Medication · US & Canada
Wegovy, explained
By Joshua Nichvolodoff · Fact-checked against sources November 2, 2026 · Next review due May 1, 2027
Clinical review: not yet reviewed by a clinician. How review works · Editorial policy
Wegovy is Novo Nordisk's semaglutide brand for weight management. In the US it comes as a weekly injection, a higher-dose weekly injection and a daily tablet; in Canada, the weekly injection is authorized[1][2][3].
Status in the US and Canada
| Item | United States | Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Weight management | Adults; children 12+ with obesity | Adults; adolescents 12 to under 18 |
| Heart risk (with established heart disease) | Heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death | Non-fatal heart attack only |
| MASH liver disease (F2–F3 fibrosis) | Yes (accelerated approval) | Yes (with conditions) |
| Wegovy tablets | Approved | Applied for (Dec 2025) |
What the US label says
The US injection label lists three uses: to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with established cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight; to reduce excess body weight and keep it off long term in adults and children 12 and older with obesity, and adults with overweight plus at least one weight-related condition; and noncirrhotic MASH with moderate to advanced fibrosis in adults — the last under accelerated approval[1].
Wegovy HD (7.2 mg)
The FDA approved semaglutide 7.2 mg on March 19, 2026 under its National Priority Voucher pilot. The FDA noted that altered skin sensation (dysesthesia) was more common at the higher dose and said it is investigating further[2].
Wegovy tablets
The FDA approved Wegovy tablets on December 22, 2025[5]. Novo Nordisk describes it as the first oral GLP-1 medicine for weight management in the US[7]. In Canada, Novo Nordisk applied to Health Canada in December 2025[6]; we found no authorization as of our last check. More on the pill: oral semaglutide.
The trials behind it
Weight-loss and heart-outcome trials, with results for both groups, design limits and funding.
Study: STEP 1[8]
Does weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg, with lifestyle support, lead to more weight loss than placebo in adults with obesity or overweight and no diabetes?
- Who was in it
- 1,961 adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with a weight-related condition, without diabetes
- What they got
- Semaglutide 2.4 mg injection once a week, plus lifestyle intervention
- Compared with
- Placebo, plus the same lifestyle intervention
- How long
- 68 weeks
- What happened
- Average body-weight change: −14.9% on semaglutide vs −2.4% on placebo. 4.5% vs 0.8% stopped treatment because of stomach-related side effects.
- Limits
- People with diabetes were excluded
- 68 weeks: no long-term or heart outcomes
- Did not test what happens after stopping
- Funded by
- Novo Nordisk
Summary by Joshua Nichvolodoff, from the published paper — not written by the study's authors. Clinical review: not yet reviewed by a clinician.
Study: SELECT[9]
Does semaglutide 2.4 mg reduce heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths in people with heart disease and overweight or obesity, without diabetes?
- Who was in it
- 17,604 adults aged 45 or older with established cardiovascular disease, BMI 27 or more, without diabetes
- What they got
- Semaglutide 2.4 mg injection once a week, on top of standard care
- Compared with
- Placebo, on top of standard care
- How long
- Average follow-up of 39.8 months
- What happened
- Heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death: 6.5% on semaglutide vs 8.0% on placebo. 16.6% vs 8.2% stopped treatment because of side effects.
- Relative effect
- Hazard ratio 0.80 (95% CI 0.72–0.90)
- Limits
- Only people who already had cardiovascular disease
- Many people stopped the study drug
- Funded by
- Novo Nordisk
Summary by Joshua Nichvolodoff, from the published paper — not written by the study's authors. Clinical review: not yet reviewed by a clinician.
Study: OASIS 4[10]
Does daily oral semaglutide 25 mg — the approved Wegovy pill dose — cause weight loss compared with placebo?
- Who was in it
- 307 adults without diabetes, BMI 30 or more, or 27 or more with an obesity-related complication
- What they got
- Oral semaglutide 25 mg once a day, with lifestyle intervention
- Compared with
- Placebo, with lifestyle intervention
- How long
- 64 weeks to the main results
- What happened
- Average weight change: −13.6% vs −2.2% on placebo. Stomach-related side effects: 74.0% vs 42.2%.
- Limits
- Small (307 people)
- People with diabetes were excluded
- No heart-outcome results of its own
- Funded by
- Novo Nordisk
Summary by Joshua Nichvolodoff, from the published paper — not written by the study's authors. Clinical review: not yet reviewed by a clinician.
Cost and generics
Canada authorized Sevmia, a generic referencing Wegovy, on June 29, 2026[11]. See Sevmia and Wegovy cost & coverage in the US.
General information, not medical advice. Which product and dose is right for you is a decision for you and your prescriber. Light Years earns nothing from any product named here.
Light Years draws this smoothed line from your own weigh-ins, on your device. Open my tracker or browse the other guides.
Sources
- WEGOVY (semaglutide) injection and WEGOVY tablets — prescribing information. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDALabel), June 2026. https://nctr-crs.fda.gov/fdalabel/services/spl/set-ids/ee06186f-2aa3-4990-a760-757579d8f77b/spl-doc. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
- FDA approves fourth product under national priority voucher program, higher dose of Wegovy. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, March 19, 2026. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-fourth-product-under-national-priority-voucher-program-higher-dose-semaglutide. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
- WEGOVY (semaglutide injection) product monograph (authorized December 10, 2025). Health Canada Drug Product Database / Novo Nordisk Canada, December 10, 2025. https://pdf.hres.ca/dpd_pm/00082777.PDF. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
- FDA approves first treatment to reduce risk of serious heart problems specifically in adults with obesity or overweight. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, March 8, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-treatment-reduce-risk-serious-heart-problems-specifically-adults-obesity-or. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
- NDA 218316 approval letter — Wegovy (semaglutide) tablets. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, December 22, 2025. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/appletter/2025/218316Orig1s000ltr.pdf. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
- Wegovy weight-loss pill and Canada. Global News, December 24, 2025. https://globalnews.ca/news/11590292/wegovy-weight-loss-pill-canada. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
- FDA approves oral Wegovy pill. Novo Nordisk Inc., December 22, 2025. https://www.novonordisk-us.com/media/press-releases/wegovy-pill-fda-approval-obesity.html. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
- Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity (STEP 1). New England Journal of Medicine, March 18, 2021. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33567185/ · DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa2032183 · PMID 33567185. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
- Semaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in obesity without diabetes (SELECT). New England Journal of Medicine, December 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37952131/ · DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa2307563 · PMID 37952131. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
- Oral semaglutide at a dose of 25 mg in adults with overweight or obesity (OASIS 4). New England Journal of Medicine, September 18, 2025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40934115/ · DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa2500969 · PMID 40934115. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
- Canada approves first generic semaglutide for weight loss. Health Canada, June 29, 2026. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2026/06/canada-approves-first-generic-semaglutide-for-weight-loss.html. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
Figures marked “as reported” are historical: they show what the source said on that date, not today's price or rule.
Changes to this page
- — First published.
Substantive corrections are also logged at corrections.