What is the standard GLP-1 starting dose?

There is no single one. Wegovy and Ozempic begin at 0.25 mg once a week for 4 weeks. Zepbound and Mounjaro begin at 2.5 mg once a week. The Wegovy tablet starts at 1.5 mg once a day, and Foundayo starts at 0.8 mg once a day.

What are the Wegovy dose steps?

0.25 mg for weeks 1 to 4, 0.5 mg for weeks 5 to 8, 1 mg for weeks 9 to 12 and 1.7 mg for weeks 13 to 16. From week 17 the maintenance dose is 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg, and the label allows up to 7.2 mg for adult weight reduction.

What are the Zepbound dose steps?

2.5 mg for 4 weeks, then 5 mg, then 2.5 mg steps after at least 4 weeks on each dose, to a highest dose of 15 mg. Maintenance doses are 5, 10 or 15 mg.

What are the Ozempic dose steps?

0.25 mg for 4 weeks, then 0.5 mg. If more blood sugar control is needed after at least 4 weeks, 1 mg, and then 2 mg after at least 4 weeks on 1 mg.

What are the Mounjaro dose steps?

2.5 mg to start, then 2.5 mg steps after at least 4 weeks on each dose if more blood sugar control is needed, to a highest dose of 15 mg in adults and 10 mg in pediatric patients.

What are the Foundayo dose steps?

0.8 mg once a day to start, then 2.5 mg after at least 30 days, then 5.5 mg after at least 30 more days. It may then rise to 9 mg, 14.5 mg or 17.2 mg, each after at least 30 days on the current dose and based on response and tolerability. The highest dose is 17.2 mg once a day.

How long are you on each GLP-1 dose?

The labels give a minimum, not a calendar. Wegovy lists 4-week blocks to week 16. The other three injection labels say at least 4 weeks on each dose before a step, and the Foundayo label says at least 30 days.

Is a milligram of Ozempic the same as a milligram of Wegovy?

Both contain semaglutide, but the products have separate labels, different schedules and different approved uses. The Atlas found no label text that makes one product's dose a replacement for the other's.

What if I miss a dose of a weekly GLP-1?

Wegovy says to give it if the next dose is more than 2 days away. Zepbound and Mounjaro say within 4 days (96 hours). Ozempic says within 5 days. Foundayo, a daily tablet, says to take it as soon as possible and not to double up. See the table above, and ask a prescriber or pharmacist about a particular missed dose.

Do the labels list a GLP-1 dose chart by week?

Only Wegovy's label gives a week-by-week table, and only to week 16. The others give a minimum of 4 weeks per dose, which the brand pages turn into an earliest-week table.

GLP-1 dosage chart: Wegovy, Zepbound, Ozempic, Mounjaro and Foundayo

Quick answer. Each GLP-1 brand has its own label and its own dose ladder. Wegovy starts at 0.25 mg a week and steps up every 4 weeks to 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg, with up to 7.2 mg allowed. Zepbound starts at 2.5 mg a week and rises in 2.5 mg steps to 5, 10 or 15 mg. Ozempic starts at 0.25 mg and goes to 0.5, 1 or 2 mg. Mounjaro starts at 2.5 mg and goes up to 15 mg. Foundayo, a daily tablet, starts at 0.8 mg and goes up to 17.2 mg, with at least 30 days on each dose. The labels give a minimum time on each dose, not a calendar. This page quotes the labels for information and gives no conversion between brands.

The dosage chart

All numbers below are from the current U.S. labels as published on DailyMed, Drugs@FDA and the makers' own prescribing information pages, read on November 2, 2026. Wegovy and Ozempic contain semaglutide. Zepbound and Mounjaro contain tirzepatide. Foundayo contains orforglipron and is covered in the tablets table below. A label is a legal document written for prescribers. The chart reports it. It is not a plan for any person.

