Quick answer
Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) are prescription medicines taken once a week. The labels start at a low dose and raise it in steps, no sooner than every 4 weeks for Ozempic and Mounjaro, so the stomach can adapt.
- Ozempic (US diabetes label): 0.25 mg for 4 weeks, then 0.5 mg, later 1 mg and 2 mg.
- Wegovy (US weight label): 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 1.7 mg over 16 weeks, then a maintenance dose of 1.7 or 2.4 mg.
- Mounjaro (US diabetes label): 2.5 mg, then 2.5 mg steps to a maximum of 15 mg.
- Missed doses: 5 days (Ozempic), 4 days (Mounjaro) and a 2 day rule (Wegovy) on the labels.
- The pace is a doctor's decision. This page reports labels and trials and is not dosing advice.
What are the Ozempic and Mounjaro doses on the label?
The labels give a starting dose and rules for stepping up, and the table shows what they state. These are US labels, read at source on 21 Oct 2026, because the Malaysian leaflets sit on a regulator search that could not be read in full. The leaflet in your box and your prescriber govern, and they can differ.
| Medicine (label read) | Starting weekly dose | How the label steps up |
|---|---|---|
| Semaglutide (Ozempic), diabetes label | 0.25 mg for 4 weeks | 0.5 mg next; 1 mg, then 2 mg only after at least 4 weeks on the dose below; maximum 2 mg |
| Semaglutide (Wegovy), weight label | 0.25 mg | 0.5 mg weeks 5 to 8, 1 mg weeks 9 to 12, 1.7 mg weeks 13 to 16; maintenance 1.7 or 2.4 mg |
| Tirzepatide (Mounjaro), diabetes label | 2.5 mg | 2.5 mg steps after at least 4 weeks on the current dose; maximum 15 mg |
The Mounjaro label read here is the diabetes one. The weight trial, SURMOUNT-1, tested 5, 10 and 15 mg after a 20-week escalation. The current US Wegovy label also lists a higher step for some adults who tolerate 2.4 mg for at least 4 weeks; that is a prescriber's decision. For the two molecules compared, see semaglutide vs tirzepatide.
Why does the dose go up in steps?
The steps exist to reduce stomach side effects, and each label says so in its own words. Ozempic and Mounjaro both state that the escalation reduces the risk of gastrointestinal adverse reactions, and Wegovy tells the prescriber to consider delaying a step by 4 weeks if a dose is not tolerated.
The trials show why. In STEP 1, with 1,961 adults on semaglutide 2.4 mg, nausea and diarrhoea were the most common events, typically transient and mild to moderate, and 4.5% stopped for gastrointestinal events against 0.8% on placebo. In SURMOUNT-1, with 2,539 adults on tirzepatide, those events were mostly mild to moderate and occurred mainly during dose escalation. Stopping for any adverse event was 4.3%, 7.1% and 6.2% across the three doses, against 2.6% on placebo. Both trials were funded by the manufacturers. The full list of effects is in weight-loss injection side effects.
What if a weekly dose is missed?
Each label gives its own window, and after it the missed dose is skipped. Ozempic says to give it as soon as possible within 5 days, and Mounjaro within 4 days (96 hours). Wegovy uses the next dose: if it is more than 2 days away, give the missed one; if less than 2 days away, skip it.
The Wegovy label adds that after two or more consecutive missed doses, the escalation restarts at a lower dose to reduce stomach side effects. The labels also allow the weekday to change if the gap between doses is at least 3 days (72 hours) for Mounjaro, or more than 48 hours for Ozempic. These are the labels' words, and the person who prescribed the medicine is the one to ask.
Why do Ozempic and Wegovy have different schedules if both are semaglutide?
They are labelled for different purposes, so the doses are set for different goals. Ozempic is the diabetes product, and its label raises the dose only if more blood sugar control is needed, up to 2 mg weekly. Wegovy is the weight product, and its label steps through 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 1.7 mg to a maintenance dose of 1.7 or 2.4 mg.
The same molecule at the same milligram is therefore not the same plan. A prescriber chooses the product for the reason the person is being treated, which is part of why the schedule is not a number to copy from another person's pen.
Do higher doses mean more weight loss, and more side effects?
In SURMOUNT-1 weight fell further at higher doses: -15.0% on 5 mg, -19.5% on 10 mg and -20.9% on 15 mg at 72 weeks, against -3.1% on placebo. Stopping for adverse events was 4.3%, 7.1% and 6.2% across the three doses, against 2.6%, so the trade is not a straight line.
That is why the label gives a choice of maintenance doses rather than one target. Reaching a higher dose is not the goal in itself. The goal is the lowest dose that does the medical job for that person, and only a review of the person, not a calendar, can show it. The same logic applies to semaglutide, where the weight label offers 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg as maintenance.
Why might a doctor tailor the dose instead of following the table?
The table is a framework with a starting point and a ceiling, not a timetable that suits every person. The Wegovy label itself allows a delay of 4 weeks when a dose is not tolerated, and the maintenance dose is chosen by response and tolerability: the weight label lists 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg.
Tailoring means reviewing how the last dose went before the next one is chosen. A doctor looks at nausea, appetite, hydration, other medicines and the health problem being treated. At The Retreat Clinic in Setia Alam, Dr Ong tailors GLP-1 and tirzepatide doses with weekly reviews early on.
Is it safe to microdose or split a pen?
The labelled doses are set doses, and the trials tested only those, so self-directed microdosing and pen splitting are outside the evidence. A smaller dose is not automatically a safer one, because the amount actually delivered becomes unknown. Can I microdose Mounjaro explains what a lower dose does and does not do.
Pens bought outside a pharmacy add a second uncertainty, since a counterfeit pen may not hold what the label says. Fake pens: how to check sets out the checks, and where to get GLP-1 medicines legally in Malaysia sets out the legal route. A person who finds the dose hard to tolerate should tell the prescriber, who can slow the steps with review.
Who adjusts the dose at The Retreat Clinic in Setia Alam?
The Retreat Clinic offers medical weight management, and Dr Ong tailors GLP-1 and tirzepatide doses with weekly reviews early on. The pathway starts with an assessment, and the medicine is prescribed only if it fits. The service is described on the medical weight management page, five minutes from Setia City Mall.
