By Dominic Chopping

Novo Nordisk launched its higher-dose Wegovy weight-loss shot in the U.S. after the new treatment gained regulatory approval there last month.

The Danish drugmaker said Tuesday that Wegovy HD is now available nationwide through more than 70,000 pharmacies, its online pharmacy, certain telehealth providers and other outlets.

Wegovy HD is a once-weekly injection that contains 7.2 milligrams of active ingredient semaglutide, offering the highest weight-loss of any Wegovy injection so far, the company said.

In a trial of adults with obesity but without diabetes, patients taking a 7.2 milligram dose of Wegovy over about a year and a half lost 21% of their body weight on average, while around one in three people lost 25% or more of their body weight.

Prior to the launch of Wegovy HD, the highest available injectable dose was 2.4 milligrams of semaglutide, which has shown to help patients lose around 18% of their body weight on average.

The higher dose of Wegovy was approved by the Food and Drug Administration nearly three weeks ago under an accelerated approval process based on the results of the trial.

The approval follows decisions from the European Commission and British regulators earlier this year that allowed a Wegovy dose of up to 7.2 milligrams a week administered as three separate shots of 2.4 milligrams. The decisions mean that adults with obesity in the U.K. and all 27 European Union countries can now take the 2.4 milligram dose of Wegovy for at least four weeks and then move up to 7.2 milligrams if they need greater weight loss.

Novo Nordisk has applied for approval of a 7.2 milligram single-dose pen in the EU and U.K., with a decision expected in the second half of the year.

The rollout of higher-dose Wegovy shots comes as the drugmaker broadens its offering in the booming weight-loss market, having started selling its Wegovy weight-loss pill in the U.S. at the start of the year as it awaits regulatory approval of the pill in the EU and U.K.

Rival Eli Lilly began shipping its own obesity pill in the U.S. on Monday.

Write to Dominic Chopping at dominic.chopping@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 07, 2026 08:00 ET (12:00 GMT)

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