Brand and use on the label	Starting dose	How the dose rises	Maintenance doses	Highest dose
Wegovy injection. Weight reduction, heart risk, MASH.	0.25 mg once a week for 4 weeks	0.5 mg weeks 5 to 8, 1 mg weeks 9 to 12, 1.7 mg weeks 13 to 16	1.7 mg or 2.4 mg (2.4 mg recommended) for weight reduction. 2.4 mg for MASH.	7.2 mg for adult weight reduction, after at least 4 weeks on 2.4 mg. 2.4 mg for the other uses.
Zepbound. Weight reduction and sleep apnea.	2.5 mg once a week for 4 weeks (not approved for maintenance)	5 mg after 4 weeks, then 2.5 mg steps after at least 4 weeks on each dose	5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg for weight reduction. 10 mg or 15 mg for sleep apnea.	15 mg
Ozempic injection. Type 2 diabetes.	0.25 mg once a week for 4 weeks	0.5 mg after 4 weeks, then 1 mg and 2 mg steps, each after at least 4 weeks on the lower dose and only if more blood sugar control is needed	0.5 mg, 1 mg or 2 mg	2 mg
Mounjaro. Type 2 diabetes.	2.5 mg once a week	2.5 mg steps, each after at least 4 weeks on the current dose and only if more blood sugar control is needed	Set by blood sugar control. The label lists no separate maintenance doses.	15 mg in adults. 10 mg in pediatric patients.

Doses are once a week under the skin. The Wegovy 7.2 mg dose comes in a pen the label calls Wegovy HD (see the Wegovy HD page). Ozempic and Mounjaro are not labeled for weight loss. A prescriber using one for weight is prescribing off-label, and the Atlas does not advise on that.

The daily tablets

Tablet and use on the label	Days 1 to 30	Days 31 to 60	From day 61 or 91
Wegovy tablet. Weight reduction and heart risk, adults.	1.5 mg once a day	4 mg once a day (9 mg for days 61 to 90)	25 mg once a day from day 91
Ozempic tablets. Type 2 diabetes.	1.5 mg once a day	4 mg once a day	4 mg, or 9 mg if more blood sugar control is needed, from day 61
Rybelsus. Type 2 diabetes.	3 mg once a day	7 mg once a day	7 mg, or 14 mg if more blood sugar control is needed, from day 61
Foundayo. Weight reduction, adults.	0.8 mg once a day, for at least 30 days	2.5 mg once a day, from day 31 at the earliest	From day 61 at the earliest: 5.5 mg, then 9 mg, 14.5 mg or 17.2 mg, each after at least 30 days on the current dose. Highest dose 17.2 mg.

The first three are semaglutide tablets taken in the morning on an empty stomach with up to 4 ounces of plain water, followed by at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other oral medicines. The Ozempic and Rybelsus tablet label says the two are not substitutable milligram for milligram. Foundayo is a different medicine, orforglipron, with its own label. It says once a day, with or without food, and it sets a minimum of 30 days per step rather than fixed blocks. See the Foundayo dosage page and the Foundayo brand page.

Missed doses and changing the injection day

Brand	A dose is missed	Changing the weekly day
Wegovy	Give it as soon as possible if the next scheduled dose is more than 2 days away. If it is less than 2 days away, do not give it and resume on the regular day. For two or more missed doses, the June 2026 label says to reinitiate dose escalation at a lower dosage.	The sections the Atlas read state no minimum gap.
Zepbound	Give it as soon as possible within 4 days (96 hours). After that, skip it.	At least 3 days (72 hours) between doses.
Ozempic	Give it as soon as possible within 5 days. After that, skip it.	At least 2 days (more than 48 hours) between doses.
Mounjaro	Give it as soon as possible within 4 days (96 hours). After that, skip it.	At least 3 days (72 hours) between doses.
Foundayo (daily tablet)	Take it as soon as possible. Do not double up the next dose. If 7 or more consecutive doses are missed, the label says to reinitiate dose escalation at a lower dosage.	Not applicable. The label gives no rule on time of day or on the gap between doses.

The four injection labels say the regular once-weekly schedule resumes after a missed dose. For the other tablets, the Wegovy label and the Ozempic and Rybelsus label both say to skip a missed tablet and take the next dose the following day. Foundayo's label differs: it says to take a missed dose as soon as possible.

