Wegovy and the STEP UP Trial

At SheMed, we know that any changes or updates in the world of GLP-1 medications can feel overwhelming, especially when you are on your own health journey. That is why we are here to break down the science in simple, supportive ways, so you feel informed and reassured, not anxious.

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A little background on Wegovy

Wegovy is not a brand-new medication. It contains semaglutide, the same active ingredient as Ozempic, the diabetes medication you may already have heard of.

Ozempic often made headlines as many well-known figures used it to support weight loss. Doctors and researchers noticed something important: people taking Ozempic for diabetes were also losing a significant amount of weight.

That discovery sparked a wave of clinical studies, which ultimately led to the creation of Wegovy—a version of semaglutide developed and licensed specifically for long-term weight management.

Today, Wegovy is one of the most well-studied GLP-1 medications worldwide, with robust evidence showing its ability to deliver safe, effective, and sustainable weight loss.

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The STEP UP trial: the big question

The recent STEP UP trial asked a simple but important question:

If Wegovy at 2.4 mg already helps people achieve significant weight loss, could an even higher dose help those who have not quite reached their goals?

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How the trial worked

The study recruited more than 1,400 adults living with obesity across 11 countries. Participants were randomly given one of three weekly injections for 72 weeks:

• 7.2 mg of semaglutide
• 2.4 mg of semaglutide (the licensed maximum dose)
• A placebo (no active medicine)

Everyone also received lifestyle guidance: advice to reduce calories and increase physical activity. Doses were gradually titrated up to help the body adjust.

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What the results showed

After 72 weeks, the results were exciting:

• People on 7.2 mg lost nearly 19% of their body weight on average, with about a third losing over 25%
• People on 2.4 mg lost between 15–17% of their body weight
• People on placebo lost only around 3–4%

The higher dose also led to a greater reduction in waist size (11.7 cm compared with 8.6 cm at the standard dose).

This matters because waist circumference is a strong marker for heart and metabolic health, often more predictive than BMI.

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What about side effects?

Like all GLP-1 medications, the most common side effects were digestive, such as nausea, diarrhoea, or constipation.

These tended to happen during dose increases and were usually mild or moderate. While slightly more common at the higher 7.2 mg dose, serious side effects remained rare, and most symptoms eased over time.

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What this means for you

For now, Wegovy at 2.4 mg remains the only licensed dose for weight management in the UK.

The results of STEP UP suggest that in the future, higher doses could become an option for people who need extra support, but this would require regulatory approval first.

At SheMed, our focus is on safe, steady progress at licensed doses, helping you achieve results that last while protecting your health along the way.

New research like this is exciting because it shows just how much potential semaglutide has in shaping the future of weight care.

And no matter what the science says next, one thing will not change: we will be by your side with expert guidance, transparency, and care every step of the way.

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