GLP-1 Dosing: Mounjaro and Wegovy Dose Ladders Explained (October 2026)

01 · The core answer

How GLP-1 dosing works

GLP-1 dosing is a stepped process: you begin on a deliberately low dose, then move up in steps, depending on how you respond, until you reach a dose that works and that you tolerate. The starting dose is about tolerability, not weight loss itself.¹ There is no single "GLP-1 dose", because the name describes a class of medicines rather than one product.

The medicines most UK adults ask about for weight management are tirzepatide (Mounjaro), semaglutide (Wegovy) and liraglutide (Saxenda and similar products). Mounjaro and Wegovy are once-weekly injections. Liraglutide is a daily injection supplied at a concentration of 6mg/ml.

Mounjaro's mechanism differs from semaglutide's. Tirzepatide activates both GIP and GLP-1 receptors, whereas semaglutide is a single-action GLP-1 medicine.¹

02 · Your next step

Which dosing question are you facing?

If you are comparing options, start with the ladder for the medicine you are considering. If you already take a GLP-1 injection, the most useful questions are when to step up, what to do after a missed dose, and how to store your pen.

If you are ready to start, you can see the current Mounjaro pen prices and consultation. The 2.5mg starting pen is £169.99 at the standard price, and a prescriber reviews every order. For wider background, our weight loss clinic page explains how treatment is supported.

Related guides: Glp 1 dosing chart drops and Agonisti glp 1.

03 · Mounjaro dose ladder

Mounjaro dose ladder

Mounjaro is a once-weekly pre-filled KwikPen with strengths of 2.5mg, 5mg, 7.5mg, 10mg, 12.5mg and 15mg.¹ Everyone starts on 2.5mg once a week. This starting dose is about letting your body adjust, not about weight loss itself.¹

After at least 4 weeks the dose increases to 5mg, and can then step up by 2.5mg at a minimum of 4-week intervals (7.5mg, 10mg, 12.5mg) up to a maximum of 15mg weekly, depending on how you respond and tolerate it.¹ That interval is a minimum, not a target. Your prescriber can hold you on a dose for longer.

Many people settle at a maintenance dose of 5mg, 10mg or 15mg. Higher is not automatically better, and your prescriber will guide the right pace.¹ Each pen contains four weekly doses, so the ladder maps naturally onto monthly pens. For a visual summary, see our GLP-1 dosage chart.

A new customer's first order is £40 less with code FIRST40, and every later order is £25 less than the standard price.

04 · Wegovy dose ladder

Wegovy dose ladder

Wegovy (semaglutide) is also injected once weekly, with pens of 0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1mg, 1.7mg and 2.4mg.¹⁸ The dose steps up after 4 weeks on each of 0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1mg and 1.7mg, so the 2.4mg maintenance dose starts from week 17. The 2.4mg dose is the licensed maintenance dose for weight management.¹⁸

These are two different medicines with different step sizes, so do not map one dose onto the other.

If you are considering the semaglutide route, you can view the Wegovy pen; the first pen is £99.99 as a first-order price. Check the current Wegovy tablet prices on the product page and follow the prescriber's instructions.

05 · Titration and pace

Titration and how fast results come

Titration is the gradual climb up the dose ladder, and its main purpose is to limit side effects while your body adjusts. Mild nausea, altered appetite and tiredness in the first days after each injection are the commonest early effects and usually settle.¹³

Weight loss is gradual by design. The first weeks on the starting dose are an adjustment phase and losses are usually modest; most measurable progress builds from 5mg onward, month by month. Trials measured results at 72 weeks, so think in months, not days, and judge progress by trend rather than individual weigh-ins.²

Some people notice appetite change and early loss in the first week, while others feel little until a higher dose. Both are normal. Early loss includes water weight, so the trend over weeks matters more than any single weigh-in.

Your response is reviewed by your prescriber. If you have lost less than 5% of your starting weight after 6 months on the highest dose you can tolerate, your prescriber will discuss whether continuing or stopping is right for you.¹ Our GLP-1 dosing schedule guide shows how that plays out week by week.

06 · What the trials show

What the dose trials show

In the SURMOUNT-1 trial of 2,539 adults, people taking tirzepatide alongside diet and exercise lost on average 15% of their body weight on 5mg, 19.5% on 10mg and 20.9% on 15mg over 72 weeks, compared with 3.1% with lifestyle changes alone.²

These are trial averages. Individual results vary, and treatment works alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, not instead of them.² Trial averages do not predict your own result.

See also our GLP-1 dosing chart for weight loss.

07 · Injecting and missed doses

Injecting, missed doses and changing day

Mounjaro is injected under the skin (subcutaneously) once a week, on the same day each week, at any time of day, with or without food.¹ There is no best time of day. What matters is the same day each week. Many people choose a weekend morning so early side effects fall on days off.

Licensed injection sites are the stomach area (at least 5cm from the belly button), the front of the thigh, or the back of the upper arm if someone else gives the injection. Rotate the site with each dose.¹³

The KwikPen is set by turning the dose knob until the dose indicator shows the correct dose in the window.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can within 4 days (96 hours) of the scheduled time, then carry on with your usual day. If more than 4 days have passed, skip the missed dose entirely and take the next one on your normal day. Never take two doses within 3 days of each other.¹

You can change your weekly injection day if needed, as long as at least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since your last dose.¹

08 · Storage and stopping

Storing your pen and stopping treatment

Keep Mounjaro pens in a fridge at 2–8°C and never freeze them. Once in use, a pen can be kept out of the fridge not above 30°C for up to 30 days, useful for short trips, after which it should be discarded.¹ Keep the cap on to protect it from light, and never use a pen that has been frozen.

You can fly with Mounjaro. Carry pens in hand luggage, because hold luggage can fall below freezing, ideally in a cool bag with the prescription label. Unopened pens keep until the expiry date on the box. If an unopened pen has been out of the fridge, check with the pharmacy rather than relying on a remembered day limit.¹³

If you stop, tirzepatide has a half-life of about five days, so after a final dose it takes four to five weeks to clear the system. There is no way to speed this up, and nothing needs doing while it clears.¹ Mounjaro manages weight; it does not cure the biology behind it. In SURMOUNT-4, people who stopped tirzepatide after 36 weeks regained on average 14% of body weight over the following year, while those who continued treatment lost a further 5.5% on average. Stopping should always be planned with your prescriber, with diet and activity habits ready to carry the load.

09 · Serious side effects

Serious side effects: when to get help straight away

Serious side effects are uncommon but need urgent attention. Seek immediate medical help for: severe, persistent stomach pain that may spread to your back, with or without vomiting (possible pancreatitis); pain in the upper right abdomen, fever or yellowing of skin/eyes (possible gallbladder problems); or signs of a severe allergic reaction such as swelling of the face or throat and difficulty breathing. If you take insulin or a sulfonylurea alongside Mounjaro, watch for low blood sugar (shakiness, sweating, confusion) — your prescriber may need to adjust those medicines.¹