Wegovy® HD (semaglutide) injection 7.2mg is now available for adult patients for whom additional weight reduction is clinically indicated after tolerating the 2.4mg dosage for at least 4 weeks.
The new dose was approved based on data from the phase 3b STEP UP trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05646706), which enrolled patients with a body mass index of at least 30kg/m2 and without diabetes. Study participants were randomly assigned to receive subcutaneous semaglutide 7.2mg, semaglutide 2.4mg, or placebo once weekly, alongside lifestyle interventions.
Findings showed treatment with semaglutide 7.2mg was associated with an average weight loss of 21%, if all patients stayed on treatment (efficacy estimand), compared with 18% with semaglutide 2.4mg and 2% with placebo. Similarly, weight reductions of approximately 19%, 16%, and 4% were observed with semaglutide 7.2mg, 2.4mg, and placebo, respectively, regardless of whether patients stayed on treatment (treatment regimen estimand).
The most common adverse reactions reported with Wegovy HD were nausea, vomiting, dysesthesia, constipation, abdominal pain, fatigue, headache, dizziness, hair loss, and flatulence. Additionally, 22% of patients treated with the 7.2mg dosage experienced altered skin sensation (ie, sensitive skin, hyperesthesia, dysesthesia, paresthesia) compared with 6% in the semaglutide 2.4mg group and 0% in the placebo group.
Wegovy HD is supplied in a prefilled, disposable, single-dose pen injector containing 7.2mg/0.75mL of semaglutide. Each carton contains 4 pen injectors. The price of Wegovy HD for patients who opt to self-pay is $399 per month. The product is available nationwide at retail pharmacies, select telehealth providers and through NovoCare® Pharmacy.
“We know that patients are looking for additional options for weight loss, and with Wegovy HD we are answering that call,” said Ed Cinca, senior vice president, Marketing & Patient Solutions at Novo Nordisk. “Whether patients haven’t yet reached their weight loss goals on lower-dose Wegovy injectables, or they simply have a more significant amount of weight to lose, the 21% weight loss demonstrated in the STEP UP trial, if all patients stayed on treatment, shows what’s possible with this new dose, and that’s an opportunity we’re excited to provide.”