GLP-1 dose schedule: the titration steps each label lists

By Ümit Can Erim · Published 9 October 2026 · Updated 9 October 2026 · Sources checked 9 October 2026 · How these guides are written

Search for a semaglutide or tirzepatide dosage chart and you will find plenty of them, most without a source. Below are the steps exactly as each product's US prescribing information lists them, with the section they come from. Read them for what they are: the starting point and the slowest increases a label sets out, written to reduce stomach side effects. They are not a plan. Your prescriber decides when you move up, whether you stay, and whether you go back, and the leaflet in your own country may say something different.

Read this first. These tables reproduce the US labels on DailyMed as of 9 October 2026. The same brand can have different indications, strengths and steps in the UK, the EU or Turkey. Do not use this page to change a dose or to move to the next step on your own; if a step is hard to tolerate, that is a conversation with your prescriber.

How to read these tables

Three things in the labels' own wording change how a chart should be read. First, intervals are minimums: "after at least 4 weeks" means no sooner, not "on week 5". Second, several labels say that if a step is not tolerated, the prescriber may consider delaying the next one or choosing a lower maintenance dose. Third, maintenance is often a range rather than a finish line, chosen on response and tolerability. A chart that shows one arrow to the top strength leaves all three out.

Wegovy® injection (semaglutide, weekly)

Weeks	Once-weekly strength listed
1–4	0.25 mg (starting)
5–8	0.5 mg
9–12	1 mg
13–16	1.7 mg
17 onward	Maintenance: 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg, depending on the indication

Source: Wegovy US prescribing information, section 2.2, Table 1 [1]. For weight reduction in adults, the label adds that after at least 4 weeks at 2.4 mg, where further reduction is clinically indicated, the dose may go up to a maximum of 7.2 mg.

Ozempic® injection (semaglutide, weekly, type 2 diabetes)

When	Once-weekly strength listed
Weeks 1–4	0.25 mg (initiation)
After 4 weeks	0.5 mg
After at least 4 weeks on 0.5 mg, if more glucose control is needed	1 mg
After at least 4 weeks on 1 mg, if more is needed	2 mg (maximum)

Source: Ozempic US prescribing information, section 2.2 [2]. For type 2 diabetes with chronic kidney disease, the label lists 1 mg as the maintenance dose, after at least 4 weeks on 0.5 mg.

Mounjaro® (tirzepatide, weekly, type 2 diabetes)

When	Once-weekly strength listed
Start	2.5 mg
Each increase, if more glucose control is needed	+2.5 mg, after at least 4 weeks on the current dose
Maximum	15 mg in adults; 10 mg in children aged 10 and over

Source: Mounjaro US prescribing information, section 2.1 [3]. In the EU, Mounjaro is also authorised for weight management, under its own product information [7].

Zepbound® (tirzepatide, weekly)

When	Once-weekly strength listed
Weeks 1–4	2.5 mg (initiation only, not approved as a maintenance dose)
After 4 weeks	5 mg
Further increases	+2.5 mg, after at least 4 weeks on the current dose
Maintenance	5, 10 or 15 mg for weight reduction; 10 or 15 mg for obstructive sleep apnoea
Maximum	15 mg

Source: Zepbound US prescribing information, sections 2.1–2.2 [4].

Wegovy® tablets (oral semaglutide, daily)

Days	Once-daily strength listed
1–30	1.5 mg (starting)
31–60	4 mg
61–90	9 mg
91 onward	25 mg (maintenance)

Source: Wegovy US prescribing information, section 2.3, Table 2 [1]. How the tablet is taken (empty stomach, water only, 30-minute wait) is covered in the Wegovy pill guide.

Ozempic® tablets and Rybelsus® (oral semaglutide, daily, type 2 diabetes)

Days	Ozempic® tablets	Rybelsus®
1–30	1.5 mg (initiation)	3 mg (initiation)
31–60	4 mg	7 mg
61 onward	4 mg, or 9 mg if more glucose control is needed	7 mg, or 14 mg if more glucose control is needed

Source: Ozempic tablets and Rybelsus US prescribing information, section 2.2 [5]. The label says the starting strength of each is not effective for glucose control and is there for initiation, and that the two products are not interchangeable milligram for milligram.

Foundayo™ (orforglipron, daily)

When	Once-daily strength listed
Start	0.8 mg
After at least 30 days on 0.8 mg	2.5 mg
After at least 30 days on 2.5 mg	5.5 mg
Further steps, based on response and tolerability	9 mg, 14.5 mg, 17.2 mg, each after at least 30 days on the current dose
Maximum	17.2 mg

Source: Foundayo US prescribing information, sections 2.1–2.2 [6]. The label caps the dose lower (9 mg) when it is taken with a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor, a group of other medicines, which is one more reason the right step depends on your whole medicine list.

What the tables leave out

The indication changes the schedule. Ozempic and Wegovy are the same molecule with different steps and different maximums, because one label is written for blood glucose and the other for weight. Gaps change it too: the Wegovy injection label tells prescribers to restart escalation at a lower dose after two or more consecutive missed doses, and the Foundayo label says the same after seven or more consecutive missed tablets. What to do after a single missed dose is different again for each product; it is quoted in what each leaflet says about a missed dose. None of that fits in a chart, and all of it is your prescriber's to apply.

Recording the step you are actually on

The useful record is not the label's schedule; it is yours. Which strength, from which date, how long you stayed, and what happened when you moved up. Dozify records the dose your prescriber set and the date of every dose; it never proposes one and does not plan the next step. For injections, the Premium medication-level view is an estimate modelled from your logged doses, never a measurement, and it is not drawn for tablets (how the estimate works). When the appointment comes, the history is what answers "when did you go up to this dose?", and the Premium doctor report puts it on paper.

Questions

Can I move to the next step sooner if I feel fine?

The labels give minimum intervals ("at least 4 weeks", "at least 30 days"), not targets to beat. Any change to timing is your prescriber's decision.

Is the semaglutide chart the same for Ozempic® and Wegovy®?

No. The first steps look alike, but the labels diverge after that: different later steps, different maintenance doses and different maximums, because they are prescribed for different conditions.

Why does Zepbound® start at a dose that is not approved for maintenance?

The label describes 2.5 mg as being for starting treatment only, and frames the escalation as a way to reduce the risk of stomach and gut side effects. It does not describe the starting dose as the one meant to do the work.

Do these steps apply in the UK, the EU or Turkey?

Not necessarily. Each regulator approves its own label, and indications, strengths and steps can differ. The leaflet in your box and your prescriber are the authority where you live.

A step is making me feel unwell. Should I go back down?

Several labels give prescribers that option, or the option of waiting longer before the next step, which is exactly why it should be their call. Tell them what happened and when; a dated log makes that conversation shorter. If symptoms are severe, seek medical care.

Educational information, not medical advice. Dozify is a personal tracking app, not a medical device. This page reproduces the escalation steps in public US prescribing information and does not recommend a dose, a schedule or a course of action for any individual. Always follow the instructions that came with your medication and your prescriber's directions. If you have severe symptoms, seek medical care or call your local emergency number. Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Rybelsus®, Mounjaro®, Zepbound® and Foundayo™ are trademarks of their respective owners; Dozify is not affiliated with these companies.