Strengths by form

Brand	Forms the label lists	Strengths the label lists
Wegovy	Single-dose pens, single-dose prefilled syringes, and a multi-dose FlexTouch pen holding four 2.4 mg doses	Pens: 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.7, 2.4 and 7.2 mg. Syringes: 0.25 to 2.4 mg.
Zepbound	Single-dose pens, single-dose vials, multi-dose vials (4 doses) and KwikPens (4 doses)	2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 and 15 mg in every form
Ozempic	Multi-dose pens, and single-dose prefilled syringes	Pens: 0.25 or 0.5 mg, 1 mg and 2 mg per injection. Syringes: 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg.
Mounjaro	Single-dose pens, single-dose vials, multi-dose vials (4 doses) and KwikPens (4 doses)	2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 and 15 mg in every form
Foundayo	Daily tablets, in bottles of 30 tablets	0.8, 2.5, 5.5, 9, 14.5 and 17.2 mg, one tablet per day

Volumes, concentrations and the label's notes on training and vials are on each brand's page. The tablet descriptions and the capsule-to-tablet key for Foundayo are on its page.

Same medicine, different dose ladders

Wegovy and Ozempic contain the same medicine and are made by the same company, yet their schedules differ. Wegovy starts at 0.25 mg and steps through 0.5, 1 and 1.7 mg in fixed 4-week blocks toward 2.4 mg. Ozempic starts at 0.25 mg, goes to 0.5 mg, and rises further only if blood sugar needs more control, topping out at 2 mg. The same split exists for Zepbound and Mounjaro, which share the tirzepatide molecule and the same six strengths but have different maintenance text.

That is why a milligram number cannot be carried from one brand to another. The Atlas found no label text that makes one product's dose a replacement for another's, apart from the Wegovy injection-to-tablet instructions and the Ozempic-to-tablet instructions for the 0.5 mg injection dose. The switching page covers what labels and small studies say about changing brands.

What the dose trials tested

Trial arms show what a dose did on average in one study. They do not say which dose suits one person. The last column names the analysis approach, because changes the numbers. HbA1c is a blood sugar marker.

In both SURMOUNT-1 and STEP UP, average weight loss rose with the dose. Side effects also rose. In STEP UP, digestive events were reported by 70.8% on 7.2 mg, 61.2% on 2.4 mg and 42.8% on placebo.
In SURMOUNT-MAINTAIN, people who had lost weight on the maximum tolerated tirzepatide dose and then dropped to 5 mg were 16.6% below their starting weight at week 112, against 21.9% for those who kept the maximum tolerated dose and 9.9% for placebo.

Trial	Doses tested	Result	Analysis approach
SURMOUNT-1 (Zepbound dose, adults without diabetes, 72 weeks)	Tirzepatide 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg once a week, against placebo	Average weight change: -15.0%, -19.5% and -20.9%, against -3.1%.	Treatment-regimen estimand: regardless of treatment discontinuation.
STEP 1 (Wegovy dose, adults without diabetes, 68 weeks)	Semaglutide 2.4 mg once a week, against placebo	Average weight change: -14.9%, against -2.4%.	Regardless of treatment discontinuation or rescue treatment.
STEP UP (Wegovy HD, adults without diabetes, 72 weeks)	Semaglutide 7.2 mg and 2.4 mg once a week, against placebo	Average weight change: -18.7%, -15.6% and -3.9%.	Treatment-policy estimand: regardless of whether people stayed on treatment.
SURPASS-1 (Mounjaro dose, type 2 diabetes, 40 weeks)	Tirzepatide 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg once a week, against placebo	HbA1c fell 1.87, 1.89 and 2.07 points, against a rise of 0.04.	The abstract does not name the approach.
SUSTAIN FORTE (Ozempic dose, type 2 diabetes, 40 weeks)	Semaglutide 2.0 mg against 1.0 mg once a week	On the trial-product approach, HbA1c fell 2.2 and 1.9 points. On the treatment-policy approach, 2.1 and 1.9.	Two approaches reported.
OASIS 4 (Wegovy tablet, adults without diabetes, 64 weeks)	Semaglutide 25 mg tablet once a day, against placebo	Estimated average weight change: -13.6%, against -2.2%.	Not stated in the abstract.
ATTAIN-1 (Foundayo dose, adults without diabetes, 72 weeks)	Orforglipron 6 mg, 12 mg and 36 mg capsules once a day, against placebo. The label restates them as 5.5 mg, 9 mg and 17.2 mg tablets.	Average weight change in the paper: -7.5%, -8.4% and -11.2%, against -2.1%.	Treatment-regimen estimand: regardless of treatment discontinuation.

