Wegovy

Wegovy® is an unfunded prescription medicine - patient co-payment for medicine and healthcare professional fees apply.

Wegovy® FlexTouch® (semaglutide solution for injection). Available in the following dose forms: 0.25 mg (0.68 mg/mL), 0.5 mg (1.34 mg/mL), 1.0 mg (1.34 mg/mL), 1.7 mg (2.27 mg/mL) and 2.4 mg (3.2 mg/mL). Indication: As an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management (including weight loss and weight maintenance) in adult patients with an initial Body Mass Index (BMI) of ≥30 kg/m2 (obesity) or ≥27 kg/m2 to <30 kg/m2 (overweight) in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbidity; in adolescents ages 12 years and above with initial obesity* and body weight above 60 kg (*obesity (BMI ≥95th percentile) as defined on sex- and age-specific BMI growth charts (CDC.gov) – refer to full datasheet); as an adjunct to standard of care therapy to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction or non-fatal stroke) in adults with established cardiovascular disease, with a BMI ≥27 kg/m2, and without established Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Treatment with Wegovy® should be re-evaluated and discontinued if adolescent patients have not reduced their BMI by at least 5% after 12 weeks on the 2.4 mg or maximum tolerated dose. Dosage and administration: Administered subcutaneously once weekly at any time of day, with or without meals; starting dose 0.25 mg; increase to a maintenance dose of 2.4 mg over a 16-week period at 4 weekly intervals. In case of significant gastrointestinal symptoms, consider delaying dose escalation until symptoms have improved. If patients do not tolerate the 2.4 mg dose, the dose can be decreased to 1.7 mg weekly. Patients should re-escalate to the 2.4 mg dose if tolerated. Doses higher than 2.4 mg are not recommended. Must not be administered intravenously or intramuscularly. Contraindications: Hypersensitivity to semaglutide or any of its excipients. Warnings and precautions: Consider the risk of aspiration during general anaesthesia or deep sedation; dehydration in relation to gastrointestinal side effects in patients with impaired renal function may cause deterioration in renal function; there have been postmarketing reports of acute kidney injury and worsening of chronic renal failure. Inform patients of the characteristic symptoms of acute pancreatitis, and discontinue if suspected; do not restart if confirmed. Exercise caution in patients with a history of pancreatitis. Not studied in patients: treated with other products for weight management; with Type 1 diabetes; with congestive heart failure New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IV. Limited experience in patients: aged 85 years or more; with inflammatory bowel disease; with diabetic gastroparesis; with severe renal impairment; with severe hepatic impairment. Must not be used as a substitute for insulin. Should not be used in combination with other GLP-1 products. Treatment in combination with a sulfonylurea or insulin may have an increased risk of hypoglycaemia. The addition of Wegovy® in patients treated with insulin has not been evaluated. Patients with a history of diabetic retinopathy should be monitored for worsening. Not recommended for patients with uncontrolled or unstable diabetic retinopathy. When initiating treatment of semaglutide in patients treated with warfarin or other coumarin derivatives, frequent monitoring of INR is recommended. Pregnancy Category D. Not for use during pregnancy or breast-feeding. Interactions: Semaglutide delays gastric emptying, use with caution in patients receiving oral medicinal products that require rapid gastrointestinal absorption. Undesirable effects: Very Common (≥10%): nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain, headache, fatigue. Common (≥1 to <10%): gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, dyspepsia, eructation, flatulence, abdominal distension, dry mouth, dizziness, dysgeusia, dysaesthesia, cholelithiasis, hair loss, injection site reactions; in patients with Type 2 diabetes: hypoglycaemia, diabetic retinopathy. (April 2025)