What it is
In the EU, the product authorised for weight management is Wegovy, used together with a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity. The same active ingredient is also sold as Ozempic, but that is a separate product authorised for type 2 diabetes, not for weight management. Semaglutide has been authorised for use in the EU since 6 January 2022.Active ingredient: semaglutide. Dosage range: 0.25 – 2.4 mg / week.
How it works
Semaglutide is a close copy of GLP-1, a hormone your gut releases after you eat. It shares about 94% of the structure of the natural hormone, so it fits the same docking points on cells, but it is built to last much longer in the body. Once attached to those docking points, it signals the parts of the brain that control hunger, including the hypothalamus and brainstem — in clinical studies people reported feeling full sooner, staying full for longer, feeling less hungry, and having fewer and weaker food cravings. Because appetite falls, most people take in fewer calories without consciously trying, and that gap is what produces weight change over months. Semaglutide also slightly slows how fast the stomach empties early after a meal, and prompts insulin release only when blood sugar is high.1
Weeks 1–4
Lowest dose.
2
Weeks 5–16
Step up gradually.
3
Month 4+
Maintenance dose.
4
Ongoing
Regular check-ins.
What the studies reported
STEP 1 (N Engl J Med 2021;384(11):989-1002, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03548935) is the pivotal trial behind the EMA’s Wegovy assessment. Everyone in the trial also followed a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, people with type 2 diabetes were excluded, and the study measured weight only up to week 68.What has been reported
Figures below are from the pooled STEP 1–4 phase 3 programme assessed by the EMA, semaglutide 2.4 mg versus placebo.
5.7% of people on semaglutide 2.4 mg stopped treatment because of side effects, versus 3.0% on placebo — mostly because of stomach and bowel symptoms.
How Hi-Doctor handles it
It’s prescribed alongside changes to diet and activity, as part of a medically supervised plan — a licensed EU doctor decides whether it’s appropriate and safe for you. Our doctors review every weight-loss option and recommend what fits your history and goals. See the Wegovy page for the specific EU-authorised product and its injection and dosing guide, how it works for the consultation process, and pricing for the consultation fee.Start a consultation
Weight-loss consultation
Answer the weight-loss questionnaire and a registered doctor reviews it.
They decide whether treatment is appropriate, which one, and at what dose —
and declining is a normal outcome. See what it costs
and how the review works.