Semaglutide: what it is, what the studies show and where it stands
Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. This page covers the once-weekly injection under the skin.
At a glance
US Approved, prescription
Canada Authorized, prescription
Group Weight loss and metabolic
Sources 13
Checked 10 Oct 2026What is Semaglutide?
Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. This page covers the once-weekly injection under the skin. Daily tablets also exist and follow a different milligram scale. [1]
Other names: Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus.
How it has been given to people: subcutaneous injection, once weekly (oral tablets exist; the dose table here is for the injection only).
Looking for doses? Semaglutide dosage chart and vial math
Is Semaglutide approved in the US and Canada?
United States: FDA approved: Ozempic injection (5 December 2017), Rybelsus tablets (20 September 2019), Wegovy injection (4 June 2021) and Wegovy tablets (22 December 2025). [9]
Canada: Authorized by Health Canada. Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy are listed as marketed, and so are generic semaglutide injections from two companies. [10]
Both were checked on 10 Oct 2026 against the regulators' own product databases.
Which approved products contain Semaglutide?
| Product | Country | Approved for | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ozempic (injection) | US | In adults with type 2 diabetes: glycemic control with diet and exercise; lowering the risk of major cardiovascular events in those with established cardiovascular disease; lowering the risk of kidney function decline, kidney failure and cardiovascular death in those with chronic kidney disease. | Label |
| Wegovy (injection) | US | With a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity: lowering the risk of major cardiovascular events in adults with established cardiovascular disease and obesity or overweight; reducing excess body weight long term in adults and children 12 and older with obesity and in adults with overweight plus a weight-related condition; noncirrhotic MASH with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis in adults (accelerated approval). | Label |
| Wegovy (tablets) | US | With a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity in adults: lowering the risk of major cardiovascular events in those with established cardiovascular disease and obesity or overweight, and reducing excess body weight long term. | Label |
| Rybelsus and Ozempic (tablets) | US | In adults with type 2 diabetes: glycemic control with diet and exercise, and lowering the risk of major cardiovascular events in those at high risk. | Label |
| Ozempic (injection) | CA | Adults with type 2 diabetes: glycemic control in set combinations with diet, exercise and other diabetes medicines; lowering the risk of major cardiovascular events in those with established cardiovascular disease and/or chronic kidney disease; lowering the risk of kidney function decline, kidney failure and cardiovascular death in those with chronic kidney disease. | Label |
| Wegovy (injection) | CA | With a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity: chronic weight management in adults with BMI 30 or greater, or 27 or greater with a weight-related condition, and in patients aged 12 to under 18 with obesity and a body weight above 60 kg. Also to lower the risk of non-fatal heart attack in adults with established cardiovascular disease and BMI 27 or greater. | Label |
What human studies of Semaglutide exist?
The 5 findings listed here: 5 from randomized human trials.
In adults with overweight or obesity and no diabetes, mean weight change at 68 weeks was -14.9% on 2.4 mg weekly against -2.4% on placebo. [4]
In people with cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity but no diabetes, a first major cardiovascular event occurred in 6.5% on 2.4 mg weekly and 8.0% on placebo. [5]
In type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular death, heart attack or stroke occurred in 6.6% on semaglutide 0.5 mg or 1.0 mg and 8.9% on placebo over 104 weeks. [6]
US label, Study 8 (72 weeks, adults with obesity): mean weight change was -18.8% on 7.2 mg, -15.5% on 2.4 mg and -3.9% on placebo. The quoted table row lists placebo, 2.4 mg and 7.2 mg in that order. [2]
Head to head in adults with obesity and no type 2 diabetes, weight fell 13.7% on semaglutide (1.7 mg or 2.4 mg) and 20.2% on tirzepatide at 72 weeks. [8]
What are the side effects of Semaglutide?
Reported in human studies or on a label:
- Wegovy label, reactions in 5% or more: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, abnormal skin sensations, headache, fatigue, indigestion, dizziness, bloating, belching, low blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, gas, gastroenteritis, reflux and hair loss. [2]
- Ozempic label, reactions in 5% or more: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and constipation. [1]
- In STEP 1 nausea and diarrhea were the most common events, usually short-lived and mild to moderate. [4]
- In SELECT, 16.6% on semaglutide stopped the trial product for good because of adverse events, against 8.2% on placebo. [5]
- In SUSTAIN-6, diabetic retinopathy complications were more frequent on semaglutide than on placebo. [6]
- At 7.2 mg (US label, two 72-week trials) the rates were: nausea 39%, vomiting 22% and abnormal skin sensations (dysesthesia) 22%, against 35%, 16% and 6% on 2.4 mg and 13%, 6% and 0% on placebo. [2]
- In those 7.2 mg trials, stomach and bowel reactions led to stopping treatment in 3% on 7.2 mg, 3% on 2.4 mg and 0.3% on placebo. [2]
Warnings on the label
- Boxed warning: semaglutide caused thyroid C-cell tumors in rodents. [2]
- Whether it causes these tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma, in people is not known. [2]
- Not for anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), or with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). The Ozempic label says the same. [2]
- Not for anyone who has had a serious hypersensitivity reaction to semaglutide or to an ingredient in the product. [2]
- Not recommended together with another semaglutide product or any other GLP-1 receptor agonist. [2]
- The Wegovy label says to stop at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy. [2]
- It slows stomach emptying, which can change how other medicines taken by mouth are absorbed. [2]
- With insulin or a sulfonylurea the risk of low blood sugar goes up. [2]
- Wegovy injection, one missed dose: take it as soon as possible if the next scheduled dose is more than 2 days away; otherwise skip it and carry on with the usual day. [2]
- Wegovy injection, 2 or more doses missed in a row: the label says to restart escalation at a lower dose. [2]
- Ozempic injection, missed dose: take it within 5 days; after that, skip it and take the next dose on the usual day. [1]
What is the half-life of Semaglutide?
