Wegovy is a medicine for weight loss and weight maintenance that contains the active substance semaglutide. It is similar to a natural hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that is released from the intestine after a meal. wegovy works by acting on receptors in the brain that control your appetite, causing you to feel fuller and less hungry and experience less craving for food. This will help you eat less food and reduce your body weight. wegovy should be used with a reduced calorie meal plan and increased physical activity.
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WEGOVY®?
Wegovy® may cause serious side effects, including:
- Possible thyroid tumors, including cancer. Tell your healthcare provider if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath. These may be symptoms of thyroid cancer. In studies with rodents, Wegovy® and medicines that work like Wegovy® caused thyroid tumors, including thyroid cancer. It is not known if Wegovy® will cause thyroid tumors or a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in people
- Do not use Wegovy® if you or any of your family have ever had a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2)
- you or any of your family have ever had a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2)
- you have had a serious allergic reaction to semaglutide or any of the ingredients in Wegovy®
Before using Wegovy®, tell your healthcare provider if you have any other medical conditions, including if you:
- have or have had problems with your pancreas or kidneys
- have type 2 diabetes and a history of diabetic retinopathy
- have or have had depression, suicidal thoughts, or mental health issues
- are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Wegovy® may harm your unborn baby. You should stop using Wegovy® 2 months before you plan to become pregnant
- are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Wegovy® passes into your breast milk
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Wegovy® may affect the way some medicines work and some medicines may affect the way Wegovy® works. Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking other medicines to treat diabetes, including sulfonylureas or insulin. Wegovy® slows stomach emptying and can affect medicines that need to pass through the stomach quickly.
Wegovy Dosage and Administration
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- Administer WEGOVY once weekly, on the same day each week, at any time of day, with or without meals (2.2).
- Inject subcutaneously in the abdomen, thigh or upper arm (2.2).
- In patients with type 2 diabetes, monitor blood glucose prior to starting and during WEGOVY treatment (2.2).
- Initiate at 0.25 mg once weekly for 4 weeks. In 4 week intervals, increase the dose until a dose of 2.4 mg is reached (2.3).
- The maintenance dosage of WEGOVY in adults is either 2.4 mg (recommended) or 1.7 mg once-weekly (2.3).
- Active Ingredient: semaglutide Inactive Ingredients: disodium phosphate dihydrate, 1.42 mg; sodium chloride, 8.25 mg; water for injection; and hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide may be added to adjust pH
WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF WEGOVY®?
Wegovy® may cause serious side effects, including:
- inflammation of your pancreas (pancreatitis). Stop using Wegovy®and call your healthcare provider right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area (abdomen) that will not go away, with or without vomiting. You may feel the pain from your abdomen to your back
- gallbladder problems. Wegovy®may cause gallbladder problems, including gallstones. Some gallstones may need surgery. Call your healthcare provider if you have symptoms, such as pain in your upper stomach (abdomen), fever, yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), or clay-colored stools
- increased risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) in patients with type 2 diabetes, especially those who also take medicines for type 2 diabetes such as sulfonylureas or insulin. This can be both a serious and common side effect. Talk to your healthcare provider about how to recognize and treat low blood sugar and check your blood sugar before you start and while you take Wegovy®. Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar may include dizziness or light-headedness, blurred vision, anxiety, irritability or mood changes, sweating, slurred speech, hunger, confusion or drowsiness, shakiness, weakness, headache, fast heartbeat, or feeling jittery
- kidney problems (kidney failure). In people who have kidney problems, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting may cause a loss of fluids (dehydration), which may cause kidney problems to get worse. It is important for you to drink fluids to help reduce your chance of dehydration
- serious allergic reactions. Stop using Wegovy®and get medical help right away, if you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat; problems breathing or swallowing; severe rash or itching; fainting or feeling dizzy; or very rapid heartbeat
- change in vision in people with type 2 diabetes. Tell your healthcare provider if you have changes in vision during treatment with Wegovy®
- increased heart rate. Wegovy®can increase your heart rate while you are at rest. Tell your healthcare provider if you feel your heart racing or pounding in your chest and it lasts for several minutes
- depression or thoughts of suicide. You should pay attention to any mental changes, especially sudden changes in your mood, behaviors, thoughts, or feelings. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any mental changes that are new, worse, or worry you
The most common side effects of Wegovy® may include: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach (abdomen) pain, headache, tiredness (fatigue), upset stomach, dizziness, feeling bloated, belching, gas, stomach flu, heartburn, and runny nose or sore throat.
What is Wegovy®?
Wegovy® (semaglutide) injection 2.4 mg is an injectable prescription medicine that may help adults and children aged ≥12 years with obesity (BMI ≥30 for adults, BMI ≥ 95th percentile for age and sex for children), or some adults with excess weight (BMI ≥27) (overweight) who also have weight-related medical problems to help them lose weight and keep it off. Wegovy® should be used with a reduced-calorie meal plan and increased physical activity
• Wegovy® contains semaglutide and should not be used with other semaglutide-containing products or other GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines
• It is not known if Wegovy® is safe and effective when taken with other prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal weight-loss products
• It is not known if Wegovy® can be used safely in people with a history of pancreatitis
• It is not known if Wegovy® is safe and effective for use in children under 12 years of age
How does Wegovy® work?
Wegovy® works by mimicking a hormone that targets areas of the brain involved in regulating appetite and food intake. This can help you eat less, which can lead to weight loss.
How much weight have people lost taking Wegovy®?
In a 68-week medical study of 1,961 adults living with obesity or excess weight with a related medical problem, adults lost ~35 lbs (or ~15% body weight). People taking placebo in the study (not on medicine) lost an average of 6 lb (or ~2.5% body weight). The average starting weight for both groups was ~232 lbs.*
*Results are from a 68-week medical study of adults with obesity (BMI ≥30) and adults with excess weight (BMI ≥27) who also had weight-related medical problems including high blood pressure or high cholesterol. People with type 2 diabetes were excluded. Both groups received instruction for a reduced-calorie meal plan and increased physical activity. 7% of people taking Wegovy® (92 people) left the medical study due to side effects, compared to 3.1% of people taking placebo (20 people).
• 83% of adults taking Wegovy® lost 5% or more weight, compared to 31% taking placebo
• 66% of adults taking Wegovy® lost 10% or more weight, compared to 12% taking placebo
• 48% of adults taking Wegovy® lost 15% or more weight, compared to 5% taking placebo
In addition to a reduced-calorie meal plan and increased physical activity, people in this study taking Wegovy® lost more weight vs placebo.
*In a supportive measure, at week 68, at least 20% weight loss was seen in 30% of people taking Wegovy® versus 2% of people taking placebo.
How soon can I expect to lose weight with Wegovy®?
People respond to medicines differently, so there is no set time for when you can expect to see results with Wegovy®. Ask your health care provider about what might be a realistic expectation for you.
What are the most common side effects of Wegovy®?
The most common side effects of Wegovy® may include: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach (abdomen) pain, headache, tiredness (fatigue), upset stomach, dizziness, feeling bloated, belching, gas, stomach flu, heartburn, and runny nose or sore throat.
Tell your health care provider if you have any side effects that bother you.
Can I travel with Wegovy®?
It is possible to travel with your Wegovy® pen:
• When traveling by air, keep your Wegovy® pen with you or in your hand luggage, as it may freeze in the baggage compartment. Be sure to check with the airline to see if they have any specific baggage rules.
• If needed, Wegovy® may be stored between 8°C and 30°C in the original carton for up to 28 days.
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