Peptide LibraryOzempic dosage chart from the FDA label
The Ozempic label starts at 0.25 mg once a week for 4 weeks, then 0.5 mg once a week. For blood sugar control the maintenance dose is 0.5 mg, 1 mg or 2 mg, each increase after at least 4 weeks on the current dose, and the maximum is 2 mg once weekly. For type 2 diabetes with chronic kidney disease the label’s maintenance dose is 1 mg. Ozempic is approved for type 2 diabetes, not for weight management; dosing is set by a prescriber.
Checked against the FDA label and cited trials on
Peptide Library is an independent educational resource. It is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by Novo Nordisk or Eli Lilly; Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound are trademarks of their owners and are named only to identify the products. This page summarizes FDA-approved prescribing information and published trials. It is not individual medical advice: dosing and any change to it are decided with a prescriber.
The product
Ozempic (semaglutide)
- Manufacturer
- Novo Nordisk
- Form
- Once-weekly injection in prefilled pens (2 mg/3 mL, 4 mg/3 mL, 8 mg/3 mL) or single-dose syringes
- FDA-approved uses
- Glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes, with diet and exercise
- Reducing the risk of major cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease
- Reducing the risk of kidney decline, kidney failure and cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease
- Boxed warning
- Risk of thyroid C-cell tumors: semaglutide caused thyroid C-cell tumors in rodents; whether it does in humans is unknown. Contraindicated with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2.
Ozempic injection: labelled schedule (section 2.2)
| Step | What the label states |
|---|---|
| Weeks 1–4 | 0.25 mg once weekly |
| From week 5 | 0.5 mg once weekly |
| If more glycemic control is needed | Increase to 1 mg, then 2 mg, each after at least 4 weeks on the current dose |
| Maintenance (glycemic control) | 0.5 mg, 1 mg or 2 mg once weekly |
| Maintenance (type 2 diabetes with chronic kidney disease) | 1 mg once weekly, after at least 4 weeks on 0.5 mg |
| Maximum | 2 mg once weekly |
| Missed dose | Given within 5 days of the missed dose |
Source: Ozempic (semaglutide) injection prescribing information, DailyMed, effective 2026-06-01
Pens are labelled by the doses they deliver: the 2 mg/3 mL pen gives 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg doses, the 4 mg/3 mL pen 1 mg doses and the 8 mg/3 mL pen 2 mg doses. Single-dose syringes come in 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg.
This page does not convert doses into pen clicks or units: the label gives none, and a pen is used only as its instructions describe.
What the label covers
Ozempic is semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist made by Novo Nordisk, first approved in 2017. Its indications are glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes, reducing the risk of major cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease, and reducing the risk of kidney decline, kidney failure and cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.
Weight change is reported in the label only as a secondary result of the diabetes trials, in kilograms. For example, in a 30-week monotherapy trial weight changed −3.8 kg with 0.5 mg and −4.7 kg with 1 mg vs −1.2 kg with placebo.
Label changes over time
The schedule above is the current label (effective 2026-06-01). The main changes to what Ozempic is approved for:
- 2017: first approval for glycemic control in type 2 diabetes.
- Later supplements added the 2 mg maintenance dose and the chronic kidney disease indication from the FLOW trial (with 1 mg as its maintenance dose); both are in the current label.
- Ozempic tablets: a separate oral product that shares a label with Rybelsus; that label says Rybelsus and Ozempic tablets are not substitutable on a mg-to-mg basis, and neither is interchangeable with the injection by dose.
- Drugs@FDA lists a further Ozempic labeling supplement dated 2026-08-27 that DailyMed did not show yet on 2026-11-08.
Ozempic and Wegovy are different labels
Wegovy contains the same active ingredient but is a separate product with its own indications (weight management, cardiovascular risk reduction, MASH), its own escalation schedule and higher maintenance doses. Neither label tells you to use one product’s schedule for the other. See Ozempic vs Wegovy for the differences.
Questions
What is the starting dose of Ozempic?
The label starts treatment at 0.25 mg once weekly for 4 weeks, then increases to 0.5 mg once weekly. Maintenance doses are 0.5 mg, 1 mg or 2 mg.
What is the maximum dose of Ozempic?
The label’s maximum is 2 mg once weekly, reached in steps after at least 4 weeks on each dose when more glycemic control is needed.
Is Ozempic approved for weight loss?
No. Ozempic is approved for type 2 diabetes and related cardiovascular and kidney risk reduction. Wegovy is the semaglutide product approved for weight management.
How many clicks is a dose on an Ozempic pen?
The label gives no click counts: each pen is made to deliver specific doses, used as its instructions describe. This page does not provide conversions; ask a prescriber or pharmacist.