Semaglutide
GLP-1 agonist. Semaglutide is FDA approved (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus); research-chemical versions are not the approved drug.
Also called:semaOzempicWegovyRybelsusWegovy pill
Medically reviewed by Juan Pablo Frías, MD · · DisclosureUpdated Strongest evidence: Human RCT evidence, 4 of 4
Key facts
How we verify- Class
- GLP-1 agonist
- Also called
- sema, Ozempic
- Vial sizes sold
- 2 mg, 3 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg
- Community-reported sizes
- Half-life
- approximately 1 week
- subcutaneous, in people · FDA label (Ozempic)
- FDA status
- Approved (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus)
- Approved
- WADA
- Not listed
- 2026 Prohibited List
Everything on Semaglutide
Semaglutide guides
01DosageDoses used in published studies, with the source for each.02Side effectsWhat labels and studies report, and what is unknown.03CalculatorVial, water and dose to syringe units.04ResultsStudy outcomes and when they were measured.05PricePrice per mg and per week from dated listings. No vendor links.06Legal statusFDA, compounding and WADA status with dates.07How to injectSites, syringe types and hygiene, step by step.08Half-lifeWhat is measured, by route, and what is not.09StoragePowder and mixed vials: temperature and shelf life.102.5 mg doseHow many units 2.5 mg is at common concentrations.11For weight lossWhat research says about Semaglutide for weight loss.12For diabetesWhat research says about Semaglutide for diabetes.13For energyWhat research says about Semaglutide for energy.
Vial and dose sizes
Evidence at a glance
Human and animal counts are PubMed records from our evidence ledger (search counts, not studies we reviewed). The grade is the strongest design among the studies we summarised for that goal: a human randomized trial outweighs any number of animal studies.
| Condition | Human studies | Animal studies | Studies we summarised | Evidence grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight loss | 1,978 | 160 | 14 | Human RCT evidence, 4 of 4The New England journal of medicine 2025, PMID 40934115 |
| Diabetes | 1,986 | 139 | 5 | Human RCT evidence, 4 of 4The New England journal of medicine 2024, PMID 38785209 |
| Energy | Not in our ledger | Not in our ledger | 0 | No graded study for this goal |
| Muscle growth | Not in our ledger | Not in our ledger | 1 | No graded study for this goal |
| Kidney disease | Not in our ledger | Not in our ledger | 2 | Human RCT evidence, 4 of 4Nature medicine 2025, PMID 39455729 |
| Liver health | 305 | 59 | 2 | Human RCT evidence, 4 of 4The New England journal of medicine 2025, PMID 40305708 |
| Depression | Not in our ledger | Not in our ledger | 2 | Human observational evidence, 3 of 4EClinicalMedicine 2024, PMID 39764175 |
| Joint pain | Not in our ledger | Not in our ledger | 1 | Human RCT evidence, 4 of 4The New England journal of medicine 2024, PMID 39476339 |
| Cognition | Not in our ledger | Not in our ledger | 3 | Human RCT evidence, 4 of 4Lancet 2026, PMID 41865758 |
| Inflammation | 5 | 0 | 2 | Human RCT evidence, 4 of 4American heart journal 2025, PMID 40345413 |
| ADHD | Not in our ledger | Not in our ledger | 0 | No graded study for this goal |
Grades follow our evidence scale. Summarised studies come from our evidence file, each quote checked against the abstract or label.
Compared with
SemaglutidevsTirzepatideGLP-1 agonist next to GLP-1 / GIP dual agonist: evidence, dosing and legal status side by side.FDA approved (Mounjaro, Zepbound)Read the comparison →SemaglutidevsRetatrutideGLP-1 agonist next to GLP-1 / GIP / glucagon triple agonist: evidence, dosing and legal status side by side.Investigational · phase 3Read the comparison →SemaglutidevsOrforglipronGLP-1 agonist next to oral small-molecule glp-1 agonist: evidence, dosing and legal status side by side.FDA approved (Foundayo, Apr 2026)Read the comparison →
Common stacks
Semaglutide is often sold pre-mixed or combined with other peptides. A few of these pairs appear together in published studies; each stack page lists what was tested, and the pages below cover the math and what each part has been studied for.
Common questions
Is Semaglutide FDA approved?
Semaglutide is FDA approved (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus). Products sold as research chemicals are not the approved drug and are not checked by the FDA.
How much water goes in a 10 mg vial?
That choice only changes the concentration. With 2 mL, the vial is 5 mg/mL. The calculator converts any amount to syringe units. It does the math only and does not suggest a dose.
