On Mar. 19, 2026, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a 7.2-milligram dose of Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide. Previously, the highest approved dose of the drug, taken as a weekly shot, was 2.4 milligrams.

The new dose received accelerated review through the FDA’s ultra-fast drug review program. The approval was granted 54 days after the request for review was approved, the agency said in a statement. The new dosage will be available in April at pharmacies in the U.S., with a price to be announced then, according to the company. European drug regulators approved the higher-dose version of Wegovy in February.

Called Wegovy HD, the higher-dose drug helped participants in a study lose about 19% of their body weight, or almost 47 pounds, versus about 16% of body weight, or 39 pounds with the lower dose over almost 17 months.

The higher dose was developed because while the 2.4-milligram shot is effective, “some individuals do not reach their therapeutic goals” at that dose, according to results published last year in the medical journal Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. The FDA in December approved an oral Wegovy pill. It contains 25 milligrams of semaglutide, the amount needed to ensure the drug is absorbed via the digestive system.

Still, side effects such as nausea, vomiting and constipation were reported in more than 70% of those who took the higher dose of Wegovy, compared to more than 60% taking the lower dose and about 43% taking a dummy medication, the study showed.