Ozempic and Wegovy are the same drug, semaglutide, made by the same company. They are not the same product. They have different FDA labels, different approved uses, different dose steps, different top doses, different pens and even different missed-dose rules. This guide puts the two current labels side by side so you can see exactly where they differ, and why one is not a simple stand-in for the other.
Everything here comes from the prescribing information: the Ozempic label (revised 05/2026) and the Wegovy label (revised 06/2026). Labels change, so check the current one with your pharmacist.
The approved uses are the first big difference, and they explain most of the others.
Ozempic is approved for adults with type 2 diabetes, in three ways (Ozempic label, 1):
Wegovy is used with a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity (Wegovy label, 1):
Ozempic is not labeled for weight loss, and Wegovy is not labeled for blood sugar control. The Wegovy label also says it should not be used together with other semaglutide products or any other GLP-1 medicine (Wegovy label, 1).
Both labels start at 0.25 mg once a week for 4 weeks, and both say the slow start is there to lower the risk of stomach and gut side effects. From there:
| Weeks | Ozempic (label 2.2) | Wegovy injection (label 2.2, Table 1) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | 0.25 mg | 0.25 mg |
| 5 to 8 | 0.5 mg | 0.5 mg |
| 9 to 12 | 0.5 mg, or 1 mg if more blood sugar control is needed | 1 mg |
| 13 to 16 | Stay, or step up after at least 4 weeks on a dose | 1.7 mg |
| 17 onward | Maintenance 0.5, 1 or 2 mg | Maintenance 1.7 or 2.4 mg (7.2 mg possible, see below) |
Two things stand out. First, Ozempic steps up only when blood sugar control calls for it. The label says the maintenance dose is 0.5 mg, 1 mg or 2 mg "based on glycemic control," with each step after at least 4 weeks on the dose before. For people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, the label's maintenance dose is 1 mg (Ozempic label, 2.2).
Second, Wegovy follows a fixed ladder to reach a maintenance dose in week 17. If a dose isn't tolerated during the climb, the label says to consider delaying the next step by 4 weeks (Wegovy label, 2.2).
The Wegovy label lists a maintenance dose for each use (Wegovy label, 2.2):
So the top labeled doses are 2 mg a week for Ozempic and 7.2 mg a week for Wegovy (weight reduction in adults only). That is more than three times as much drug at the top end.
The 7.2 mg dose comes in its own single-dose pen called Wegovy HD. The label describes two 72-week trials. In Study 8, adults with obesity and without diabetes lost an average of 18.8% of body weight on 7.2 mg, compared with 15.5% on 2.4 mg and 3.9% on placebo. In Study 9, adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes lost 13.2% on 7.2 mg versus 3.8% on placebo (Wegovy label, 14.2, Table 12).
The higher dose came with more side effects. Nausea was reported by 39% on 7.2 mg, 35% on 2.4 mg and 13% on placebo, and vomiting by 22%, 16% and 6%. The label also lists dysesthesia, an odd or unpleasant skin sensation such as tingling or burning, in 22% on 7.2 mg versus 6% on 2.4 mg and 0.3% on placebo. It says this effect rose with dose and drug level (Wegovy label, 6.1).
Even at a dose both products share, the devices differ. That matters if you ever try to compare "clicks" or volumes between them.
| Product | Presentation (label section 3) | Concentration |
|---|---|---|
| Ozempic | Multi-dose pen, 2 mg/3 mL, for 0.25 mg and 0.5 mg doses | 0.68 mg/mL |
| Ozempic | Multi-dose pen, 4 mg/3 mL, for 1 mg doses | 1.34 mg/mL |
| Ozempic | Multi-dose pen, 8 mg/3 mL, for 2 mg doses | 2.68 mg/mL |
| Ozempic | Single-dose prefilled syringes: 0.25, 0.5 or 1 mg per 0.5 mL | varies by dose |
| Wegovy | Single-dose pens: 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg per 0.5 mL; 1.7 and 2.4 mg per 0.75 mL; 7.2 mg per 0.75 mL (Wegovy HD) | varies by dose |
| Wegovy | FlexTouch multi-use pen, 9.6 mg/3 mL, four 2.4 mg doses | 3.2 mg/mL |
| Wegovy | Single-dose syringes: 0.25 to 2.4 mg | varies by dose |
Each Ozempic multi-dose pen holds a set number of doses: the 2 mg/3 mL pen gives 4 doses of 0.25 mg plus 2 doses of 0.5 mg, or 4 doses of 0.5 mg, and the 4 mg and 8 mg pens each give 4 doses (Ozempic label, 3). Wegovy single-dose pens hold one dose each (Wegovy label, 3). The Wegovy label also asks prescribers to tell patients which presentation they will get and to retrain them if it changes (Wegovy label, 2.1).
Because the concentrations differ, the same volume does not mean the same dose. This is the same reason doses from a compounded vial must be worked out in milligrams first. Our semaglutide mg-to-units chart shows how that conversion works for vials.
This is the difference people trip over most, because the two labels use different windows.
The restart rule after two missed Wegovy doses has no match in the Ozempic label. If you have missed more than one dose of either, ask your prescriber how to restart. Our step-by-step pages for a missed Ozempic dose and a missed Wegovy dose follow each label.
The labels report side effects from different groups of people, so the numbers are not a head-to-head comparison. Still, they show the pattern.
Higher doses and people without diabetes both play a part, so this is not proof that one product is "harsher." It is a reason to expect more stomach symptoms as the dose climbs. Our guides to side effects over time and nausea on GLP-1s go further.
The two products were tested in different trial programs, which is why their labels describe different results.
People ask whether "1 mg of Ozempic is the same as 1 mg of Wegovy." The drug inside is the same, and both labels list a 1 mg dose. But a switch is still more than a name change:
Neither label gives a conversion plan between the two. If you are being moved from one to the other, ask your prescriber which dose to start at and when to take the first shot. If you are moving to tirzepatide instead, our page on switching from semaglutide to tirzepatide covers what the labels say.
A switch between products, or a step up the dose ladder, is when mistakes are most likely: a new pen, a new dose and sometimes a new shot day. Dose Track lets you log each shot with its dose and site, keep track of how many doses are left in a pen or vial, and set a weekly reminder. You can also log side effects as the dose climbs, which gives you something concrete to show your prescriber. See the GLP-1 tracking guide for how it works.
For each product on its own, see our Ozempic and Wegovy pages, and the semaglutide compound page.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber before you start, change or stop any medicine.