The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Wegovy (semaglutide) injection at a dose of 2.4 mg once weekly for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related condition. It is specifically indicated for patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 27 kg/m² or greater who have at least one weight-related ailment or in patients with a BMI of 30 kg/m² or greater. Wegovy should be used in addition to a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity.

Wegovy works by mimicking a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that targets areas of the brain that regulate appetite and food intake. The medication dose must be increased gradually over 16 to 20 weeks to 2.4 mg once weekly to reduce gastrointestinal side effects.

Wegovy should not be used in combination with other semaglutide-containing products, other GLP-1 receptor agonists, or other products intended for weight loss, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, or herbal products. Wegovy has not been studied in patients with a history of pancreatitis.

The most common side effects of Wegovy include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, headache, fatigue, dyspepsia, dizziness, abdominal distension, eructation, hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes, flatulence, gastroenteritis and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

The prescribing information for Wegovy contains a boxed warning to inform healthcare professionals and patients about the potential risk of thyroid C-cell tumors. Wegovy should not be used in patients with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or in patients with a rare condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). 

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