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Compounds / Semaglutide

Semaglutide

Full name
Semaglutide (GLP-1 receptor agonist)
Mechanism
Long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. Enhances glucose-dependent insulin secretion, suppresses glucagon, slows gastric emptying, and acts centrally to reduce appetite.
Half-life
~7 days
Administration
subcutaneous, oral (Rybelsus)
Typical dosage*
low: 0.25mg/week (titration start) · typical: 1.0mg/week · high: 2.4mg/week (weight indication)
Researched for
type 2 diabetes, chronic weight management, cardiovascular risk reduction (indicated populations)
Reported side effects
nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea/constipation, rare: pancreatitis, gallbladder events, boxed warning: thyroid C-cell tumours (rodent)
Interactions
delays gastric emptying — may affect oral drug absorption, additive hypoglycaemia with insulin/sulfonylureas
Commonly combined
clinically used as monotherapy or with metformin/insulin (prescriber-directed)
Scheduling
🇦🇺 AUPrescription-only (S4); ARTG-registered as Ozempic/Wegovy/Rybelsus
🇺🇸 USFDA-approved prescription drug (Ozempic/Wegovy/Rybelsus)
🇬🇧 UKLicensed prescription medicine
Regulatory status
FDA/TGA/MHRA-APPROVED prescription drug. Compounded/grey-market 'research' semaglutide is NOT the approved product and carries identity/purity risk.
Recon default
250 mcg typical · 2 ml BAC · refrigerated

*Doses are commonly-reported figures from public sources, not a recommendation. Educational only.

30studies
9faqs
metabolicweight-managementapproved-drug

Studies (30)

YearTitle / venueSource
2025Semaglutide in Adults with Type 1 Diabetes and Obesity
NEJM evidence · human
PMID 40550013
2025Cagrilintide-Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes
The New England journal of medicine · human
PMID 40544432
2025Semaglutide in patients with overweight or obesity and chronic kidney disease without diabetes: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial
Nature medicine · human
PMID 39455729
2025Real-world evidence on the utilization, clinical and comparative effectiveness, and adverse effects of newer GLP-1RA-based weight-loss therapies
Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · preclinical
PMID 40196933
2025GLP-1-based therapies for diabetes, obesity and beyond
Nature reviews. Drug discovery · preclinical
PMID 40281304
2025Mechanisms of GLP-1 Receptor Agonist-Induced Weight Loss: A Review of Central and Peripheral Pathways in Appetite and Energy Regulation
The American journal of medicine · preclinical
PMID 39892489
2024Semaglutide in Patients with Obesity-Related Heart Failure and Type 2 Diabetes
The New England journal of medicine · human
PMID 38587233
2024Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of Once-Weekly Semaglutide for Weight Loss in Patients Without Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
The American journal of cardiology · preclinical
PMID 38679221
2024Efficacy and safety of once weekly semaglutide 2·4 mg for weight management in a predominantly east Asian population with overweight or obesity (STEP 7): a double-blind, multicentre, randomised controlled trial
The lancet. Diabetes & endocrinology · human
PMID 38330988
2024Efficacy and Safety of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists on Body Weight and Cardiometabolic Parameters in Individuals With Obesity and Without Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists · preclinical
PMID 38029929
2024Obesity, Cardiovascular Disease, and the Promising Role of Semaglutide: Insights from the SELECT Trial
Current problems in cardiology · preclinical
PMID 37640171
2024Assessment of Thyroid Carcinogenic Risk and Safety Profile of GLP1-RA Semaglutide (Ozempic) Therapy for Diabetes Mellitus and Obesity: A Systematic Literature Review
International journal of molecular sciences · preclinical
PMID 38673931
2024A systematic review of the effect of semaglutide on lean mass: insights from clinical trials
Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy · preclinical
PMID 38629387
2024Efficacy and safety of semaglutide 2.4 mg for weight loss in overweight or obese adults without diabetes: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis including the 2-year STEP 5 trial
Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · preclinical
PMID 38016699
2024Update on Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk: From Pathophysiology to Clinical Management
Nutrients · preclinical
PMID 39203917
2023Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes
The New England journal of medicine · human
PMID 37952131
2023Obesity Management in Adults: A Review
JAMA · preclinical
PMID 38015216
2023Semaglutide for the treatment of obesity
Trends in cardiovascular medicine · preclinical
PMID 34942372
2023Semaglutide for the treatment of overweight and obesity: A review
Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · preclinical
PMID 36254579
2022Effect of Weekly Subcutaneous Semaglutide vs Daily Liraglutide on Body Weight in Adults With Overweight or Obesity Without Diabetes: The STEP 8 Randomized Clinical Trial
JAMA · human
PMID 35015037
2022Efficacy and Safety of Semaglutide for Weight Loss in Obesity Without Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies · preclinical
PMID 36578889
2022Two-year effects of semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity: the STEP 5 trial
Nature medicine · human
PMID 36216945
2022Semaglutide once a week in adults with overweight or obesity, with or without type 2 diabetes in an east Asian population (STEP 6): a randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled, phase 3a trial
The lancet. Diabetes & endocrinology · human
PMID 35131037
2022Wegovy (semaglutide): a new weight loss drug for chronic weight management
Journal of investigative medicine : the official publication of the American Federation for Clinical Research · preclinical
PMID 34706925
2022Tirzepatide, a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor co-agonist for the treatment of type 2 diabetes with unmatched effectiveness regrading glycaemic control and body weight reduction
Cardiovascular diabetology · preclinical
PMID 36050763
2022GLP-1 physiology informs the pharmacotherapy of obesity
Molecular metabolism · preclinical
PMID 34626851
2021Semaglutide 2·4 mg once a week in adults with overweight or obesity, and type 2 diabetes (STEP 2): a randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial
Lancet (London, England) · human
PMID 33667417
2021Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity
The New England journal of medicine · human
PMID 33567185
2021Safety of Semaglutide
Frontiers in endocrinology · preclinical
PMID 34305810
2021GLP-1 receptor agonists in the treatment of type 2 diabetes - state-of-the-art
Molecular metabolism · preclinical
PMID 33068776

