Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical studies of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.

WEGOVY was evaluated for safety in 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials that included 2,116 adult patients with obesity or overweight treated with 2.4 mg WEGOVY for up to 68 weeks and a 7-week off-drug follow-up period

In these clinical trials, 6.8% of patients treated with 2.4 mg WEGOVY and 3.2% of patients treated with placebo permanently discontinued treatment as a result of adverse reactions. The most common adverse reactions leading to discontinuation were nausea (1.8% versus 0.2%), vomiting (1.2% versus 0%), and diarrhea (0.7% versus 0.1%) for WEGOVY and placebo, respectively.

Adverse reactions reported in clinical trials in adults and greater than or equal to 2% of WEGOVY-treated patients and more frequently than in placebo-treated patients are shown in

In a CV outcomes trial, 8,803 patients were exposed to WEGOVY for a median of 37.3 months and 8,801 patients were exposed to placebo for a median of 38.6 months

WEGOVY was evaluated in a 68-week, double-blind, randomized, parallel group, placebo-controlled, multi-center trial in 201 pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with obesity

The safety of WEGOVY was evaluated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (Study 8) that included 1,195 adult patients with MASH, including 800 patients who were exposed to WEGOVY for a median of 95.3 weeks and 395 patients who were exposed to placebo for a median of 83.1 weeks

The most commonly reported adverse reactions were consistent with the other approved WEGOVY indications (see

In WEGOVY clinical trials in adults for weight reduction, acute pancreatitis was confirmed by adjudication in 4 WEGOVY-treated patients (0.2 cases per 100 patient years) and 1 in placebo-treated patients (less than 0.1 cases per 100 patient years). One additional case of acute pancreatitis was confirmed in a patient treated with WEGOVY in another clinical trial.

In WEGOVY clinical trials in adults for weight reduction, cholelithiasis was reported by 1.6% of WEGOVY-treated patients and 0.7% of placebo-treated patients. Cholecystitis was reported by 0.6% of WEGOVY-treated adult patients and 0.2% of placebo-treated patients. In a clinical trial in pediatric patients aged 12 years and older for weight reduction

In a trial of adult patients with type 2 diabetes and BMI greater than or equal to 27 kg/m

Episodes of hypoglycemia have been reported with GLP-1 receptor agonists in adult patients without type 2 diabetes mellitus. In WEGOVY clinical trials in adult patients without type 2 diabetes mellitus for weight reduction, there was no systematic capturing or reporting of hypoglycemia.

In a CV outcomes trial in adult patients without type 2 diabetes, 3 episodes of serious hypoglycemia were reported in WEGOVY-treated patients versus 1 episode in placebo. Patients with a history of bariatric surgery (a risk factor for hypoglycemia) had more events of serious hypoglycemia while taking WEGOVY (2.3%, 2/87) than placebo (0%, 0/97).

Acute kidney injury occurred in clinical trials for weight reduction in 7 adult patients (0.4 cases per 100 patient years) receiving WEGOVY versus 4 patients (0.2 cases per 100 patient years of exposure) receiving placebo. Some of these adverse reactions occurred in association with gastrointestinal adverse reactions or dehydration. In addition, 2 patients treated with WEGOVY had acute kidney injury with dehydration in other clinical trials. The risk of renal adverse reactions with WEGOVY was increased in adult patients with a history of renal impairment (trials included 65 patients with a history of moderate or severe renal impairment at baseline), and occurred more frequently during dose titration.

In a trial of adult patients with type 2 diabetes and BMI greater than or equal to 27 kg/m

Mean increases in resting heart rate of 1 to 4 beats per minute (bpm) were observed with routine clinical monitoring in WEGOVY-treated adult patients compared to placebo in clinical trials for weight reduction. In weight reduction trials in which adult patients were randomized prior to dose-escalation, more patients treated with WEGOVY, compared with placebo, had maximum changes from baseline at any visit of 10 to 19 bpm (41% versus 34%, respectively) and 20 bpm or more (26% versus 16%, respectively). In a clinical trial for weight reduction in pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with normal baseline heart rate, more patients treated with WEGOVY compared to placebo had maximum changes in heart rate of 20 bpm or more (54% versus 39%).

Adverse reactions related to hypotension (hypotension, orthostatic hypotension, and decreased blood pressure) were reported in 1.3% of WEGOVY-treated adult patients versus 0.4% of placebo-treated patients and syncope was reported in 0.8% of WEGOVY-treated patients versus 0.2% of placebo-treated patients in clinical trials for weight reduction. Some reactions were related to gastrointestinal adverse reactions and volume loss associated with WEGOVY. Hypotension and orthostatic hypotension were more frequently seen in patients on concomitant antihypertensive therapy. In a clinical trial in pediatric patients aged 12 years and older for weight reduction, hypotension was reported in 2.3% of WEGOVY-treated patients versus 0% in placebo-treated patients.