The Atlas read the published abstracts. The makers of each medicine funded these trials. Results from different trials should not be set side by side as if they came from one experiment. The only head-to-head weight trial of the two medicines, SURMOUNT-5, is covered on the Zepbound vs Wegovy page. The Foundayo trials, including the type 2 diabetes ones, are on the Foundayo dosage page.

Pick a brand page

Each page has the full label schedule, the forms and strengths with volumes, the missed-dose text, the trials with their analysis approach, and the cash prices the Atlas has.

Wegovy dosage: the injection ladder to 2.4 mg and 7.2 mg, and the daily tablet.
Zepbound dosage: the 2.5 mg to 15 mg ladder for weight and sleep apnea, with pen, vial and KwikPen strengths.
Ozempic dosage: the injection to 2 mg, and the Ozempic and Rybelsus tablets.
Mounjaro dosage: the diabetes label to 15 mg, with the pediatric ceiling.
Foundayo dosage: the daily tablet from 0.8 mg to 17.2 mg, with 30-day minimum steps, tablet strengths and the capsule-to-tablet key.

What this chart leaves out

It covers brand-name products only. Compounded versions are made by pharmacies, are not FDA-approved and are not reviewed by the FDA for safety, effectiveness or quality before they are sold, and their strengths and instructions differ by product. See compounded versus brand-name medicines. It also leaves out Saxenda and Victoza, and medicines still in trials. For doses used in microdosing, see the microdosing page.

Quick answers

What is the standard GLP-1 starting dose?: There is no single one. Wegovy and Ozempic begin at 0.25 mg once a week for 4 weeks. Zepbound and Mounjaro begin at 2.5 mg once a week. The Wegovy tablet starts at 1.5 mg once a day, and Foundayo starts at 0.8 mg once a day.
What are the Wegovy dose steps?: 0.25 mg for weeks 1 to 4, 0.5 mg for weeks 5 to 8, 1 mg for weeks 9 to 12 and 1.7 mg for weeks 13 to 16. From week 17 the maintenance dose is 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg, and the label allows up to 7.2 mg for adult weight reduction.
What are the Zepbound dose steps?: 2.5 mg for 4 weeks, then 5 mg, then 2.5 mg steps after at least 4 weeks on each dose, to a highest dose of 15 mg. Maintenance doses are 5, 10 or 15 mg.
What are the Ozempic dose steps?: 0.25 mg for 4 weeks, then 0.5 mg. If more blood sugar control is needed after at least 4 weeks, 1 mg, and then 2 mg after at least 4 weeks on 1 mg.
What are the Mounjaro dose steps?: 2.5 mg to start, then 2.5 mg steps after at least 4 weeks on each dose if more blood sugar control is needed, to a highest dose of 15 mg in adults and 10 mg in pediatric patients.
What are the Foundayo dose steps?: 0.8 mg once a day to start, then 2.5 mg after at least 30 days, then 5.5 mg after at least 30 more days. It may then rise to 9 mg, 14.5 mg or 17.2 mg, each after at least 30 days on the current dose and based on response and tolerability. The highest dose is 17.2 mg once a day.
How long are you on each GLP-1 dose?: The labels give a minimum, not a calendar. Wegovy lists 4-week blocks to week 16. The other three injection labels say at least 4 weeks on each dose before a step, and the Foundayo label says at least 30 days.
Is a milligram of Ozempic the same as a milligram of Wegovy?: Both contain semaglutide, but the products have separate labels, different schedules and different approved uses. The Atlas found no label text that makes one product's dose a replacement for the other's.
What if I miss a dose of a weekly GLP-1?: Wegovy says to give it if the next dose is more than 2 days away. Zepbound and Mounjaro say within 4 days (96 hours). Ozempic says within 5 days. Foundayo, a daily tablet, says to take it as soon as possible and not to double up. See the table above, and ask a prescriber or pharmacist about a particular missed dose.
Do the labels list a GLP-1 dose chart by week?: Only Wegovy's label gives a week-by-week table, and only to week 16. The others give a minimum of 4 weeks per dose, which the brand pages turn into an earliest-week table.

