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Semaglutide 2.4 mg: what it costs
Step 5 of the semaglutide ladder, around weeks 17+. 6 providers charge the same here as at the starting dose — the rest may not.
Updated 2026-09-18 · Prices verified independently
Each rung of this ladder means something different, and 2.4 mg is the one people ask about most at this stage.
2.4 mg is step 5 of 5 on the semaglutide ladder, reached around weeks 17+. The maintenance dose for weight management, and the one behind the figure most people have read.
It is also the point where pricing starts to matter. On a programme that charges by dose, your bill climbs exactly as the treatment begins working. On a flat-rate programme, 2.4 mg costs what the starting dose cost — and over a full titration that difference is worth more than almost any advertised discount.
What this page is for
Not to tell you which dose to be on — that is your prescriber's call. It is to explain what this particular rung is doing, what it tends to feel like, and what it will cost you, because on a lot of programmes those last two move together.
What 2.4 mg is for
2.4 mg is the semaglutide dose behind the figure everyone quotes: roughly 14.9% average body-weight loss over 68 weeks in STEP-1. It is the maintenance target for weight management, and for many people the end of the ladder. Worth holding onto, though: that 14.9% is an average from a controlled trial with structured support, and about 60% of weight lost is regained within a year of stopping — so the more useful question at this rung is what the long-term plan looks like, not how fast you got here.
The evidence. In STEP-1, adults on 2.4 mg lost an average of about 14.9% of body weight over 68 weeks.
This is the target for many people, but not a requirement. Settling lower and tolerating it beats reaching 2.4 mg and stopping.
Where 2.4 mg sits on the ladder
| Step | Dose | Roughly when |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.25 mg | weeks 1-4 |
| 2 | 0.5 mg | weeks 5-8 |
| 3 | 1 mg | weeks 9-12 |
| 4 | 1.7 mg | weeks 13-16 |
| 5 | 2.4 mg ← this page | weeks 17+ |
Do you need to go higher than 2.4 mg?
2.4 mg is the top of the ladder, so the question here is the opposite one: whether you need to stay this high. Some people step back down to a lower maintenance dose once they have reached their goal. That is a conversation for your prescriber.
What happens when I reach 2.4 mg?
For most people it becomes the ongoing maintenance dose rather than a finish line. Clinicians increasingly treat GLP-1 therapy the way they treat blood-pressure medication — something you stay on — which makes the monthly price a multi-year decision rather than a three-month one.
One last thing, because it applies to everything on this site: compounded medication is not FDA-approved, two approved pills now start around $149 a month, and eligible Medicare members can get certain GLP-1s for $50 from July 2026. Any of those may beat what you were about to buy.
Read next
- Flat pricing at every dose
Programmes where the price does not rise as your dose does — which matters more over a year than most advertised discounts.
- The cheapest semaglutide online
Semaglutide programmes ranked on the billed monthly figure, with membership fees counted and teaser rates discarded.
- Semaglutide 0.25 mg: what it costs
Step 1 of the semaglutide ladder, around weeks 1-4. 6 providers charge the same here as at the starting dose — the rest may not.
- Semaglutide 0.5 mg: what it costs
Step 2 of the semaglutide ladder, around weeks 5-8. 6 providers charge the same here as at the starting dose — the rest may not.
- Medicare, GLP-1s and the $50 month
CMS is running a time-limited programme giving eligible Part D members certain GLP-1s for $50 a month. If you are on Medicare, read this before paying cash for anything.
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