Are there any age restrictions for using Wegovy?

In UK services, routine age use focuses on adults within specialist pathways. Use in people under 18 is specialist and not part of standard adult commissioning routes. If a young person is being considered for treatment, this would happen in paediatric services with multidisciplinary input and careful assessment of risks and benefits.

Focus on adults in UK guidance

In the UK, Wegovy is commissioned primarily for adults who meet strict eligibility criteria. NICE guidance and commissioning policies are clear that the medicine should be prescribed within specialist weight-management services for those over 18. The evidence base that underpins these recommendations—the STEP trials—focused on adults, so the data are strongest for this group. This is why routine NHS access is structured around adult pathways, with clear rules on eligibility, dosing, and review points.

Why under-18 use is not routine

For people under 18, semaglutide is not part of standard commissioning routes. The safety and effectiveness of higher-dose semaglutide in adolescents is still being studied, and while some trials have reported promising results, the data remain limited compared with adults. Medicines regulators and appraisal bodies have therefore not included adolescents in the standard adult pathways. Any consideration of Wegovy in this group requires paediatric specialists and a more cautious case-by-case approach.

Paediatric services and specialist oversight

When a young person is being considered for treatment, this happens within paediatric services, not adult commissioning streams. A multidisciplinary team—including doctors, dietitians, psychologists, and often family support—assesses whether the benefits outweigh the risks. This team-based approach recognises that weight management in children and teenagers is complex, with physical, psychological, and developmental factors all playing a part. Medicine may be one option, but it is carefully weighed against behavioural and family-based interventions.

Why careful assessment is needed

Younger people are still growing, and their nutritional needs are different from adults. Introducing an appetite-regulating medicine like Wegovy can affect food intake in ways that require close monitoring to avoid unintended consequences. There are also concerns about long-term safety in this group, since most clinical data come from adult trials. For these reasons, regulators restrict routine access and require additional safeguards before a prescription is made. Treatment, if it happens, is embedded in a broader support plan that includes psychological input and regular monitoring.

Looking ahead

Research continues into how medicines like semaglutide may be used safely in adolescents. Early studies have shown encouraging results, with weight reduction and improvements in health markers, but regulators remain cautious until more long-term evidence is available. For now, adult services remain the focus of UK commissioning, while younger people are managed primarily with lifestyle and behavioural support unless referred to specialist paediatric teams. This separation ensures that treatment is evidence-led and appropriate to the stage of life.

The bigger picture

Wegovy is designed and approved for adults, and UK commissioning reflects this by restricting routine use to over-18s within specialist services. While early studies in adolescents are promising, under-18 use remains exceptional and requires paediatric input with multidisciplinary oversight. This ensures that younger people are protected while the evidence base develops. The bigger picture is that Wegovy is not a blanket solution for all ages but a treatment carefully targeted to adults, with any extension into younger groups considered only under the strictest specialist guidance.