Short answer: At 1 mg/mL, 0.25 mg of semaglutide is 0.25 mL, which is 25 units on a U-100 insulin syringe. Every 1 mg is 100 units. The units only hold for a vial labeled 1 mg/mL; at another strength the same mg is a different number of units.
The rows below are every dose step named in the Ozempic and Wegovy labels, converted at 1 mg/mL for a U-100 insulin syringe (1 mL = 100 units). Not personalized advice; confirm your dose, in mg and in units, with your prescriber or the dispensing pharmacy.
| Dose | Named in label | Volume | U-100 units | Smallest syringe that holds it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 mg | Ozempic, Wegovy: start | 0.25 mL | 25 units | 0.3 mL (30 units) |
| 0.5 mg | Ozempic, Wegovy | 0.5 mL | 50 units | 0.5 mL (50 units) |
| 1 mg | Ozempic, Wegovy | 1 mL | 100 units | 1 mL (100 units) |
| 1.7 mg | Wegovy | 1.7 mL | 170 units | More than one 1 mL syringe |
| 2 mg | Ozempic: max | 2 mL | 200 units | More than one 1 mL syringe |
| 2.4 mg | Wegovy | 2.4 mL | 240 units | More than one 1 mL syringe |
| 7.2 mg | Wegovy: max (adults, weight reduction) | 7.2 mL | 720 units | More than one 1 mL syringe |
"Between marks" means the volume does not land on a printed line, even on a 0.3 mL syringe with half-unit markings. A 1 mL syringe is usually marked every 2 units, so small doses are easier to read on a 0.3 mL or 0.5 mL barrel. See U-40 vs U-100 syringes and how to read the marks.
The number of doses depends on how much liquid is in the vial, not only the strength. Check the volume on your vial label, then read across. Counts are whole doses; dead space in the syringe and the last drops in the vial usually take a little more.
| Dose | 1 mL vial (1 mg) | 2 mL vial (2 mg) | 3 mL vial (3 mg) | 5 mL vial (5 mg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 mg | 4 | 8 | 12 | 20 |
| 0.5 mg | 2 | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| 1 mg | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 1.7 mg | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 mg | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2.4 mg | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 7.2 mg | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
dose in mg ÷ 1 mg/mL = mLmL × 100 = units on a U-100 syringeunits ÷ 100 × 1 = mg, which should match the dose on your prescription.Example: 0.25 mg ÷ 1 mg/mL = 0.25 mL = 25 units. If the units on your instructions do not match this math for the strength on your vial, ask the prescriber or pharmacy before injecting.
Compounded semaglutide has no FDA label of its own. For reference, these are the schedules in the FDA labels for Ozempic and Wegovy, which are dosed in mg.
| When | Label dose |
|---|---|
| Weeks 1 to 4 | 0.25 mg once weekly |
| Weeks 5 to 8 | 0.5 mg once weekly |
| Weeks 9 to 12 | 1 mg once weekly |
| Weeks 13 to 16 | 1.7 mg once weekly |
| Week 17 onward | Maintenance: 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg once weekly (2.4 mg recommended for adult weight reduction) |
For adult weight reduction, the label allows patients who have tolerated 2.4 mg for at least 4 weeks to increase to a maximum of 7.2 mg once weekly. If a dose is not tolerated during escalation, the label says to consider delaying escalation for 4 weeks.
| When | Label dose |
|---|---|
| First 4 weeks | 0.25 mg once weekly |
| After 4 weeks | 0.5 mg once weekly |
| After at least 4 more weeks, if needed | 1 mg once weekly |
| After at least 4 more weeks, if needed | 2 mg once weekly (maximum) |
The label describes 0.25 mg as a starting dose. Increases past 0.5 mg are for additional glycemic control.
Semaglutide 2 mg/mL · Semaglutide 2.5 mg/mL · Semaglutide 5 mg/mL · All semaglutide strengths in one grid
Mixing a powder vial instead? The semaglutide reconstitution guide and the free reconstitution calculator handle vials you add water to.