How long does it take to reach the maintenance dose of Wegovy?

At the fastest the label allows, week 17. Each step has to be held for its full interval before the next one, and a step can be repeated if the current dose is not tolerated — so the real answer is usually longer than the chart, never shorter.

← Wegovy (semaglutide injection)

Wegovy (semaglutide injection) dosage schedule

One injection a week. The FDA label below escalates it on a schedule, and the maintenance dose is 2.4 mg once weekly, or 1.7 mg, reached no earlier than week 17.

It takes 16 weeks to reach the recommended dose, which is why a provider's introductory rate covering the first month says little about the cost of the treatment.

When	Dose	What the label says about it
1–4	0.25 mg	Initiation.
5–8	0.5 mg	—
9–12	1 mg	—
13–16	1.7 mg	The last escalation step. From week 17 the label also allows 1.7 mg as the maintenance dose, instead of 2.4 mg.
17 and on	2.4 mg	The recommended maintenance dose. 1.7 mg is a maintenance dose in its own right on the label, which says to consider treatment response and tolerability when choosing between them — not only whether 2.4 mg is tolerated.
21 and on, optional	7.2 mg (Wegovy HD)	Weight reduction in adults only: after at least 4 weeks tolerated at 2.4 mg, and only if more weight reduction is clinically indicated. Not a dose for cardiovascular risk reduction; not established under 18 or in MASH.

Maximum dose: 7.2 mg once weekly (Wegovy HD) for weight reduction in adults; 2.4 mg for cardiovascular risk reduction, for ages 12 to 17 and for MASH. The label sets nothing above it.

Does the price change as the dose goes up?

NovoCare sells it direct at $199 a month for the first two fills for new patients through 31 December 2026, then $349 for the doses above, and $399 for Wegovy HD 7.2 mg. The $199 covers the first two fills only; from the third month the price is the $349 you live with.

halfrx records Wegovy (semaglutide injection) at $349/mo at the maintenance dose, verified 2026-09-22.

What happens if I miss a dose?

If one dose is missed and the next scheduled dose is more than 2 days away, take it as soon as possible; if it is less than 2 days away, skip it and resume on the usual day. If 2 or more consecutive doses are missed, the label says to restart escalation at a lower dose. Escalation may be held at a dose for another 4 weeks if it is not tolerated.

Side effects, from the same label →

No clinician has reviewed this page. Label and trial statements are quoted from the FDA label or the trial cited beside them. General guidance is marked as such, and every price carries the date it was verified. That is sourcing, not medical review. What we do and do not check · Who checked the price

Everything on Wegovy

Can you stay on a lower dose to save money?

The starting dose is cheaper, which is why the question gets asked. What it saves, what the label calls that dose, and whether the cheap rate belongs to the dose or only to the first fills.

What staying on the lower dose actually saves →

Questions

How long does it take to reach the maintenance dose of Wegovy?: At the fastest the label allows, week 17. Each step has to be held for its full interval before the next one, and a step can be repeated if the current dose is not tolerated — so the real answer is usually longer than the chart, never shorter.

Every dose and interval on this page is from FDA prescribing information for Wegovy (semaglutide) , the version published 2026-06-30. Nothing here is a recommendation: the dose you take is the one your prescriber sets, and the schedule is often slowed deliberately for tolerability.