Compounded Semaglutide Dosage Chart for Weight Loss

Last updated November 11, 2026 · Reviewed by the Gala Health team

Semaglutide dosage chart (Wegovy label)

This is the dose escalation in the Wegovy injection prescribing information, the FDA-approved weekly semaglutide schedule for weight reduction. Your prescriber may move more slowly or stay at a lower dose.

Weeks	Once-weekly dose	Role on the label
1 to 4	0.25 mg	Starting dose
5 to 8	0.5 mg	Escalation
9 to 12	1 mg	Escalation
13 to 16	1.7 mg	Escalation
17 onward	1.7 mg or 2.4 mg (2.4 mg recommended)	Maintenance for weight reduction in adults

The label says to follow this escalation to reduce the risk of digestive side effects, and to consider delaying escalation for 4 weeks if a dose is not tolerated.

Maintenance dose

For weight reduction in adults, the Wegovy label lists a maintenance dose of 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg once weekly, with 2.4 mg recommended, chosen based on response and tolerability. For patients who tolerate 2.4 mg for at least 4 weeks and need more weight reduction, the label allows an increase to a maximum of 7.2 mg once weekly.

The FDA has received adverse event reports, some serious, that may be related to compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide prescribed beyond the FDA-approved label: more in a single dose, doses more often, or faster increases. Do not raise your dose on your own.

Converting mg to mL and units

A compounded vial is labeled with its concentration, how many milligrams of semaglutide are in each milliliter (mg/mL). To draw a dose, the milligrams are converted into a volume. Insulin-style syringes are often marked in units; on a U-100 syringe, 100 units equal 1 mL.

Volume in mL = dose in mg ÷ concentration in mg/mL.
Units on a U-100 syringe = volume in mL × 100.

Worked example: a 0.25 mg dose from a vial labeled 2.5 mg/mL is 0.25 ÷ 2.5 = 0.1 mL, which is 10 units on a U-100 syringe.

Why units alone are risky: the same 10 units from a vial labeled 5 mg/mL is 0.1 mL × 5 = 0.5 mg, twice the dose. Concentration varies by pharmacy and can change between shipments. The FDA has received reports of adverse events, some requiring hospitalization, that may be related to dosing errors with compounded semaglutide, where patients measured the wrong dose or health care professionals miscalculated it.

These are arithmetic examples, not dosing instructions. Use only the dose, concentration and syringe on your own prescription and pharmacy vial label. If any number does not match, ask your provider or pharmacy before injecting.

For syringe sizes, supplies and the 28-day rule for opened vials, see compounded GLP-1 vials vs pens. For injection steps, see how to inject a GLP-1.

Missed doses

The Wegovy label says that if one dose is missed and the next is more than 2 days away, take it as soon as possible; if the next dose is less than 2 days away, skip it and resume on your regular day. If 2 or more doses in a row are missed, the label says to restart escalation at a lower dose to reduce the risk of digestive side effects. Ask your provider before restarting at your old dose.

Does a higher dose cost more?

For the brand-name Wegovy pen bought through NovoCare, the price is $199 a month for the first two fills of 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg for new patients through December 31, 2026, then $349 a month for 0.25 mg to 2.4 mg, and $399 for 7.2 mg (checked on 2026-11-11).

At Gala, no. Compounded semaglutide online starts at $69 a month on the annual plan, billed once a year, and the plan costs the same at every dose level, with no membership fee. Your exact price depends on your state, dose and plan, and you see it before you pay. See does the GLP-1 price go up with the dose.

Getting started with Gala

Gala offers compounded semaglutide, compounded tirzepatide and brand-name Ozempic®. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. A licensed provider reviews your online assessment and prescribes only if it is appropriate for you. If prescribed, your vial ships with a home injection kit, and you can message your care team with dosing questions and log every shot in the Gala GLP-1 app.

To see which options may fit, start your online GLP-1 assessment, compare all label schedules in our GLP-1 dosing schedule, or see the compounded tirzepatide dosage chart.

This article is for information only and is not medical advice. Do not change your dose without talking to your prescriber.

Frequently asked questions

What is the starting dose of semaglutide for weight loss?

On the Wegovy injection label, the starting dose is 0.25 mg once weekly for 4 weeks.

How does the semaglutide dose increase?

On the Wegovy label, the dose goes from 0.25 mg to 0.5 mg, 1 mg and 1.7 mg, each for 4 weeks, reaching maintenance from week 17. If a dose is not tolerated, the label says to consider delaying escalation for 4 weeks.

What is the maintenance dose of semaglutide for weight loss?

For adults, the Wegovy label lists 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg once weekly, with 2.4 mg recommended. Patients who tolerate 2.4 mg for at least 4 weeks and need more weight reduction may go up to a maximum of 7.2 mg once weekly.

How many units is 0.25 mg of compounded semaglutide?

It depends on your vial's concentration. Volume in mL equals the dose in mg divided by the concentration in mg/mL, and on a U-100 syringe 1 mL is 100 units. For example, 0.25 mg from a 2.5 mg/mL vial is 0.1 mL, or 10 units, but the same 10 units from a 5 mg/mL vial is 0.5 mg. Follow your prescription and vial label.

Does compounded semaglutide cost more at higher doses?

It depends on the provider. At Gala, no: compounded semaglutide starts at $69 a month on the annual plan and costs the same at every dose level.

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Sources

This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Talk to a licensed provider about your own health.