On Jun. 4, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) injection (2.4 mg once weekly) for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related condition (such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol), for use in addition to a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity.

This under-the-skin injection was the first approved drug for chronic weight management in adults with general obesity or overweight since 2014. Wegovy works by mimicking a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that targets areas of the brain that regulate appetite and food intake. Semaglutide 1 mg injection (Ozempic) was first approved as a treatment for type 2 diabetes in 2017.