About 1 week. [1]
How does Semaglutide compare with others in its group?
These are the peptides filed under weight loss and metabolic. The last column says whether a randomized human trial is on record for each.
| Peptide | US | Canada | Half-life | Randomized human trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retatrutide | Not approved, in trials | Not authorized | About 6 days, from a 12-week phase 1b trial of once-weekly dosing in people with type 2 diabetes (72 enrolled). | Yes |
| Tirzepatide | Approved, prescription | Authorized, prescription | About 5 days. | Yes |
| Semaglutide | Approved, prescription | Authorized, prescription | About 1 week. | Yes |
| Cagrilintide | Not approved, in trials | Not authorized | 159 to 195 hours, about 6.6 to 8.1 days, measured in a phase 1b trial where it was given with semaglutide 2.4 mg. | Yes |
| AOD-9604 | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | Yes |
| 5-Amino-1MQ | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | No |
| SLU-PP-332 | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | No |
| HGH Fragment 176-191 | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | No |
What could not be found
These were searched for and did not turn up. They are listed so a missing number is not mistaken for a hidden one.
- Canadian product monographs were opened for the indications and the dose schedule only. Warnings, side effects, missed-dose and storage text in this file come from the US labels.
- Which label supplement added the 7.2 mg dose, and on what date. The US label's change list shows Dosage and Administration revisions dated 08/2025, 12/2025 and 03/2026 without saying what each changed.
- The STEP UP paper [7] is listed but not quoted, because its abstract prints decimals with a raised dot. The 7.2 mg figures here are the US label's own.
Semaglutide questions
Is Semaglutide approved in the US?
FDA approved: Ozempic injection (5 December 2017), Rybelsus tablets (20 September 2019), Wegovy injection (4 June 2021) and Wegovy tablets (22 December 2025).
Is Semaglutide authorized in Canada?
Authorized by Health Canada. Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy are listed as marketed, and so are generic semaglutide injections from two companies.
What is the half-life of Semaglutide?
About 1 week.
Has Semaglutide been tested in a randomized human trial?
Yes. At least one randomized human trial is listed on this page.
Sources
Each one was opened on 10 Oct 2026 and matched to the line it supports.
- Ozempic (semaglutide) injection, US prescribing information, Novo Nordisk, label version 20 2026-06-01. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov.
- Wegovy (semaglutide) injection and tablets, US prescribing information, Novo Nordisk, label version 19 2026-06-18. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov.
- Rybelsus and Ozempic (oral semaglutide) tablets, US prescribing information, Novo Nordisk, label version 14 2026-01-30. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov.
- Wilding JPH et al. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity. N Engl J Med 2021. PubMed 33567185. Trial NCT03548935.
- Lincoff AM et al. Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes. N Engl J Med 2023. PubMed 37952131. Trial NCT03574597.
- Marso SP et al. Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. N Engl J Med 2016. PubMed 27633186. Trial NCT01720446.
- Wharton S et al. Once-weekly semaglutide 7.2 mg in adults with obesity (STEP UP): a randomised, controlled, phase 3b trial. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2025. PubMed 40961952. Trial NCT05646706.
- Aronne LJ et al. Tirzepatide as Compared with Semaglutide for the Treatment of Obesity. N Engl J Med 2025. PubMed 40353578. Trial NCT05822830.
- Drugs@FDA via openFDA: applications with active ingredient semaglutide api.fda.gov.
- Health Canada Drug Product Database: products with active ingredient semaglutide, with status lookups health-products.canada.ca.
- Wegovy (semaglutide injection) Canadian product monograph, Novo Nordisk Canada Inc., date of authorization 2026-10-02 2026-10-02. pdf.hres.ca.
- Ozempic (semaglutide injection) Canadian product monograph, Novo Nordisk Canada Inc., date of authorization 2026-07-13 2026-07-13. pdf.hres.ca.
- FDA's Concerns with Unapproved GLP-1 Drugs Used for Weight Loss (content current as of 10/01/2026) fda.gov.
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