A GLP-1 receptor agonist (Ozempic/Wegovy) extensively researched for type 2 diabetes and obesity/weight management.
FDA and EMA approved — type 2 diabetes (Ozempic, 2017), chronic weight management (Wegovy, 2021), oral form (Rybelsus). In March 2024 the FDA also approved it to reduce cardiovascular risk in people with obesity and established cardiovascular disease. A prescription drug, not a research chemical.
Also known as: Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus
Mimics the gut hormone GLP-1, binding GLP-1 receptors in pancreas, brain and GI tract. Enhances glucose-dependent insulin secretion, suppresses glucagon, slows gastric emptying, and acts on hypothalamic appetite centres to increase satiety and reduce food intake.
In the STEP programme, adults without diabetes lost roughly 15% of body weight versus about 2.5% on placebo over 68 weeks. The SELECT trial (17,604 adults with cardiovascular disease, no diabetes) showed a 20% reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events — a landmark result for the class. Limitations are real: substantial weight regain after discontinuation, high rates of gastrointestinal dropout, and head-to-head it produces less weight loss than tirzepatide.
We report both positive and negative trial results. For exact study protocols, read the sources — we cite them rather than repackage them.
Bars reflect the strength & volume of research evidence for each use — not a guarantee of results.
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation are common and dose-related. Gallbladder disease and pancreatitis are less common. Rodent studies showed thyroid C-cell tumours, prompting a boxed warning (human relevance unconfirmed). Rare reports of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy are under investigation.
Tirzepatide and retatrutide — same incretin class, compared rather than combined. Metformin — background diabetes therapy. Cagrilintide — combined as CagriSema, because amylin and GLP-1 are separate satiety pathways that add together.
Mechanistic context only — we don't publish combinations, amounts or protocols.
Its closest alternative is tirzepatide, a dual GIP/GLP-1 agonist. In the SURMOUNT-5 head-to-head, tirzepatide produced greater weight loss (~20% vs ~14%), suggesting the added GIP mechanism increases efficacy.
No. It manages them while taken; weight and glucose benefits largely reverse after stopping, so it is studied as a chronic therapy.
No. Appetite reduction and altered satiety signalling in the brain drive most of the effect; nausea is a side effect, not the mechanism.
Analyses suggest the cardiovascular reduction in SELECT appeared earlier and larger than weight loss alone would predict, implying additional vascular mechanisms — still being studied.
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⚠️ Educational research information only — not medical advice. Many peptides are sold strictly for laboratory research and are not approved treatments. The evidence scores reflect research interest and strength, not efficacy or safety for any individual. Always consult a qualified professional.