Ozempic and Wegovy contain the same semaglutide. Everything else about them was decided separately: the trials, the indications, the top dose, the pen, the missed-dose rule. Here is the whole list, from the two labels.
| Ozempic | Wegovy | |
|---|---|---|
| Application | NDA 209637, approved December 5, 2017 | NDA 215256, approved June 4, 2021 |
| Indications | Type 2 diabetes glycemic control; cardiovascular risk reduction in T2D with CV disease (January 16, 2020); kidney outcomes in T2D with CKD (January 28, 2025) | Weight reduction in adults and adolescents 12 and older (December 23, 2022); CV risk reduction with CV disease and obesity or overweight (March 8, 2024); noncirrhotic MASH F2 to F3 (August 15, 2025, accelerated) |
| Escalation | 0.25 mg x 4 weeks, then 0.5 mg; 1 mg and 2 mg only if more glycemic control is needed, each after at least 4 weeks | 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.7 mg, 4 weeks each, to maintenance at week 17 |
| Maintenance | 0.5, 1 or 2 mg | 2.4 mg (recommended) or 1.7 mg; adults may go to 7.2 mg after 4 or more weeks tolerating 2.4 mg |
| Maximum | 2 mg (added March 28, 2022) | 7.2 mg, Wegovy HD (March 19, 2026) |
| Missed dose | Take within 5 days of the missed dose; after that, skip | Take if the next dose is more than 48 hours away; otherwise skip. Two or more missed: resume or re-escalate |
| Pen | Multi-dose, dial the dose; 2, 4 or 8 mg per 3 mL pen, four weekly doses each | Single-dose, press and discard; 0.25, 0.5, 1 mg in 0.5 mL; 1.7, 2.4, 7.2 mg in 0.75 mL |
| Out of the fridge | 56 days after first use, up to 30°C | 28 days before cap removal, up to 30°C |
| Self-pay (NovoCare, April 2026 sheet) | $349 per month up to 1 mg; $499 at 2 mg | $349 per month at 0.25 to 2.4 mg; $399 at 7.2 mg |
| Label revision | 1/2025 | 6/2026 |
Where the schedules diverge
Both start at 0.25 mg for 4 weeks and step to 0.5 mg. From week 9 they part company. Wegovy keeps climbing on a fixed timetable: 1 mg, 1.7 mg, then maintenance. Ozempic stops at 0.5 mg unless "additional glycemic control is needed", and each further step is conditional on the same phrase. A person on Wegovy is expected to reach 1.7 or 2.4 mg by week 17; a person on Ozempic may stay at 0.5 mg indefinitely. The titration planner reflects this by making Ozempic's maintenance a required choice among 0.5, 1 and 2 mg.
Adverse reactions in each label
Comparing the two tables directly is unfair to Wegovy, because it was tested at higher doses in a different population, but the labels are what prescribers read. Ozempic Table 1 (type 2 diabetes, 0.5 and 1 mg): nausea 15.8% and 20.3% versus 6.1% placebo; vomiting 5% and 9.2% versus 2.3%. Wegovy Table 3 (adults, 2.4 mg): nausea 44% versus 16%; vomiting 24% versus 6%. Discontinuation for adverse reactions: Ozempic 3.1% to 3.8% (gastrointestinal) versus 0.4%; Wegovy 6.8% versus 3.2% (all causes). The side-effect timeline holds both tables.
Two rules that catch people out
Missed dose. Ozempic counts 5 days forward from the missed dose. Wegovy counts 48 hours back from the next dose. At exactly 5 days late, Ozempic says take it and Wegovy says skip. The missed-dose helper applies whichever label you are on.
The 1 mg step. In Wegovy's schedule, 1 mg is weeks 9 to 12 and nothing more. In Ozempic's, 1 mg is a maintenance dose and the dose used in FLOW for the kidney indication. Same number, different roles.
The pens
Ozempic's three pens carry three concentrations (0.68, 1.34 and 2.68 mg/mL) so that a dialled dose is correct on each. Wegovy's six pens carry six. Neither is measured in syringe units. That vocabulary belongs to compounded semaglutide in vials, which is not FDA approved, not interchangeable with either product and covered in the Wegovy vs compounded comparison. The pens guide has storage and handling.
Price
On Novo Nordisk's April 2026 self-pay sheet the two are priced identically at $349 a month for every dose except the top of each range, where Ozempic 2 mg is $499 and Wegovy HD 7.2 mg is $399. Per milligram that makes Ozempic 2 mg the most expensive form of semaglutide Novo Nordisk sells ($62 per mg) and Wegovy 7.2 mg the cheapest ($14 per mg). The cost view dates these numbers. For the wider market, including compounded pricing, see the GLP-1 Pricing Index and FormBlends' cost report.
Questions people ask
Is Ozempic 1 mg the same as Wegovy 1 mg?
Same molecule, same amount, delivered differently: Ozempic's 4 mg pen dials four 1 mg doses; Wegovy's 1 mg is a single-dose pen. In Wegovy's schedule 1 mg is a 4-week step on the way up; in Ozempic's it is a maintenance dose.
Why not just use Ozempic for weight?
Because weight reduction is not on its label, and its maximum dose is 2 mg where Wegovy's weight-reduction data are at 2.4 mg and 7.2 mg. Whether to prescribe outside a label is a prescriber's decision; the trial evidence for weight at Ozempic doses in people without diabetes is thin.
Sources
- Ozempic (semaglutide) injection prescribing information, revised 1/2025, Drugs@FDA Accessed September 4, 2026.
- Wegovy (semaglutide) injection and tablets prescribing information, revised 6/2026, DailyMed Accessed September 4, 2026.
- Drugs@FDA: Ozempic NDA 209637 and Wegovy NDA 215256 approval histories Accessed September 4, 2026.
- NovoCare Pharmacy Wegovy price guide, April 2026; Ozempic.com self-pay prices Accessed September 4, 2026.
Canonical URL: https://formblendssemaglutide.com/compare/ozempic-vs-wegovy. Written by the FormBlends editorial team. This page is educational and is not medical advice; see the medical disclaimer.