Wegovy Patient Guide

“I lost 4st 11lbs” Amber

Wegovy Patient Guide

Welcome to your Wegovy Patient Guide!

Within this booklet, you should find all the information you need to know about Wegovy and how it can support your weight loss journey.

Wegovy is a weekly injection licensed for the treatment of overweight and obesity containing the active medication semaglutide.

In a 68-week clinical study it has been show to help adults on average lose 15% of their starting body weight with 1 in 3 adults taking the medication achieving up to 20% weight loss.

We hope you find all the information you need within this guide, but if you have further questions, please do contact us and speak to your Slimming Clinic support team or doctor.

0800 917 9334 info@theslimmingclinic.com We wish you the best of luck with your weight loss journey!

The Slimming Clinic

Contents

What is Wegovy?

04 -05

How to Take & Use Wegovy

05 - 07

Wegovy Prices & Benefits

08 - 09

Wegovy FAQs

10 - 11

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3

What is Wegovy?

Wegovy (Semaglutide), is a once-a-week injectable weight loss medication that works on the appetite receptors in the brain to reduce feelings of hunger and cravings.

The injection imitates GLP1 – a naturally occurring hormone in your body – which is released after you eat and indicates to your brain that you are full. These medications also work to slow the emptying of your stomach, which leads to feelings of fullness for longer after you have eaten.

In medical studies patients taking Wegovy lost an average of 35 lbs (15.9 kg), or about 15% of their body weight compared to 6 lbs (2.7 kg), or roughly 2.5% body weight in the placebo group who were not given the medication.

Wegovy is similar to our already prescribed injectable weight loss medication, Saxenda and Ozempic.Unlike Saxenda which is a daily injectable medication, Wegovy only needs to be injected once a week – making it a more convenient weight loss medication and meaning you are much less likely to forget to take it! Compared to Ozempic, Wegovy goes to a higher dose which is what has been demonstrated in clinical trials to support greater weight loss results.

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5

How to Take & Use Wegovy The best places on your body to inject Wegovy are the front of your thighs, the front of your waist (abdomen) or your upper arms.

Your dosage of Wegovy will be decided based on your weight loss needs with your Slimming Clinic doctor and will be unique to you.

Below are general instructions on how to use a Wegovy pen however you should always follow the instructions on the enclosed patient information leaflet for the specific pen you have been sent.

STEP 1 Check your pen and attach a new needle Make sure your pen contains clear and colourless Wegovy Screw on new needle and pull off both needle caps.

STEP 2 Check the flow With each new pen, turn the dose selector to select the flow check symbol ( ). Press and hold in the dose button. Repeat until a drop appears.

STEP 3 Inject your dose Insert the needle. Press and hold down the dose button. After the dose count reaches 0, hold for at least 6 seconds to make sure you receive the full dose.

STEP 4 Remove the needle Replace the outer needle. Carefully remove and dispose of the needle. Put the pen cap back on.

Please note: Your Wegovy should be stored in the fridge before opening. Once opened, you can store the pen for 8 weeks in temperatures below 30C or in your fridge between 2C and 8C.

Wegovy Benefits What are the benefits of Wegovy?

The key benefit of Wegovy is that it only needs to be injected once a week in order to have the effects required to support your weight loss and healthy lifestyle.

This is because the active substance in Wegovy – known as semaglutide - has a longer duration of action in the body compared to Saxenda’s active substance - liraglutide.

Research shows that semaglutide is more effective in improving blood glucose control and weight loss compared to liraglutide, therefore needing to be taken less to have the same effect as a oncea-day injection.

The introduction of Wegovy improves treatment as it only requires the patient to take it once a week – thus they are less likely to forget to take it and more likely to be successful in reaching their weight loss goals!

Extra Pens Should you require further pens we reccommend a follow up consultation with your weight loss doctor or you can request more pens directly online.

The length of time that your further pens last will depend on the dosage that you and your doctor agree on to reach your weight loss goals.

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Wegovy FAQS What is the dosing of Wegovy?

Wegovy is a weekly injection and the dose is titrated on a monthly basis. This involves starting with a low dose of Wegovy and gradually increasing it over a period of 5 months until the desired effect is achieved.

Unless you are currently on Saxenda or Ozempic, you will start at the lowest dose of Wegovy which is 0.25mg per week for four weeks. After this your dose will increase as directed Month 4 by your response, your (Weeks 13-16): Month 3 weight loss results 1.7mg (Weeks 9-12): Month 2 and your toleration of each week 1mg (Weeks 5-8): Month 1 the medication. each week 0.5mg

9.6 mg in 3mL

2.4 mg

FlexTouch®

0

injection semaglutide

6.8 mg in 3mL

1.7mg

FlexTouch®

injection semaglutide

4 mg in 3mL

1 mg

FlexTouch®

0

injection semaglutide

INITIATION DOSE

2 mg in 1.5mL

0.5 mg

FlexTouch®

0

0

Month 7

(Weeks 17 and onward):

injection semaglutide

1 mg in 1.5mL

0.25 mg

FlexTouch®

0

injection semaglutide

(Weeks 1-4):

0.25mg

2.45mg

each week (full dose)

each week

each week

START

STEP UP

STAY

What are the Side Effects of Wegovy?

Like any medication, you may find that you experience some side effects with using Wegovy, however, not everyone will experience side effects.

Very Common • Feeling sick or nauseous • Change in bowel habit* Common • Being sick* (physically vomiting) Uncommon • Increased heart rate Rare • Allergic reactions – please seek medical advice immediately if you experience an allergic reaction. *Please note, if you experience vomiting or diarrhoea with taking Wegovy, please ensure you are taking on adequate fluids to avoid dehydration.

If you have any concerns or are experiencing side effects you are not comfortable with, please speak to your Slimming Clinic doctor as soon as possible.

They will be able to give you advice on how to manage them, or, where necessary alternative medications for your weight loss.

When should I take Wegovy?

You should take your weekly Wegovy injection on the same day each week, either with or without meals, as discussed with your Slimming Clinic doctor.

What if I miss/forget a dose?

If it has been 5 days or less since your last missed dose, take Wegovy as soon as you remember. Then, take your next scheduled dose on your regularly scheduled day.

If it is more than 5 days, then simply miss that dose and take your next on your regularly scheduled day.

How long will my Wegovy pen last?

Depending on your individual dosage as discussed with your Slimming Clinic doctor, your Wegovy pen should last you approximately 4 weeks.

How do I administer Wegovy?

The best places to inject your Wegovy is on the fatty tissue on your body – the main places include the front of your thighs, your stomach or upper arms.

How is Wegovy different to Saxenda?

The main difference between Wegovy and Saxenda is that Saxenda is a daily injection and Wegovy needs to only be injected once-a-week.

This makes Wegovy a more manageable weight loss injection and you are less likely to forget to take it!

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