Questions (9)

What is Semaglutide?

Semaglutide (Semaglutide (GLP-1 receptor agonist)). Long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. Enhances glucose-dependent insulin secretion, suppresses glucagon, slows gastric emptying, and acts centrally to reduce appetite.

What is Semaglutide used for?

Commonly discussed uses: type 2 diabetes, chronic weight management, cardiovascular risk reduction (indicated populations). There is both human and animal/preclinical research, though the depth and quality vary by indication. Note: most uses are not approved indications.

How does Semaglutide work?

Mechanism: Long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. Enhances glucose-dependent insulin secretion, suppresses glucagon, slows gastric emptying, and acts centrally to reduce appetite.

Is Semaglutide safe?

Reported considerations: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea/constipation, rare: pancreatitis, gallbladder events, boxed warning: thyroid C-cell tumours (rodent). There is both human and animal/preclinical research, though the depth and quality vary by indication. FDA/TGA/MHRA-APPROVED prescription drug. Compounded/grey-market 'research' semaglutide is NOT the approved product and carries identity/purity risk. This is not a safety endorsement; safety data for unapproved compounds is incomplete.

What is the typical dose of Semaglutide?

Commonly cited ranges (educational reference, not a recommendation): low 0.25mg/week (titration start), typical 1.0mg/week, high 2.4mg/week (weight indication). Administration: subcutaneous, oral (Rybelsus). Half-life: ~7 days.

Is Semaglutide legal in Australia?

Australian status: Prescription-only (S4); ARTG-registered as Ozempic/Wegovy/Rybelsus. FDA/TGA/MHRA-APPROVED prescription drug. Compounded/grey-market 'research' semaglutide is NOT the approved product and carries identity/purity risk. General regulatory context: most active peptides are Schedule 4 and require a prescription; import via the Personal Importation Scheme requires a valid Australian prescription for prescription-only goods.

How do you store Semaglutide?

Reconstitution/storage reference: approved product is pre-filled pen; compounded vials vary; storage: refrigerated; in-use pen per label.

What is Semaglutide commonly stacked with?

Commonly discussed combinations (anecdotal for unapproved compounds): clinically used as monotherapy or with metformin/insulin (prescriber-directed). Stacking increases interaction/safety uncertainty.