Novo Nordisk A/S: The European Commission approves more effective dose of injectable Wegovy® for adults with obesity; clinical study showed people lost about 21% of their body weight on average
Summary by AI BETAClose X
- The European Commission has granted final approval of a higher 7.2 mg maintenance dose of Wegovy® (semaglutide) for adults who may need extra help losing weight. It is now approved in all 27 countries in the European Union
- In a study with 1,407 people, lasting about 1½ years, those on the higher dose lost, on average, about one‑fifth of their body weight.
- Wegovy is now approved in the EU as a once‑weekly injection in six doses to help with weight management, used together with healthy eating and increased physical activity.
Bagsværd, Denmark, 17 February 2026 – The European Commission has approved a new 7.2 mg once‑weekly maintenance dose of Wegovy® (semaglutide injection) for adults living with obesity. This gives doctors another option to help adults who need more weight loss after being on the 2.4 mg dose. The approval is based on a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency’s scientific committee (CHMP) on 12 December 2025.
The approval means that doctors in the EU may now prescribe the 7.2 mg dosage as three 2.4 mg injections, to be taken in one sitting, still once a week. Novo Nordisk has applied for approval of a 7.2 mg single-dose pen in the EU, and if approved, it could be available this year. This means that in the European Union (EU), adults with obesity may now step directly from Wegovy® 2.4 mg (for at least four weeks) up to 7.2 mg if they need greater weight loss while preserving muscle function.
Wegovy® 7.2 mg is already approved and available in the UK, and regulatory applications are pending with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and several other countries.
What did the study show?
In the two clinical studies, STEP UP (1,407 participants) and STEP UP T2D (512 participants), adults with obesity, without and with type 2 diabetes, respectively, who took the 7.2 mg dose once a week, plus lifestyle changes, lost considerably more weight than people on placebo.
On average, participants with obesity, without diabetes, taking Wegovy® 7.2 mg had these results:
- 21% body weight loss for those on Wegovy® 7.2 mg when everyone took the medicine as planned, compared to about 2% weight loss for those taking placebo.
- About 1 in 3 people lost 25% or more of their body weight.
- Body composition improved with the majority (84%) of weight loss with Wegovy® 7.2 mg coming from fat mass, with tests showing preserved muscle functioning.
- The most common side effects were nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting (24.8%) and dysaesthesia (22-9%). These events were usually mild to moderate and transient.
“This approval is another important step in helping people living with obesity reach very significant weight loss,” said Emil Kongshøj Larsen, executive vice president, International Operations, Novo Nordisk. “The new dose gives healthcare professionals even more flexibility to tailor treatment and help people with obesity achieve their weight loss and health goals.”
Wegovy® injectable is now available in 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, 1.7 mg, 2.4 mg and now 7.2 mg doses throughout the EU. Wegovy® pill is available in the US and is pending approval in the EU.
About Wegovy®
Injectable semaglutide 2.4 mg is marketed under the brand name Wegovy®. In the EU, Wegovy® is indicated as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for weight loss and weight maintenance in adults with an initial BMI of 30 kg/m2 or greater (obesity) or adults with a BMI of 27 kg/m2 or greater (overweight) in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition. In the EU, Wegovy® is also indicated for paediatric patients aged 12 years and older with an initial BMI at or above the 95th percentile for age and gender (obesity) and body weight above 60 kg. The clinical section of the label also includes data on Wegovy® major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) risk reduction, improvements in HFpEF-related (heart failure with preserved ejection fraction) symptoms and physical function, as well as pain reduction related to knee osteoarthritis.
Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark. Our purpose is to drive change to defeat serious chronic diseases, built upon our heritage in diabetes. We do so by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to our medicines, and working to prevent and ultimately cure disease. Novo Nordisk employs about 68,800 people in 80 countries and markets its products in around 170 countries. For more information, visit novonordisk.com, Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Contacts for further information
| Novo Nordisk Media: | |
| Ambre James-Brown +45 3079 9289 globalmedia@novonordisk.com | Liz Skrbkova (US) +1 609 917 0632 lzsk@novonordisk.com |
| Novo Nordisk Investors: | |
| Michael Novod +45 3075 6050 nvno@novonordisk.com | Jacob Martin Wiborg Rode +45 3075 5956 jrde@novonordisk.com |
| Sina Meyer +45 3079 6656 azey@novonordisk.com | Max Ung +45 3077 6414 mxun@novonordisk.com |
| Christoffer Sho Togo Tullin +45 3079 1471 cftu@novonordisk.com | Alex Bruce +45 3444 2613 axeu@novonordisk.com |
| Frederik Taylor Pitter +1 609 613 0568 fptr@novonordisk.com |
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