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Wegovy® Weight Loss

We welcome the arrival of Wegovy® from NovoNordisk. Wegovy® is indicated as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management (including weight loss and weight maintenance) in adults with an initial Body Mass Index (BMI) of • ≥30 kg/m2 (obesity) or ≥27 kg/m2 to <30 kg/m2 (overweight) in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbidity.

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Wegovy® is administered once weekly at any time of the day, with or without meals. Wegovy® is to be injected subcutaneously in the abdomen, in the thigh or in the upper arm.  

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Wegovy® is not subsidised.  You will require a doctors consultation at Sapphire Clinic.  The fee cost $150 to see the doctor, who will ensure that you are a suitable patient to obtain the medication.  

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Are there any side effects?

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When Wegovy® is slowly increased in dosing, then a lot of the common side effects can be mitigated.  The very common side effects include headaches, vomiting, diarrhoea, vomiting, constipation, nausea, abdominal pain and fatigue.  Other common side effects include lowering your blood sugars, dizziness, gastritis, reflux, flatulence, dry mouth, bloating, gall stones, hairloss and reactions at the injection site. Uncommon side effects include increased heart rate, pancreatitis, delayed gastric emptying, and raised amylase or lipase levels.  Very rarely, you may suffer an allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to the medication.

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What is the science behind Wegovy®

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Wegovy® or Semaglutide is a GLP-1 analogue with 94% sequence homology to human GLP-1. Semaglutide acts as a GLP-1 receptor agonist that selectively binds to and activates the GLP-1 receptor, the target for native GLP-1. GLP-1 is a physiological regulator and has multiple actions in glucose and appetite regulation. The glucose and appetite effects are specifically mediated via GLP-1 receptors in the pancreas and the brain.

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Clinical studies show that semaglutide (Wegovy®) reduces energy intake, increases feelings of satiety, fullness and control of eating, reduces feelings of hunger, and frequency and intensity of cravings.

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The results of the DEXA assessment showed that treatment with semaglutide (Wegovy®) was accompanied by greater reduction in fat mass than in lean body mass leading to an improvement in body composition compared to placebo after 68 weeks. Furthermore, this reduction in total fat mass was accompanied by a reduction in visceral fat.

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How effective is Wegovy®

 

Weight loss with semaglutide or Wegovy® occurred early and continued throughout the 68 week clinical trial. At end of treatment (week 68), the weight loss with semaglutide/Wegovy® was superior and clinically meaningful compared with placebo. Furthermore, a higher proportion of patients achieved ≥5%, ≥10%, ≥15% and ≥20% weight loss with semaglutide/Wegovy® compared with placebo. Among patients with prediabetes at baseline, 84.1% and 47.8% achieved a normo-glycaemic status at end of treatment with semaglutide/Wegovy® and placebo, respectively. Following the 68-week trial, a 52-week off-treatment extension was conducted including 327 patients who had completed the main trial period on the maintenance dose of semaglutide/Wegovy® or placebo. The trial extension consisted of four clinic visits and did not include structured lifestyle intervention. In the off-treatment period from week 68 to week 120, mean body weight increased in both treatment groups. However, for patients that had been treated with semaglutide/Wegovy® for the main trial period the weight remained 5.6% below baseline compared to 0.1% for the placebo group.

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Is Wegovy® better than Saxenda®? Yes:

 

In a 68-week, randomised, open-label, pairwise placebo-controlled trial, 338 patients with obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2 ), or with overweight (BMI ≥27 to <30 kg/m2 ) and at least one weight-related comorbidity, were randomised to semaglutide/Wegovy® once weekly, liraglutide/Saxenda® 3 mg once daily or placebo.

 

Treatment with semaglutide/Wegovy® once weekly for 68 weeks resulted in superior and clinically meaningful reduction in body weight compared to liraglutide/Saxenda®. Mean body weight decreased from baseline through to week 68 with semaglutide/Wegovy®, with liraglutide/Saxenda®, mean body weight decreased less, and with placebo less yet. 37.4% of the patients treated with semaglutide/Wegovy® lost ≥20%, compared to 7.0% treated with liraglutide/Saxenda® 

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Is Wegovy® affected by your age, sex, race or ethnicity? No

 

Is Wegovy® affected by your renal or liver function? No if you have only moderate impairment.

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What about Wegovy® and cancer?

 

Non-lethal thyroid C-cell tumours observed in rodents are a class effect for GLP-1 receptor agonists.

 

The relevance for humans is considered to be low, but cannot be completely excluded.

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If you want to consult with our doctors to see if  Wegovy® is right for you, then go to our contact page to make an appointment.  Please note, all consultations are prepaid.

