Key facts
- The FDA label lists four once-daily tablet strengths: 1.5, 4, 9 and 25 mg of semaglutide, each in a bottle of 30.[1][2]
- The label’s chart: 1.5 mg on days 1 to 30, 4 mg on days 31 to 60, 9 mg on days 61 to 90, and 25 mg from day 91 as the maintenance dose.[1]
- Take one tablet each morning on an empty stomach with up to 4 ounces of water, then wait at least 30 minutes before food, drinks or other oral medicines.[1]
- A missed tablet is skipped; the next dose is taken the following day.[1]
- The pill dose is higher than the 2.4 mg shot because only about 1% to 2% of oral semaglutide is absorbed, against 89% after injection.[1]
Wegovy Pill Dosage Chart
The FDA label starts the Wegovy pill at 1.5 mg once daily for days 1 to 30, then 4 mg for days 31 to 60 and 9 mg for days 61 to 90, and sets 25 mg once daily from day 91 as the maintenance dose.[1]
| Phase | Days | Once-daily tablet dose |
|---|---|---|
| Starting dose | 1 to 30 | 1.5 mg[1] |
| Dose escalation | 31 to 60 | 4 mg[1] |
| Dose escalation | 61 to 90 | 9 mg[1] |
| Maintenance dose | 91 onward | 25 mg[1] |
- Why it starts low. The label says to follow this escalation to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal adverse reactions.[1]
- 30-day steps. The label’s highlights describe titrating every 30 days to reach the maintenance dose.[1] Novo’s patient page says the prescriber will increase the dose every 30 days, as tolerated, until the 25 mg maximum is reached.[3]
- Slower is allowed. If a dose is not tolerated during escalation, the label says to consider delaying the next step.[1]
Wegovy Pill Doses and Tablet Strengths
Wegovy tablets come in four strengths, 1.5 mg, 4 mg, 9 mg and 25 mg, each supplied as a bottle of 30 tablets.[1][2]
| Strength | Appearance | Debossing | Pack |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 mg | White to light yellow, round | "1.5" / "novo" | Bottle of 30[1] |
| 4 mg | White to light yellow, round | "4" / "novo" | Bottle of 30[1] |
| 9 mg | White to light yellow, round | "9" / "novo" | Bottle of 30[1] |
| 25 mg | White to light yellow, oval | "25" / "novo" | Bottle of 30[1] |
FDA approved Wegovy tablets on 22 December 2025 under NDA 218316.[2] Each tablet also contains salcaprozate sodium (SNAC), an absorption enhancer, and magnesium stearate.[1] The label says to store the tablets at 20 to 25 °C (68 to 77 °F) in the original bottle, to protect them from moisture.[1] For what the pill is and who it is approved for, see the Wegovy pill guide; for what each strength costs, see Wegovy pill price.
Wegovy Pill Maintenance Dose: 25 mg
The label’s maintenance dose is 25 mg once daily, reached from day 91, and no more than one tablet should be taken per day.[1]
- One maintenance dose. The label names 25 mg as the recommended maintenance dosage for both weight reduction and cardiovascular risk reduction in adults.[1]
- One tablet a day. The label says not to take more than one tablet per day, so 25 mg is reached with a single 25 mg tablet, not by combining smaller ones.[1]
- Full effect at 25 mg. Novo’s patient page says the full treatment effect is usually seen at the 25 mg maintenance dose.[3]
- The trial dose. In OASIS 4 (Study 7 in the label), tablets were escalated to 25 mg over 12 weeks, then held at 25 mg for a 52-week maintenance period.[1]
FDA label Table 11, intention-to-treat. The NEJM paper reports -13.6% vs -2.2% for placebo.
In that trial, 307 adults without diabetes were randomised 2:1, and 59.8% of those on 25 mg lost at least 10% of body weight against 14.4% on placebo.[1][4] For nausea and other effects at each dose, see Wegovy pill side effects.
Why Is the Wegovy Pill 25 mg When the Shot Is 2.4 mg?
