Higher-dose Wegovy 7.2 mg approved in the UK and EU, and now in the US

Wegovy HD, a once-weekly injection of semaglutide 7.2 mg, is approved for adults with obesity in the United Kingdom and the European Union, and it received US Food and Drug Administration approval on March 19, 2026 ^[1]. Novo Nordisk, the drug's maker, said the higher dose is intended to reduce excess body weight and maintain weight loss long term in adults with obesity, or with overweight plus at least one weight-related condition ^[1].

Wegovy HD uses the same active ingredient as the Wegovy injections already sold in the US, which contain 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg of semaglutide ^[1]. Novo Nordisk describes it as an addition to the existing 2.4 mg product rather than a replacement ^[1].

What the trials showed

The FDA approval was based on the STEP UP trial program ^[1]. In the main STEP UP trial, about 1,400 adults with obesity received semaglutide 7.2 mg, semaglutide 2.4 mg or a placebo for 72 weeks along with lifestyle intervention ^[1].

People taking 7.2 mg lost an average of 20.7% of their body weight under the trial's main counting method, which estimates the effect if everyone stayed on treatment as planned ^[1]. Counting everyone who enrolled regardless of whether they stayed on treatment, average weight loss was 18.7% ^[1]. About one in three participants, or 31.2%, lost at least 25% of their body weight ^[1].

A second trial, STEP UP T2D, enrolled about 500 adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes and ran for 72 weeks ^[1]. Average weight loss at 7.2 mg was 14.1% under the main counting method and 13.2% counting all enrollees, and 21.3% of participants lost at least 20% of their body weight ^[1].

Novo Nordisk said the safety and tolerability profile seen with semaglutide 7.2 mg was comparable to that of earlier semaglutide trials for weight management ^[1].

An FDA fast-track voucher

The FDA approved Wegovy HD through a Commissioner's National Priority Voucher, part of a pilot program designed to speed review of products that address critical national health priorities ^[1]. Novo Nordisk said it is the first GLP-1 treatment approved under that program ^[1].

"Earlier this year, we launched the Wegovy pill, and with the accelerated approval of Wegovy HD, we are introducing a new offering for our injectable semaglutide that provides even greater weight loss of approximately 21%," said Mike Doustdar, president and CEO of Novo Nordisk ^[1].

Wegovy is also FDA-approved as a once-daily pill (semaglutide tablet 25 mg) and, at 2.4 mg, to lower the risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack or stroke in adults with heart disease and either obesity or overweight ^[1]. It is additionally approved for weight management in patients 12 and older, and for MASH in adults with moderate to advanced liver scarring, but not in those with cirrhosis ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

Adults with obesity in the US now have a third approved injectable semaglutide strength, alongside the 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg versions ^[1]. Patients in the UK and EU had access to the 7.2 mg dose before the US decision; the dose is approved there for adults with obesity, while a single-dose pen version is still under review in those markets ^[1].

The company's announcement did not give the dates of the UK and EU approvals, a US price for Wegovy HD, or details about insurance coverage, and those points have not been disclosed ^[1].

What happens next

Novo Nordisk expects to launch Wegovy HD in the US in April 2026 in a single-dose pen ^[1]. The company also expects regulatory decisions in the EU and the UK on semaglutide 7.2 mg in a single-dose pen in the second half of 2026 ^[1].