SEMAGLUTIDE
Sold as: Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus (Novo Nordisk)
A lab-made copy of GLP-1, a gut hormone. Approved for diabetes, weight loss and heart risk, backed by very large trials.
What it's made of
H [Aib] E G T F T S D V S S Y L E G Q A A K* E F I A W L V R G R G. One lab-made block (Aib) stops an enzyme in the body (DPP-4) from cutting it. A fatty chain on block 20 makes it last about a week.
Load it in the Peptide builder →Where it comes from
Copies human GLP-1, a hormone your gut releases after you eat. Developed by Novo Nordisk. First approved in the US in 2017.
What it's studied for
- ● Proven in humans
Weight loss: in the STEP 1 trial (1,961 adults, 68 weeks), average weight fell 14.9% on semaglutide versus 2.4% on placebo.
- ● Proven in humans
Heart risk: in the SELECT trial (17,604 adults with heart disease and overweight), heart attack, stroke or heart death was about 20% less common than on placebo.
- ● Proven in humans
Approved in the US for type 2 diabetes (2017), weight management (2021) and lowering heart risk (2024).
Studied for ≠ proven to work. Check the stamp.
What we don't know
- ?
Stomach side effects such as nausea, diarrhea and vomiting are common. In SELECT, 16.6% stopped because of side effects, versus 8.2% on placebo.
- ?
The US label carries its strongest warning: it caused thyroid tumors in rodents. Whether that happens in people is not known.
- ?
The label also warns about pancreatitis, gallbladder problems and kidney injury from dehydration.
Status
- Approved in the US and the EU.
- Vietnam: Ozempic is registered for type 2 diabetes only. Using it for weight loss is off-label. Wegovy is not registered.
- Sport: not banned. On the World Anti-Doping Agency monitoring program.
Episodes
Words to know
Sources
- FDA label: Wegovy (semaglutide) ↗
- NEJM 2021: STEP 1 trial ↗
- NEJM 2023: SELECT trial ↗
- KEGG DRUG: semaglutide structure ↗
Checked: 9 Oct 2026