MW A high dose of Wegovy helped people lose 21% of their weight. It was just approved.
By Jaimy Lee
Novo Nordisk's 7.2 mg dose of Wegovy will compete against Lilly's GLP-1 injection
Novo Nordisk's high-dose version of Wegovy received approval Thursday from the Food and Drug Administration.
A higher dose of Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 injection Wegovy is coming to U.S. pharmacy shelves next month.
The Danish drugmaker on Thursday announced the approval of a 7.2 mg dose called Wegovy HD that will be available as a single-dose pen in the U.S. The company said the price of Wegovy HD will be available closer to the launch. Until now, the highest Wegovy dose has been 2.4 mg.
Higher doses of GLP-1 medications are more effective, meaning people lose more weight than on lower doses, though the higher doses can come with more side effects.
With Wegovy HD, Novo Nordisk (DK:NOVO.B) (NVO) can better compete against Eli Lilly $(LLY)$, which markets Zepbound, a GLP-1 injection also known as tirzepatide that produced 22.5% weight loss in a clinical trial. Patients with obesity who took Wegovy in a clinical trial lost 20.7% of their body weight.
"When you increase the dose of [semaglutide] to 7.2 milligram, you get very close on par with tirzepatide," Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar told investors during an earnings call last month. "And I think it's actually very important that the world gets to know this, and then they can judge that on top of on par weight loss, you have also [cardiovascular] benefit, kidney benefit and then a liver benefit, and then people can pick and choose which option they want."
Doustdar is referring to the fact that semaglutide - the main ingredient in Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus - is also approved to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, kidney disease progression and a liver condition called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH.
The approval of the higher dose of Wegovy aligns with Novo Nordisk's more aggressive stance of late. The company has revealed a handful of hard-charging actions this year aimed at regaining its leading role in the lucrative market for weight-loss medicines.
It launched the Wegovy pill to much success. It sued Hims & Hers Health $(HIMS)$ over the launch of a competing compounded GLP-1 pill and then re-engaged with a deal that prevents Hims & Hers from advertising its compounded GLP-1 drugs for weight loss. It also lowered the prices of Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus. (The latter two are for people with Type 2 diabetes.)
BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan David Seigerman called the approval of Wegovy HD "a step in the right direction for Novo as the company works to reinvigorate its commercial business."
Novo Nordisk's stock was down about 2% in afternoon trading. Its shares have fallen 53% over the last year, while the S&P 500 SPX is up 16%.
-Jaimy Lee
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March 19, 2026 14:42 ET (18:42 GMT)
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