The label estimates that only about 1% to 2% of semaglutide is absorbed from the tablet, against 89% after an injection under the skin, so the daily pill dose is much larger than the weekly 2.4 mg shot.[1]
| Measure | Wegovy pill 25 mg daily | Wegovy injection 2.4 mg weekly |
|---|---|---|
| Absolute bioavailability | About 1% to 2%[1] | 89%[1] |
| Where absorbed | Mainly in the stomach, helped by SNAC[1] | Under the skin[1] |
| Blood levels, no type 2 diabetes | Predicted to be comparable to 2.4 mg weekly, with more variation between people[1] | Comparable to the 25 mg tablet[1] |
| Blood levels, type 2 diabetes | About 44 nmol/L[1] | About 68 nmol/L[1] |
- Wider spread on the pill. In people without type 2 diabetes, 90% had average levels between 27 and 186 nmol/L on the 25 mg tablet, against 51 to 110 nmol/L on the 2.4 mg injection.[1]
- Type 2 diabetes. The label says Wegovy tablets have not been studied for weight reduction in adults with type 2 diabetes, and that levels on 25 mg tablets were lower than on the 2.4 mg injection in that group.[1]
- Fast peak, long half-life. Levels peak about 1 hour after a tablet. Semaglutide’s elimination half-life is about 1 week, so it stays in the circulation for about 5 to 7 weeks after the last 25 mg oral dose.[1]
- Why SNAC matters. Novo’s patient page says that without SNAC almost none of the medicine would be absorbed from the pill.[3]
How to Take the Wegovy Pill: Empty Stomach, Water and the 30-Minute Wait
The label says to take one tablet each morning on an empty stomach with up to 4 ounces of plain water, swallowed whole, then wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other oral medicines.[1]
| Rule | What the label lists |
|---|---|
| When | Once daily, in the morning, on an empty stomach[1] |
| Water | Up to 4 ounces; no other liquids besides water[1] |
| Swallowing | Whole; do not split, crush, chew or dissolve in any solution[1] |
| Wait afterwards | At least 30 minutes before food, drinks or other oral medicines[1] |
| Tablets per day | No more than one[1] |
| Diet and activity | Used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity[1] |
These rules follow from the absorption studies on the label. With an 8-hour overnight fast, absorption was higher with 50 mL of water than with 240 mL, and in a 10-day study absorption was higher after a longer fast following the dose (15, 30, 60 or 120 minutes were tested). There was no clinically significant difference between 50 mL and 120 mL of water.[1] Novo’s patient page suggests taking the pill right on waking with a sip of water and waiting 30 minutes before drinks such as coffee.[3] This is the main practical difference from Foundayo, which the label allows with or without food; see Foundayo vs Wegovy pill.
What If You Miss a Wegovy Pill Dose?
The label says to skip a missed tablet and take the next dose the following day, and Novo’s patient page adds not to take two pills at once to make up for it.[1][3]
| Situation | What the source lists |
|---|---|
| One tablet missed | Skip it; take the next dose the following day[1] |
| Making up a dose | Do not take two pills at once[3] |
| Too much taken | Effects seen with GLP-1 overdoses include severe nausea, severe vomiting and severe low blood sugar; the label names the Poison Help line (1-800-222-1222)[1] |
For the weekly injection, the label says to restart escalation at a lower dose after 2 or more missed weeks in a row. The tablet section gives no comparable restart rule for several missed days, so that decision sits with the prescriber.[1]
Can You Stay on a Lower Dose of the Wegovy Pill?
