A new, stronger version of the weight loss medication Wegovy (semaglutide) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Called Wegovy HD, it comes in a 7.2mg dose and will be available to patients in the United States starting in April 2026. This higher dose is designed for adults with obesity or who are overweight and have at least one weight-related health condition, such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes. Wegovy HD is not meant to replace diet and exercise but can be used as part of a long-term weight management plan. The FDA based its approval on clinical trial results, which showed that the 7.2mg dose helped patients lose more weight than the currently available doses while maintaining a similar safety profile. The approval of Wegovy HD comes just before patents on semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy, expired in India and China on March 20. This has opened the door for other drug companies to produce and sell lower-cost versions of semaglutide in these countries. For example, Natco Pharma plans to sell a generic version of semaglutide in India for as little as $14 per month, compared to the current cost of Wegovy in India, which ranges from $108 to $173 per month. In China, at least 16 companies are developing generic versions of semaglutide, including one from United Laboratories that is currently in late-stage testing for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Additionally, Sandoz, a company owned by Novartis, is working on a generic version of Ozempic (also semaglutide) for the Canadian market, with plans to launch it for type 2 diabetes by the second quarter of 2026. The approval of Wegovy HD also makes it the fourth drug to receive a special FDA review voucher called the Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher (CNPV) program. This program is designed to speed up the review process for drugs that address serious unmet medical needs, improve affordability, offer cures, or boost local manufacturing. The FDA has already awarded these vouchers to several companies, including Merck, Regeneron, Sanofi, Revolution, and Dompé Farmaceutici. The program was introduced under former President Trump’s efforts to encourage the development of drugs in the U.S. Most recently, Johnson & Johnson’s combination therapy for multiple myeloma, Tecvayli (teclistamab)-Darzalex Faspro (daratumumab), received FDA approval through this program. However, there have been concerns raised by industry experts about how the FDA selects which drugs receive these vouchers.