOVY (semaglutide) prescribing information, section 12.3 Pharmacokinetics (absorption).
  10. Same source as 1: Patient Counseling and Medication Guide.
  11. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity (STEP 1; Wilding et al.), PubMed abstract PMID 33567185. New England Journal of Medicine (abstract via NLM PubMed E-utilities), 2021.
  12. Drugs@FDA: OZEMPIC, NDA 209637. U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
  13. Drugs@FDA: WEGOVY, WEGOVY FLEXTOUCH, WEGOVY HD, NDA 215256. U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
  14. Same source as 1: Dosage Forms and Strengths; How Supplied.
  15. Same source as 3: Ozempic tablet dosing and adverse reactions.
  16. Same source as 2: WEGOVY (semaglutide) prescribing information, section 12.3 Pharmacokinetics (elimination).
  17. Same source as 2: WEGOVY (semaglutide) prescribing information, Highlights: Use in Specific Populations; Warnings (acute kidney injury).
  18. Same source as 1: Warnings (pancreatitis, hypoglycemia) and Use in Specific Populations.
  19. Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (SUSTAIN-6; Marso et al.), PubMed abstract PMID 27633186. New England Journal of Medicine (abstract via NLM PubMed E-utilities), 2016.
  20. Effects of Semaglutide on Chronic Kidney Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (FLOW; Perkovic et al.), PubMed abstract PMID 38785209. New England Journal of Medicine (abstract via NLM PubMed E-utilities), 2024.
  21. Phase 3 Trial of Semaglutide in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (ESSENCE; Sanyal et al.), PubMed abstract PMID 40305708. New England Journal of Medicine (abstract via NLM PubMed E-utilities), 2025.
  22. Tirzepatide as Compared with Semaglutide for the Treatment of Obesity (SURMOUNT-5; Aronne et al.), PubMed abstract PMID 40353578. New England Journal of Medicine (abstract via NLM PubMed E-utilities), 2025.
  23. Warning Letter: USApeptide.com (MARCS-CMS 696885), February 26, 2025. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2025.