Peptide reference
Semaglutide
Ozempic ·Wegovy ·Rybelsus ·NN9535
What cited sources report about semaglutide
Semaglutide is a long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist developed by Novo Nordisk and marketed under three brand names in the United States: Ozempic (subcutaneous, type 2 diabetes), Wegovy (subcutaneous, chronic weight management and cardiovascular risk reduction), and Rybelsus (oral, type 2 diabetes). The molecule is a 31-amino-acid peptide analog of human GLP-1(7-37) that carries a C18 fatty-diacid albumin-binder, which extends serum half-life to roughly one week. Semaglutide has FDA approval, EU marketing authorization through the European Medicines Agency, and approvals in Canada, Australia, and Japan; it has not been nominated to the FDA Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee. The summaries below report what individual cited sources state.
FDA Drug Label — Ozempic (revised October 14, 2025)
The current DailyMed structured product label for Ozempic (Novo Nordisk) lists three approved indications: as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes; to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease; and to reduce the risk of sustained kidney-function decline, end-stage kidney disease, and cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. The label describes the mechanism as glucose-dependent stimulation of insulin secretion and suppression of glucagon, with prolonged action attributed primarily to albumin binding.
as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
FDA Drug Label — Wegovy
The DailyMed label for Wegovy (Novo Nordisk) covers the higher-dose 2.4 mg weekly subcutaneous formulation approved for chronic weight management in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, and for reduction of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with established cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight. The label describes activation of GLP-1 receptors in brain regions involved in appetite regulation.
to reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction long term
Moiz et al. (2024) — American Journal of Cardiology
A systematic review and meta-analysis from McGill University pooled four randomized, placebo-controlled trials (n=3,087) of once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide 2.4 mg in adults with overweight or obesity and no diabetes, with follow-up of at least 68 weeks. The pooled estimate reported a relative weight reduction of 12.1% and an absolute reduction of 12.3 kg versus placebo; 33.4% of semaglutide recipients reached at least 20% weight loss compared with 2.2% on placebo. Gastrointestinal adverse events were more frequent on semaglutide and the authors described them as transient and mild-to-moderate.
Semaglutide is efficacious for sustained weight loss in patients with overweight/obesity and without diabetes.
European Medicines Agency — Ozempic EPAR
The EMA public-assessment record documents that Ozempic was granted EU marketing authorization on 8 February 2018 for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus insufficiently controlled by diet and exercise, either as monotherapy when metformin is inappropriate or as add-on therapy in combination with other diabetes medications.
PubChem CID 56843331 — National Center for Biotechnology Information
The PubChem compound record for semaglutide lists molecular formula C187H291N45O59, consistent with a 31-residue peptide analog of human GLP-1(7-37) that carries a C18 fatty-diacid moiety conjugated via a γ-glutamic-acid spacer and two OEG linkers at lysine-26 — the structural feature that supports albumin binding and the once-weekly dosing interval.
Coverage notes
Semaglutide is one of the most clinically characterized peptide therapeutics on the market, with the SUSTAIN program supporting type 2 diabetes labelling, the STEP program supporting weight management labelling, the SELECT trial supporting cardiovascular indications, and the FLOW trial supporting the chronic-kidney-disease indication. This page focuses on the regulatory record (FDA, EMA) and one independent meta-analytic source; primary trial publications are tracked separately. Non-prescription “compounded semaglutide” preparations have circulated during shortage periods and are not covered by the FDA-approved labels cited here.