The A maintenance dose is the dose a patient stays on after titration, selected with a provider based on treatment response and tolerability. For weight reduction in adults, the Wegovy injection label names 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg once a week, and the Zepbound label names 5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg once a week.
How does a maintenance dose apply to compounded GLP-1 treatment?
With a compounded GLP-1, the maintenance dose is the dose you and your provider settle on, and the prescription states it. Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide are not FDA approved and have no FDA-approved label, so the named maintenance dosages belong to Wegovy and Zepbound. A provider can look to those labels and still has to judge the dose for one patient. Plenty of people stay on a dose that is working and do not climb to the top of the range. If side effects are hard to manage, you can ask to hold a dose longer or step back down. If you already take compounded semaglutide or compounded tirzepatide from another provider, tell us your dose. Our providers can match the dose you're on if it's right for you, and a licensed provider reviews every dose change.
What do the FDA-approved labels say about maintenance doses?
Each label names its maintenance dosages and tells the prescriber how to choose. For weight reduction in adults, the Wegovy injection label gives 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg once a week and marks 2.4 mg as recommended. For patients who tolerate 2.4 mg for at least four weeks, and for whom additional weight reduction is clinically indicated, it allows an increase to a maximum of 7.2 mg once a week. Wegovy tablets have one maintenance dosage, 25 mg once a day. The Zepbound label gives 5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg once a week for weight reduction, with 15 mg as the maximum. It says the 2.5 mg starting dosage is not approved as a maintenance dosage. Both labels say to consider treatment response and tolerability when selecting the maintenance dosage. The Zepbound label adds that a lower maintenance dosage can be considered when one is not tolerated.
What should a patient check at the maintenance stage?
Check three things once your dose stops changing: the label, the price and the vial. The pharmacy label states your dose, and with a compounded vial it also states the volume to draw, which depends on the concentration. FDA encourages patients to ask their provider or compounder how to measure the intended dose. On price, ask whether the cost changes with the dose. On our national plans the price does not change with your dose, and our pricing page shows every plan, including the Washington and Oregon tirzepatide plan that is priced by dose. On the vial, FDA recommends discarding a vial that holds multiple doses 28 days after the first use, even if medication remains in it. Follow up with your provider in your BrightSide patient portal, and see our pharmacy network page for how we choose pharmacies.
| Wegovy injection label | Wegovy tablets label | Zepbound label | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting dosage | 0.25 mg once weekly | 1.5 mg once daily | 2.5 mg once weekly, not approved as a maintenance dosage |
| Maintenance dosage | 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg (recommended) once weekly | 25 mg once daily | 5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg once weekly |
| Reached | Week 17 and onward | Day 91 and onward | 5 mg after 4 weeks at 2.5 mg; higher dosages by 2.5 mg increases, each after at least 4 weeks on the current dose |
| Maximum dosage | 7.2 mg once weekly | No higher dosage listed | 15 mg once weekly |
Common questions
Is the starting dose ever a maintenance dose?
Not on the Zepbound label, which says the 2.5 mg dosage is for treatment initiation and is not approved as a maintenance dosage. The Wegovy injection label lists 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg as maintenance dosages for weight reduction in adults, and 0.25 mg as the starting dosage. Staying at a starting dose is a form of microdosing, which a provider decides case by case.
Can a maintenance dose change?
Yes. The labels allow for it. The Zepbound label says to consider a lower maintenance dosage if a patient does not tolerate one, and the Wegovy injection label lists 1.7 mg alongside the recommended 2.4 mg. At BrightSide, a licensed provider reviews every dose change, and you can ask about yours in your patient portal.
Related terms
- Titration: the stepwise increases that lead to a maintenance dose.
- Microdosing: staying on a dose below the label maintenance doses.
- Wegovy: the FDA-approved semaglutide brand whose label is quoted above.
- Zepbound: the FDA-approved tirzepatide brand whose label is quoted above.
Sources
- Wegovy (semaglutide) prescribing information, Novo Nordisk, revised 6/2026, on DailyMed: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=ee06186f-2aa3-4990-a760-757579d8f77b
- Zepbound (tirzepatide) prescribing information, Eli Lilly, revised 8/2026, on DailyMed: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=487cd7e7-434c-4925-99fa-aa80b1cc776b
- FDA, FDA's concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss, content current as of October 1, 2026: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-alerts-and-statements/fdas-concerns-unapproved-glp-1-drugs-used-weight-loss
Compounded medications are not FDA approved. They are prescribed by a licensed clinician and filled by a licensed 503A pharmacy.
