EU Approves Novo Nordisk’s Higher 7.2 mg Wegovy Dose After EMA Recommendation, Allowing Three 2.4 mg Injections Weekly For Patients Needing Greater Weight Loss

The approval came after a positive recommendation from the European Medicines Agency in December 2025. With this decision, doctors in the EU can now prescribe the 7.2 mg dose as three 2.4 mg injections taken during a single visit, once per week. Novo Nordisk has also requested approval for a single-dose 7.2 mg pen in the EU, which, if authorized, could be introduced later this year. This update allows adults with obesity who have already used the 2.4 mg dosage for at least four weeks to move directly to the higher dose if they require additional weight loss while maintaining muscle function.

The 7.2 mg version of Wegovy is already approved and available in the United Kingdom, and regulatory applications are currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and several other international health authorities. The broader availability of this dose reflects growing global interest in providing more personalized treatment options for obesity management.

Results supporting this approval come from two clinical trials: STEP UP, which enrolled 1,407 adults with obesity but without diabetes, and STEP UP T2D, which involved 512 adults living with both obesity and type 2 diabetes. In both studies, participants taking the 7.2 mg dose once weekly, along with lifestyle interventions, experienced substantially greater weight loss compared to those receiving placebo.

Among adults with obesity but without diabetes, the outcomes were particularly notable. Participants taking the 7.2 mg dose lost an average of 21% of their body weight when adhering to the treatment plan, whereas those on placebo lost only about 2%. Approximately one-third of the treated participants lost 25% or more of their total body weight. Body composition measurements showed that 84% of the weight lost with the 7.2 mg dose came from fat mass, and muscle function was preserved throughout treatment. The most commonly reported side effects included nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and dysaesthesia. These effects occurred in roughly 22–25% of participants, were generally mild to moderate, and tended to resolve over time.

According to Emil Kongshøj Larsen, executive vice president of International Operations at Novo Nordisk, the approval represents an important advancement for people living with obesity. He emphasized that the additional dose gives healthcare providers more flexibility to tailor treatment based on individual needs and helps patients pursue substantial and meaningful weight loss goals. With this approval, the Wegovy injectable range in the European Union now includes 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, 1.7 mg, 2.4 mg, and 7.2 mg options. The oral version of Wegovy is already available in the United States and is currently awaiting regulatory approval in the EU.