The label lists 25 mg as the only maintenance dose, but says to consider delaying escalation if a dose is not tolerated, and Novo’s patient page says a prescriber may keep someone on one dose for longer than 30 days.[1][3]
- No lower maintenance tablet dose on the label. The 1.5, 4 and 9 mg tablets appear in the label as starting and escalation doses, not as maintenance options.[1]
- Delaying is allowed. “If patients do not tolerate a dose during dosage escalation, consider delaying dosage escalation.”[1]
- If 25 mg is not tolerated. The label’s next step is to consider switching to Wegovy injection 1.7 mg once weekly, not to a lower tablet.[1]
- Prescriber’s pace. Novo’s page says to increase the dose only when the healthcare professional directs, and that side effects may be more noticeable when first starting a new dose.[3]
Switching From the Wegovy Injection to the Pill
The label lets adults on Wegovy 2.4 mg injection switch to 25 mg tablets, starting the 25 mg tablet once daily one week after the last injection, with no re-escalation through 1.5, 4 and 9 mg.[1]
| Switch | What the label lists |
|---|---|
| 2.4 mg injection to tablets | One week after stopping the 2.4 mg injection, start 25 mg tablets once daily[1] |
| 25 mg tablets to injection | The day after stopping 25 mg tablets, start 2.4 mg injection once weekly[1] |
| 25 mg tablets not tolerated | Consider switching to the 1.7 mg injection[1] |
| Type 2 diabetes, more weight loss needed on 25 mg tablets | Consider switching to the 1.7 mg injection and follow the injection escalation schedule[1] |
The label describes the switch only between the 2.4 mg injection and the 25 mg tablet. It does not give a conversion for other injection doses, and it says not to combine Wegovy with other semaglutide products or other GLP-1 receptor agonists.[1] For the older diabetes tablet with the same molecule, see what is Rybelsus; for all approved pills, see GLP-1 pills.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the doses of Wegovy pill?
The FDA label lists four once-daily tablet doses: 1.5 mg, 4 mg, 9 mg and 25 mg. The first three are starting and escalation doses, and 25 mg is the maintenance dose. Each strength comes in a bottle of 30 tablets.
What is the Wegovy pill dosage chart?
From label Table 2: 1.5 mg once daily on days 1 to 30, 4 mg on days 31 to 60, 9 mg on days 61 to 90, and 25 mg from day 91 onward. The label says to consider delaying a step if a dose is not tolerated.
What is the Wegovy beginner dose?
The label’s starting dose is 1.5 mg once daily for 30 days. The label says the escalation from 1.5 mg is there to reduce the risk of stomach and gut side effects, and it does not list 1.5 mg as a maintenance dose.
What is Wegovy pill 1.5 mg used for?
The 1.5 mg tablet is the starting dose on the FDA label, taken on days 1 to 30 before stepping up to 4 mg. The label does not list 1.5 mg as a maintenance dose.
Can I stay on low dose of Wegovy pill?
The label names only 25 mg as the maintenance dose. It says to consider delaying escalation if a dose is not tolerated, and Novo’s patient page says a prescriber may keep someone on one dose for longer than 30 days. If 25 mg is not tolerated, the label suggests considering the 1.7 mg weekly injection. Any change is the prescriber’s decision.
How does oral Wegovy dosing work?
One tablet each morning on an empty stomach with up to 4 ounces of plain water, swallowed whole, then at least 30 minutes before food, drinks or other oral medicines. The dose goes up every 30 days from 1.5 mg to 25 mg.
What happens if I miss a Wegovy pill?
The label says to skip the missed dose and take the next one the following day. Novo’s patient page says not to take two pills at once to make up for it.
Can I switch from Wegovy injection to the pill?
Yes, per the label, from the 2.4 mg injection. The 25 mg tablet is started once daily one week after the last 2.4 mg injection. Switching back, the 2.4 mg injection starts the day after the last 25 mg tablet.
Sources
- FDA. WEGOVY (semaglutide) injection and tablets prescribing information and Medication Guide, revised 06/2026 (NDA 218316, supplement 7)
- FDA. Drugs@FDA, NDA 218316 (Wegovy tablets) products and approval history, checked 8 Nov 2026
- Novo Nordisk, Taking Wegovy pill (page code US26SEMO01787 October 2026, checked 8 Nov 2026)
- Wharton S, et al. Oral semaglutide at a dose of 25 mg in adults with overweight or obesity (OASIS 4). N Engl J Med 2025;393(11):1077-1087. DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa2500969
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