Description

What is Wegovy?

Wegovy is used to help with weight loss and maintain weight loss long-term in patients with obesity or who are overweight and have weight-related medical problems. Wegovy works by reducing appetite and slowing the gut down, so you eat less, which results in weight loss and helps with weight management. Wegovy is also used to reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular death in adults with cardiovascular disease who are obese or overweight.

Wegovy is a prescription medicine given as an injection once a week, given under the skin. This medicine should be used together with a decreased-calorie meal plan and increased physical activity to help with weight management.

Wegovy is now approved for a serious liver condition called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), without cirrhosis of the liver, to help resolve MASH with no worsening of liver scarring, or help improve liver scarring and no worsening of MASH.

Wegovy contains semaglutide, which is the same active ingredient in Ozempic and Rybelsus; therefore, these products should not be used together. Ozempic (subcutaneous weekly injection) and Rybelsus (once-a-day tablet) are used to lower blood sugar levels for type 2 diabetic patients. Ozempic is also used to lower the risk of major cardiovascular events for some type 2 diabetic patients.

How does Wegovy work?

Wegovy is a man-made version of GLP-1, a naturally occurring hormone in the body that acts in several areas in the brain to regulate food intake. When Wegovy activates the GLP-1 receptors in the brain, this lowers appetite and slows how quickly the stomach empties, so you feel fuller for longer and eat less, which leads to weight loss. Wegovy (semaglutide) mechanism of action (MOA) is a GLP-1 receptor agonist.

Who can use Wegovy?

Wegovy is an anti-obesity medicine that is FDA-approved to:

Reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction long-term in:

• adults and patients over 12 years old with obesity, or
• adults who are overweight and have a weight-related medical problem (e.g., blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol).

 Reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events such as cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke in:

• adults with established cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight

Treatment of noncirrhotic metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), formerly known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in:

• Patients with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis (consistent with stages F2 to F3 fibrosis) in adults.
• This is an accelerated approval based on the improvement of MASH and fibrosis. Continued approval for this indication is dependent on confirmation of clinical benefit in a clinical trial.

This injection should be used in addition to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.

What is the cost of Wegovy?

The Wegovy cost may be $0 for a one-month supply with insurance, but with no insurance, Wegovy can cost $199 for the first two months, then $349 per month for cash-paying patients. The Wegovy cost varies depending on your insurance, the pharmacy you use, and whether you have coupons, a savings card plan, or patient assistance.

Wegovy cost with insurance

The Wegovy cost with insurance may be $0 for a 28-day supply for up to 13 fills if you use the Wegovy coupon or savings card program. The Wegovy coupon or savings card program is called WeGo Together by Novo Nordisk. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you qualify, or check the Novo Nordisk terms and conditions.

Wegovy cost without insurance

Wegovy cost without insurance for new self-pay patients is $199 per month for the first two months of treatment (0.25 mg and 0.5 mg doses). The standard Wegovy cost without insurance is $349 per month. These prices are for authentic, FDA-approved Wegovy supplied from wegovy.com, NovoCare Pharmacy, and other participating organizations.Prices without insurance will vary depending on the pharmacy and any discounts or patient assistance programs you use. Wegovy list price is $1,349.02/package. This is the original price set by the manufacturer before discounts or rebates are used, and most people do not pay the list price. Refer to our Wegovy price guide page for more information about costs, coupons, copay cards, and patient assistance. These are the current prices as of November 18, 2025.

Wegovy side effects

Common Wegovy side effects

Common Wegovy side effects in adults may include:

• nausea (44%)
• diarrhea (30%)
• vomiting (24%)
• constipation (24%)
• stomach pain (20%)
• headache (14%)
• tiredness (11%)
• Indigestion (9%)
• bloating (7%)
• burping (7%)
• low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes (6%)
• gas or flatulence (6%)
• gastroenteritis (6%)
• heartburn (5%)

These side effects occurred in 5% or more of obese or overweight adult patients using Wegovy 2.4mg in clinical trials. They usually subside within a few weeks of starting treatment or a few weeks after your dose increases.  These Wegovy side effects are usually mild and temporary and most likely will not interfere with long-term treatment. Some Wegovy patients (16%) stopped treatment due to side effects compared to 8% of placebo-treated patients in clinical trials.