Sources
- 1US search volume and year-over-year trend, Google Keyword Planner export (Jun–Aug 2026 vs 2025)Peptigraph research · 2026peptigraph.com/methodology/Accessed 1 Oct 2026
- 2World Anti-Doping Code International Standard Prohibited List 2026World Anti-Doping Agency · 2026wada-ama.orgAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 3United States: Approved by FDA as Ozempic (2017), Rybelsus (2019) and Wegovy (2021), semaglutide, Novo Nordisk. Ozempic is indicated for type 2 diabetes; Wegovy for weight reduction and cardiovascular risk reduction (see label quotes). Drugs@FDA also lists a tentatively approved generic semaglutide application (Apotex, 7 Apr 2026).U.S. Food and Drug Administration · 2026api.fda.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 4FDA warning letters to five research-peptide sellersFDA warning letter (NuScience Peptides; 1 of 5) · 2026fda.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 5FDA proposes excluding semaglutide, tirzepatide and liraglutide from the 503B bulks listFDA · 2026fda.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 6Seven FDA warning letters to online sellers of GLP-1 productsFDA warning letter (Gram Peptides; 1 of 7) · 2026fda.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 7Oral Semaglutide at a Dose of 25 mg in Adults with Overweight or Obesity.The New England journal of medicine · 2025PMID 40934115Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 8Effects of Semaglutide on Chronic Kidney Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.The New England journal of medicine · 2024PMID 38785209Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 9Semaglutide in patients with overweight or obesity and chronic kidney disease without diabetes: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.Nature medicine · 2025PMID 39455729Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 10Phase 3 Trial of Semaglutide in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis.The New England journal of medicine · 2025PMID 40305708Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 1112-month neurological and psychiatric outcomes of semaglutide use for type 2 diabetes: a propensity-score matched cohort study.EClinicalMedicine · 2024PMID 39764175Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 12Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Persons with Obesity and Knee Osteoarthritis.The New England journal of medicine · 2024PMID 39476339Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 13Efficacy and safety of oral semaglutide 14 mg (flexible dose) in early-stage symptomatic Alzheimer's disease (evoke and evoke+): two phase 3, randomised, placebo-controlled trials.Lancet (London, England) · 2026PMID 41865758Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 14Effect of once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide on arterial inflammation in people with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease using PET-MRI: Primary results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.American heart journal · 2025PMID 40345413Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 15These highlights do not include all the information needed to use OZEMPIC ® safely and effectively. See full prescribing information for OZEMPIC. OZEMPIC (semaglutide) injection, for subcutaneous use FDA label (Ozempic), DailyMed · current labeldailymed.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 16PubMed search: semaglutide[ti] AND (STEP OR "once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity" OR "Semaglutide 2.4 mg") AND randomized controlled trial[pt] (136 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 17PubMed search: semaglutide[ti] AND (cardiovascular outcomes OR "SELECT" OR "SUSTAIN" OR "PIONEER 6" OR "myocardial infarction") (560 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 18PubMed search: semaglutide[ti] AND (kidney OR FLOW OR "steatohepatitis" OR ESSENCE OR "heart failure" OR "knee osteoarthritis" OR Alzheimer) (590 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 19PubMed search: semaglutide[tiab] AND (meta-analysis[pt] OR systematic review[pt]) AND (weight OR obesity OR cardiovascular OR HbA1c) (361 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 20PubMed search: semaglutide[tiab] AND (pharmacokinetic*[tiab] OR half-life[tiab]) AND humans[mh] (136 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 21PubMed search: semaglutide[ti] AND (chronic kidney disease OR "knee osteoarthritis") AND randomized controlled trial[pt] (27 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 22PubMed search: semaglutide[tiab] AND (depress*[ti] OR suicid*[ti] OR "psychiatric"[ti] OR Alzheimer*[ti] OR cognit*[ti]) (159 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 23PubMed search: semaglutide[tiab] AND (blood pressure[ti] OR lipid*[ti] OR cholesterol[ti] OR "visceral"[ti] OR "waist"[ti] OR "body composition"[ti]) (112 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 24PubMed search: semaglutide[tiab] AND (rheumatoid[tiab] OR "psoriatic"[tiab] OR "inflammation"[ti] OR "C-reactive"[ti]) (60 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 25PubMed search: semaglutide[ti] AND ("knee osteoarthritis" OR "osteoarthritis" OR "obesity-related") AND (pain OR knee) (17 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 26PubMed search: semaglutide[tiab] AND (Alzheimer*[tiab] OR evoke[tiab]) AND (randomized controlled trial[pt] OR clinical trial[pt]) (3 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
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