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Updated 1st August 2025

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Sapphire Appearance Medicine Clinic

Address: 26 College Hill,

Freemans Bay,  Auckland 1011

Phone: 09-360 0066

Email: sapphireclinic@gmail.com

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Mandatories:WEGOVY® (semaglutide) injection 2.4 mg is an injectable self funded ie not subsidised prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity:  Doctors fees are in addition to the medication costto reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack, or stroke in adults with known heart disease and with either obesity or overweight.that may help adults and children aged 12 years and older with obesity, or some adults with overweight who also have weight-related medical problems, to help them lose excess body weight and keep the weight off. Full information on the bottom of this page. Wegovy® contains semaglutide and should not be used with other semaglutide-containing products or other GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines.It is not known if Wegovy® is safe and effective for use in children under 12 years of age.Wegovy® may cause serious side effects, including:Possible thyroid tumors, including cancer. Tell your healthcare provider if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath. These may be symptoms of thyroid cancer. In studies with rodents, Wegovy® and medicines that work like Wegovy® caused thyroid tumors, including thyroid cancer. It is not known if Wegovy® will cause thyroid tumors or a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in peopleDo not use Wegovy® if you or any of your family have ever had a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2) Do not use Wegovy® if:you or any of your family have ever had a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2)you have had a serious allergic reaction to semaglutide or any of the ingredients in Wegovy® Before using Wegovy®, tell your healthcare provider if you have any other medical conditions, including if you:have or have had problems with your pancreas or kidneyshave type 2 diabetes and a history of diabetic retinopathyhave or have had depression, suicidal thoughts, or mental health issuesare scheduled to have surgery or other procedures that use anesthesia or deep sleepiness (deep sedation)are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Wegovy® may harm your unborn baby. You should stop using Wegovy® 2 months before you plan to become pregnantare breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Wegovy® passes into your breast milkTell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Wegovy® may affect the way some medicines work and some medicines may affect the way Wegovy® works. Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking other medicines to treat diabetes, including sulfonylureas or insulin. Wegovy® slows stomach emptying and can affect medicines that need to pass through the stomach quickly.Wegovy® may cause serious side effects, including:Possible thyroid tumors, including cancer. Tell your healthcare provider if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath. These may be symptoms of thyroid cancer. In studies with rodents, Wegovy® and medicines that work like Wegovy® caused thyroid tumors, including thyroid cancer. It is not known if Wegovy® will cause thyroid tumors or a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in peopleDo not use Wegovy® if you or any of your family have ever had a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2) Do not use Wegovy® if:you or any of your family have ever had a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2)you have had a serious allergic reaction to semaglutide or any of the ingredients in Wegovy® Before using Wegovy®, tell your healthcare provider if you have any other medical conditions, including if you:have or have had problems with your pancreas or kidneyshave type 2 diabetes and a history of diabetic retinopathyhave or have had depression, suicidal thoughts, or mental health issuesare scheduled to have surgery or other procedures that use anesthesia or deep sleepiness (deep sedation)are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Wegovy® may harm your unborn baby. You should stop using Wegovy® 2 months before you plan to become pregnantare breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Wegovy® passes into your breast milkTell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Wegovy® may affect the way some medicines work and some medicines may affect the way Wegovy® works. Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking other medicines to treat diabetes, including sulfonylureas or insulin. Wegovy® slows stomach emptying and can affect medicines that need to pass through the stomach quickly. What are the possible side effects of Wegovy®?Wegovy® may cause serious side effects, including:inflammation of your pancreas (pancreatitis). Stop using Wegovy® and call your healthcare provider right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area (abdomen) that will not go away, with or without vomiting. You may feel the pain from your abdomen to your backgallbladder problems. Wegovy® may cause gallbladder problems, including gallstones. Some gallstones may need surgery. Call your healthcare provider if you have symptoms, such as pain in your upper stomach (abdomen), fever, yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), or clay-colored stoolsincreased risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), especially those who also take medicines for diabetes such as insulin or sulfonylureas. This can be a serious side effect. Talk to your healthcare provider about how to recognize and treat low blood sugar and check your blood sugar before you start and while you take Wegovy®. Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar may include dizziness or light-headedness, blurred vision, anxiety, irritability or mood changes, sweating, slurred speech, hunger, confusion or drowsiness, shakiness, weakness, headache, fast heartbeat, or feeling jitterykidney problems (kidney failure). In people who have kidney problems, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting may cause a loss of fluids (dehydration), which may cause kidney problems to get worse. It is important for you to drink fluids to help reduce your chance of dehydrationsevere stomach problems. Stomach problems, sometimes severe, have been reported in people who use Wegovy®. Tell your healthcare provider if you have stomach problems that are severe or will not go awayserious allergic reactions. Stop using Wegovy® and get medical help right away, if you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat; problems breathing or swallowing; severe rash or itching; fainting or feeling dizzy; or very rapid heartbeatchange in vision in people with type 2 diabetes. Tell your healthcare provider if you have changes in vision during treatment with Wegovy®increased heart rate. Wegovy® can increase your heart rate while you are at rest. Tell your healthcare provider if you feel your heart racing or pounding in your chest and it lasts for several minutesdepression or thoughts of suicide. You should pay attention to any mental changes, especially sudden changes in your mood, behaviors, thoughts, or feelings. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any mental changes that are new, worse, or worry youfood or liquid getting into the lungs during surgery or other procedures that use anesthesia or deep sleepiness (deep sedation). Wegovy® may increase the chance of food getting into your lungs during surgery or other procedures. Tell all your healthcare providers that you are taking Wegovy® before you are scheduled to have surgery or other procedures The most common side effects of Wegovy® may include: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach (abdomen) pain, headache, tiredness (fatigue), upset stomach, dizziness, feeling bloated, belching, low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, gas, stomach flu, heartburn, and runny nose or sore throat.

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