Questions to ask

Which brand and label use match the reason I am being treated?
What is the target maintenance dose, and how will we decide whether to step up?
What does your office want me to do about a missed dose?
What will each dose cost me, with my coverage?
What is the plan if I cannot tolerate a step?

What is still unknown

The labels give a minimum time on each dose and no calendar. How long a particular person stays at each step is a prescriber decision.
The Atlas read the dosing and dosage-forms sections of each label, not the whole label. The wording on two or more missed Wegovy injections differs between the June 2026 label and a May 2026 copy on the FDA site.
The Atlas read the published abstracts of the trials, not the full papers. Some abstracts do not name their analysis approach.
No trial in the table tested every dose on every label, and the Atlas gives no conversion between brands.
Saxenda and Victoza are not covered here. The side-by-side tables carry only the main Foundayo label rules, and its own page has the rest.

Back to getting started

Sources

Wegovy (semaglutide) injection and tablets: prescribing information Novo Nordisk, on DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine). Label version 6/2026. One label covers both the injection and the tablets. Official FDA label on DailyMed
Wegovy (semaglutide) injection and tablets: FDA-hosted prescribing information, 5/2026 Novo Nordisk, on Drugs@FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). Combined label for the Wegovy injection and Wegovy tablets, Reference ID 5793050. Regulator
Zepbound (tirzepatide) injection: prescribing information on the maker's site Eli Lilly and Company, uspl.lilly.com. Label version 8/2026, read November 2, 2026. Company announcement, not peer reviewed
Zepbound (tirzepatide) injection: FDA-hosted prescribing information, 2/2026 Eli Lilly and Company, on Drugs@FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). Supplement 042. Regulator
Ozempic (semaglutide) injection: FDA-hosted prescribing information, 5/2026 Novo Nordisk, on Drugs@FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). Supplement 038. Regulator
Ozempic and Rybelsus (semaglutide) tablets: FDA-hosted prescribing information, 1/2026 Novo Nordisk, on Drugs@FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). Supplement 030. Regulator
Mounjaro (tirzepatide) injection: prescribing information on the maker's site Eli Lilly and Company, uspl.lilly.com. Label version 8/2026, read November 2, 2026. Company announcement, not peer reviewed
Mounjaro (tirzepatide) injection: FDA-hosted prescribing information, 8/2026 Eli Lilly and Company, on Drugs@FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). Supplements 044 and 045. Regulator
Foundayo (orforglipron) tablets: prescribing information on the maker's site Eli Lilly and Company, uspl.lilly.com. Label version 7/2026, read November 2, 2026. Company announcement, not peer reviewed
Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity (SURMOUNT-1) Jastreboff AM, et al. N Engl J Med. 2022;387(3):205-216. PMID 35658024. Funding: Eli Lilly. Journal article
Tirzepatide for maintenance of bodyweight reduction in people with obesity in the USA (SURMOUNT-MAINTAIN) Horn DB, et al. Lancet. 2026;407(10545):2305-2318. PMID 42119587. Funding: Eli Lilly. Journal article
Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity (STEP 1) Wilding JPH, et al. N Engl J Med. 2021;384(11):989-1002. PMID 33567185. Funding: Novo Nordisk. Journal article
Once-weekly semaglutide 7.2 mg in adults with obesity (STEP UP) Wharton S, et al. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2025;13(11):949-963. PMID 40961952. Funding: Novo Nordisk. Journal article
Oral semaglutide at a dose of 25 mg in adults with overweight or obesity (OASIS 4) Wharton S, et al. N Engl J Med. 2025;393(11):1077-1087. PMID 40934115. Funding: Novo Nordisk. Journal article
Orforglipron, an oral small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist for obesity treatment (ATTAIN-1) Wharton S, et al. N Engl J Med. 2025;393(18):1796-1806. PMID 40960239. Funding: Eli Lilly. Journal article
Efficacy and safety of a novel dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist tirzepatide in patients with type 2 diabetes (SURPASS-1) Rosenstock J, et al. Lancet. 2021;398(10295):143-155. PMID 34186022. Funding: Eli Lilly. Journal article
Efficacy and safety of once-weekly semaglutide 2.0 mg versus 1.0 mg in patients with type 2 diabetes (SUSTAIN FORTE) Frias JP, et al. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2021;9(9):563-574. PMID 34293304. Funding: Novo Nordisk. Journal article