How often is semaglutide dosed?
FAQIn the STEP trials and the FDA-approved label, injectable semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic) is given as a once-weekly subcutaneous injection, escalated every 4 weeks from 0.25 mg to a 2.4 mg maintenance dose over 16 weeks. Oral semaglutide (Rybelsus) is a daily tablet instead. This reports the trial and label protocols, not a recommendation.
Once weekly by injection; daily as an oral tablet
Injectable semaglutide (Wegovy for weight management, Ozempic for type 2 diabetes) is administered once weekly by subcutaneous injection; its half-life is approximately 7 days, which supports the once-weekly interval. Oral semaglutide (Rybelsus, type 2 diabetes only) is taken once daily instead.
The Wegovy titration
The Wegovy weight-management schedule escalates the dose every 4 weeks over 16 weeks, all once weekly:
- Weeks 1–4: 0.25 mg once weekly.
- Weeks 5–8: 0.5 mg once weekly.
- Weeks 9–12: 1.0 mg once weekly.
- Weeks 13–16: 1.7 mg once weekly.
- Weeks 17+: 2.4 mg once weekly (maintenance).
Ozempic and oral Rybelsus
For type 2 diabetes, Ozempic tops out at 2.0 mg once weekly, escalating 0.25 → 0.5 → 1.0 → 2.0 mg with each step at least 4 weeks. Oral Rybelsus is taken once daily on an empty stomach at 3, 7, or 14 mg; its low oral bioavailability is why the tablet doses are larger than the injectable.
Why it titrates slowly
The stepwise increase is used to reduce gastrointestinal side effects; escalating faster was reported to raise side-effect rates without improving outcomes.
To convert a mg dose to syringe units and plan reconstitution, the Prof. Peptide dosage calculator.
- Injectable: once weekly, subcutaneous; oral Rybelsus: once daily.
- Wegovy titration: 0.25 → 0.5 → 1.0 → 1.7 → 2.4 mg every 4 weeks over 16 weeks.
- Ozempic max: 2.0 mg once weekly.
- Half-life ~7 days; steady state in ~4–5 weeks per dose level.
For other common questions regarding semaglutide, see the full Semaglutide profile.
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