Is Wegovy Semaglutide?

Wegovy contains semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist used at higher weekly doses for weight management. It helps reduce appetite and supports lower energy intake alongside everyday habits like balanced eating and movement.

What semaglutide actually is

Semaglutide is a medicine that mimics GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), a natural hormone in the body. GLP-1 plays a key role in appetite and metabolism: it slows the emptying of the stomach, enhances the release of insulin when blood sugar rises, and signals the brain to feel fuller sooner. By recreating these effects, semaglutide helps people eat less without the constant struggle against hunger.

How Wegovy uses semaglutide

Although semaglutide is also found in other medicines, Wegovy is the first licensed version in the UK specifically for weight management. It is given once a week using an injection pen, with doses gradually increased over 16 weeks until the full 2.4 mg maintenance dose is reached. NICE guidance highlights that this higher dose is what makes Wegovy effective for weight control, distinguishing it from diabetes doses of semaglutide used in Ozempic.

The results seen in clinical trials

The evidence supporting Wegovy is strong. In the STEP-1 trial, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, people taking semaglutide 2.4 mg lost on average about 15% of their body weight over 68 weeks, compared with about 2–3% in the placebo group who only received lifestyle support. The STEP-5 study confirmed these benefits could be maintained over two years. These results show that semaglutide, when used at the higher Wegovy dose, can deliver clinically meaningful and sustained weight reduction.

How it differs from other uses of semaglutide

Semaglutide is also the ingredient in Ozempic, which is prescribed at lower doses for type 2 diabetes, and in Rybelsus, an oral tablet version. These medicines help manage blood sugar and, as a side effect, often lead to some weight loss. But only Wegovy is formally approved in the UK for weight management at the higher weekly dose. This is why the pens, doses, and licensed indications are kept distinct, even though the active substance is the same.

Why lifestyle support is still important

NICE and NHS guidance both emphasise that Wegovy is not a standalone fix. It is always prescribed alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. This mirrors how the STEP trials were conducted — participants received lifestyle support as part of their treatment, which made the medicine more effective. In other words, semaglutide sets the stage for success, but long-term weight management still depends on sustainable habits.

Safety and tolerability

Like other GLP-1 receptor agonists, semaglutide can cause gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea, diarrhoea, or constipation, especially when doses are increased. Most people find these settle with time, and the gradual dose escalation is designed to improve tolerability. Safety monitoring also continues in real-world NHS use, with clinicians advising patients on how to manage symptoms and when to seek review.

Putting it all together

Yes, Wegovy is semaglutide — but it is semaglutide at a higher weekly dose, licensed specifically for weight management rather than diabetes. It works by mimicking a natural hormone that regulates appetite and blood sugar, leading to reduced food intake and meaningful, sustained weight loss in trials. While the active ingredient is shared across several medicines, Wegovy’s purpose and dosing are unique, and it remains the only semaglutide product formally approved in the UK for long-term weight control.