Every GLP-1 medication climbs from a low starting dose to a maintenance dose, but each drug has its own ladder. Knowing yours tells you where you are in the process, and explains why a friend on a different medication is on a completely different schedule.
Why dose ladders differ by drug
Each GLP-1 medication has its own FDA-approved titration schedule, built from its own clinical trials. There's no single schedule for the whole class. This guide shows how the main drugs differ. It doesn't replace your prescribed schedule, so confirm yours with your prescriber or pharmacist and the current prescribing information, because labels do get updated.
The ladders at a glance
| Drug | Brand | Rungs | Step held | Max (adults) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semaglutide | Ozempic (diabetes) | 0.25 → 0.5 → 1 → 2 mg weekly | ≥4 weeks | 2 mg |
| Semaglutide | Wegovy (weight) | 0.25 → 0.5 → 1 → 1.7 → 2.4 mg weekly (→ 7.2 mg optional) | 4 weeks | 7.2 mg, only after ≥4 weeks on 2.4 mg if more weight loss is clinically indicated (1.7 or 2.4 mg is the usual maintenance dose) |
| Semaglutide (oral) | Wegovy tablets (weight) | 1.5 → 4 → 9 → 25 mg daily | 30 days | 25 mg |
| Semaglutide (oral) | Ozempic tablets (diabetes) | 1.5 → 4 → 9 mg daily | ≥30 days | 9 mg |
| Semaglutide (oral) | Rybelsus (diabetes) | 3 → 7 → 14 mg daily | ≥30 days | 14 mg |
| Tirzepatide | Mounjaro (diabetes) | 2.5 → 5 → 7.5 → 10 → 12.5 → 15 mg weekly | ≥4 weeks | 15 mg |
| Tirzepatide | Zepbound (weight) | identical to Mounjaro | ≥4 weeks | 15 mg |
| Dulaglutide | Trulicity (diabetes) | 0.75 → 1.5 → 3 → 4.5 mg weekly | ≥4 weeks | 4.5 mg |
| Liraglutide | Victoza (diabetes) | 0.6 → 1.2 → 1.8 mg daily | 1 week | 1.8 mg |
| Liraglutide | Saxenda (weight) | 0.6 → 1.2 → 1.8 → 2.4 → 3.0 mg daily | 1 week | 3.0 mg |
| Orforglipron (oral) | Foundayo (weight) | 0.8 → 2.5 → 5.5 → 9 → 14.5 → 17.2 mg daily | ≥30 days | 17.2 mg |
These come from the U.S. prescribing information current as of September 2026 (see the evidence panel). Labels change, so use the table to get oriented and check the current label for your own drug.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy)
Semaglutide injections step up about once a month: a low starting dose held for four weeks, then set increases roughly every four weeks until you reach a maintenance dose. The weight-management version, Wegovy, has more steps and a higher maintenance dose than Ozempic, the diabetes version. As of 2026 the Wegovy label also allows a further step to 7.2 mg for some adults. That's part of why switching between the two isn't a simple swap; see our guide on switching between diabetes and weight-management dosing.
The semaglutide pills climb in 30-day steps instead. Their milligram numbers don't line up with the injections, or even with each other, because the formulations differ.
Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound)
Tirzepatide goes up in 2.5 mg steps (2.5 → 5 → 7.5 → 10 → 12.5 → 15 mg), each held at least 4 weeks. That's more rungs than semaglutide on the same 4-week rhythm. Unlike semaglutide, the diabetes brand (Mounjaro) and the weight-management brand (Zepbound) share an identical 2.5 to 15 mg ladder.
Liraglutide (Victoza / Saxenda)
Liraglutide differs in two ways. It's taken daily, not weekly, because it's cleared from the body much faster. And it steps up every week instead of every month, so the whole climb is quicker than with semaglutide or tirzepatide even though each step is smaller.
What they have in common
Every ladder follows the same logic: start low, go up gradually, and stay at a maintenance dose once you reach it (see our guide on what "maintenance dose" actually means). Side effects tend to bunch up around each increase, whichever drug you take, as our side effect timeline guide covers. What varies is the doses, step sizes and timing, so work from your own prescribed schedule, not another drug's numbers.
This article is for general education and is not medical advice. Always work from the schedule your prescriber gave you and the current official prescribing information.