FDA Approves Higher-Dose Wegovy Shot, Offering Greater Weight Loss for Patients with Obesity
The FDA approved a 7.2-milligram injectable version of Wegovy in March 2026, with Novo Nordisk planning to launch it in April. Clinical trials showed patients lost an average of 20.7 percent of their body weight after 72 weeks on the higher dose. The approval is the first GLP-1 treatment processed under the FDA's new national priority voucher plan.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a higher-dose version of the weight loss drug Wegovy in March 2026, giving patients with obesity a more potent option for managing their weight.
The new 7.2-milligram injectable dose is made by Novo Nordisk, the same company behind the original Wegovy. In clinical trials, patients taking the higher dose lost an average of 20.7 percent of their body weight after 72 weeks. That compares to roughly 15 percent with the standard 2.4-milligram dose.
For patients with obesity and Type 2 diabetes, the higher dose produced an average weight loss of 14.1 percent.
Novo Nordisk said it planned to launch the 7.2-milligram dose in April 2026. The company has been working to close the gap with Eli Lilly's competing drug Zepbound, which has shown higher efficacy in some comparisons.
The approval was the first GLP-1 treatment to go through the FDA's new national priority voucher plan, a program designed to speed up drug reviews for companies supporting U.S. health priorities.
GLP-1 drugs work by mimicking a gut hormone that suppresses appetite. They have become some of the most prescribed medications in the country over the past several years.
The FDA also approved an oral version of Wegovy in December 2025, a 25-milligram pill that showed a mean weight loss of 16.6 percent in clinical trials with full adherence. Novo Nordisk launched the pill in January 2026 at a starting price of $149 per month with savings offers.
Health experts say the expanding options for GLP-1 treatment could help more patients access effective obesity care, though cost and insurance coverage remain barriers for many.