Appendicitis (including perforated appendicitis) occurred in 10 (0.5%) WEGOVY-treated adult patients and 2 (0.2%) patients receiving placebo in clinical trials for weight reduction.

In clinical trials in adults for weight reduction, 73% of WEGOVY-treated patients and 47% of patients receiving placebo reported gastrointestinal adverse reactions, including severe reactions that were reported more frequently among patients receiving WEGOVY (4.1%) than placebo (0.9%). The most frequently reported reactions were nausea (44% vs. 16%), vomiting (25% vs. 6%), and diarrhea (30% vs. 16%). Other reactions that occurred at a higher incidence among WEGOVY-treated adult patients included dyspepsia, abdominal pain, abdominal distension, eructation, flatulence, gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastritis, hemorrhoids, and hiccups. These reactions were most frequently reported during dosage escalation.

In the pediatric clinical trial for weight reduction, 62% of WEGOVY-treated patients and 42% of placebo-treated patients reported gastrointestinal adverse reactions. The most frequently reported reactions were nausea (42% vs. 18%), vomiting (36% vs. 10%), and diarrhea (22% vs. 19%). Other gastrointestinal-related reactions that occurred at a higher incidence than placebo among WEGOVY-treated pediatric patients included abdominal pain, constipation, eructation, gastroesophageal reflux disease, dyspepsia, and flatulence.

Permanent discontinuation of treatment as a result of a gastrointestinal adverse reaction occurred in 4.3% of WEGOVY-treated adult patients versus 0.7% of placebo-treated patients. In a pediatric clinical trial for weight reduction, 2.3% of patients treated with WEGOVY versus 1.5% of patients who received placebo discontinued treatment as a result of gastrointestinal adverse reactions.

In clinical trials in adults for weight reduction, 1.4% of WEGOVY-treated patients and 1% of patients receiving placebo experienced injection site reactions (including injection site pruritus, erythema, inflammation, induration, and irritation).

Serious hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., anaphylaxis, angioedema) have been reported with WEGOVY.

In a pediatric clinical trial for weight reduction, rash was reported in 3% of WEGOVY-treated patients and 0% of placebo-treated patients, and urticaria was reported in 3% of WEGOVY-treated patients and 0% of placebo-treated patients

In adult clinical trials for weight reduction, allergic reactions occurred in 16% (8/50) of WEGOVY-treated patients with anti-semaglutide antibodies and in 7% (114/1,659) of WEGOVY-treated patients who did not develop anti-semaglutide antibodies

In the CV outcomes trial in adults, more fractures of the hip and pelvis were reported on WEGOVY than on placebo in female patients: 1% (24/2,448) vs. 0.2% (5/2,424), and in patients ages 75 years and older: 2.4% (17/703) vs. 0.6% (4/663), respectively.

In a clinical trial in adults with MASH, fractures occurred in 4.4% of WEGOVY-treated patients (2.6 cases per 100 patient years) compared to 3.3% of placebo-treated patients (2 cases per 100 patient years). Fractures were reported in both males and females with a median age of 61 years (range, 44-75).

In a CV outcomes trial, 1.2% of WEGOVY-treated patients and 0.8% of patients receiving placebo reported urolithiasis, including serious reactions that were reported more frequently among patients receiving WEGOVY (0.6%) than placebo (0.4%).

In clinical trials in adults for weight reduction, 1.7% of WEGOVY-treated patients and 0.5% of placebo-treated patients reported dysgeusia.

Adult and pediatric patients treated with WEGOVY had a mean increase from baseline in amylase of 15 to 16% and lipase of 39% in clinical trials for weight reduction. These changes were not observed in the placebo group.

In a clinical trial in adults with MASH, increases in lipase greater than 3 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) occurred in 4.7% (35/750) of WEGOVY-treated patients compared with 1.3% (5/374) of placebo-treated patients. The clinical significance of elevations in lipase or amylase with WEGOVY is unknown in the absence of other signs and symptoms of pancreatitis.

In a pediatric clinical trial for weight reduction, increases in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) greater than or equal to 5 times the ULN were observed in 4 (3%) WEGOVY-treated patients compared with 0% of placebo-treated patients. In some patients, increases in ALT and AST were associated with other confounding factors (such as gallstones). In the CV outcomes trial in adults, increases in total bilirubin greater than or equal to 3 times the ULN were observed in 0.3% (30/8,585) of WEGOVY-treated patients versus 0.2% (14/8,579) of placebo-treated patients.

The following adverse reactions have been reported during post-approval use of semaglutide, the active ingredient of WEGOVY. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure.

elective surgeries or procedures requiring general anesthesia or deep sedation