Maintenance Dose
The target ongoing dose where trial results were measured — 2.4 mg for Wegovy, up to 15 mg for Zepbound.
The maintenance dose is where the published numbers live: STEP 1's 14.9% was measured at semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly, SURMOUNT-1's 22.5% at tirzepatide 15 mg. It's the dose treatment aims to sustain long-term once escalation completes.
Reality is appropriately messier: plenty of patients maintain at intermediate doses — 1.7 mg semaglutide, 10 mg tirzepatide — because their results-to-side-effects balance peaks there, and "highest tolerated effective dose" is better medicine than "label maximum." Chronic-disease framing applies: maintenance means ongoing, and stopping at goal weight without a plan is the classic setup for regain. Dose decisions at this stage are collaborative, revisited at check-ins rather than set once.
This glossary entry is general information, not medical advice, and is written to be consistent with FDA prescribing information and primary trial publications as of its last review. Always consult a licensed healthcare provider for personal medical decisions.
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