Entry 0007Rev 1.0GLP-1 receptor agonist

Semaglutide

Modified GLP-1 (7–37) with a C18 diacid side chain · C187H291N45O59

Reviewed

2 Nov 2026

Scientific editor

[Name, PhD]

References

8 sources

Semaglutide is a modified copy of glucagon-like peptide-1, a gut hormone that acts on insulin release and appetite. Novo Nordisk changed one amino acid to stop it being cut by enzymes and attached a fatty chain that binds albumin, so one dose lasts a week.1

It is a licensed prescription medicine in the UK, the EU, the US and most other countries, sold as Ozempic and Rybelsus for type 2 diabetes and Wegovy for weight management. Peptidarium keeps this entry as a reference and does not sell semaglutide.

Residues

31

Avg mass

4113.6 g/mol

STEP 1 weight change

−14.9% at 68 wk

Licensed

Yes, prescription

01

Identity

Value
DeveloperNovo Nordisk
Based onHuman GLP-1 (7–37)
ChangesAib in place of alanine at position 8; arginine in place of lysine at 34; C18 fatty diacid on lysine 26 through a linker
FormulaC187H291N45O59
Avg mass4113.6 g/mol
CAS910463-68-2
BrandsOzempic, Rybelsus (diabetes); Wegovy (weight)
02

History

  1. SUSTAIN-6 reports cardiovascular outcomes in 3,297 people with type 2 diabetes.2

  2. Approved in the US as Ozempic for type 2 diabetes; EU follows in 2018.1

  3. Oral form, Rybelsus, approved in the US.1

  4. STEP 1 published; Wegovy approved in the US for weight management.1,3

  5. SELECT reports a 20% cut in major cardiovascular events in people with obesity and heart disease.4

  6. Oral Wegovy approved in the US.1

03

What the trials measured

Unlike most of this library, the evidence is large and in people. These are the trials most often cited.

TrialPeopleDurationMain resultSource
SUSTAIN-63,297 with type 2 diabetes and high cardiovascular risk104 weeksFewer major cardiovascular events than placebo (hazard ratio 0.74)[2]
STEP 11,961 adults with overweight or obesity, no diabetes68 weeksWeight −14.9% on semaglutide 2.4 mg vs −2.4% on placebo[3]
SELECT17,604 adults with obesity and heart disease, no diabetesMean 34 monthsMajor cardiovascular events 6.5% vs 8.0% (hazard ratio 0.80)[4]
SURMOUNT-5751 adults with obesity, head to head72 weeksWeight −13.7% on semaglutide vs −20.2% on tirzepatide[5]
04

Regulatory and sport status

As of this revision. General information, not legal advice.

WhereStatus
UKLicensed prescription-only medicine. Supplying it outside a prescription and a registered pharmacy is an offence, and the MHRA has raided unlicensed sellers of GLP-1 drugs.6,7
EU and USLicensed prescription medicine.1
SportNot named on the WADA list. As an approved medicine it does not fall under class S0.8
05

Why it is not in our store

Semaglutide is a licensed medicine with an owner, a brand and a supply chain regulated as a medicine. Selling it as a research chemical in the UK would mean supplying an unlicensed version of a prescription drug. We keep the entry because people search for it and deserve a sourced reference, and we point to the related research compounds instead.

06

Open questions

  1. How much weight returns after stopping. Extension studies show regain, and how much is still argued.
  2. How the effect splits between appetite, gastric emptying and direct actions on fat and muscle.
  3. Long-term effects on muscle mass, which falls along with fat in most studies.
07

Common questions

Is semaglutide the same as Ozempic and Wegovy?

Yes. Ozempic and Wegovy are injections of semaglutide at different doses; Rybelsus is the tablet.

How much weight loss did the trials show?

In STEP 1, 14.9% at 68 weeks on the 2.4 mg dose, against 2.4% on placebo.

Is semaglutide banned in sport?

No. It is not named on the WADA list, and as an approved medicine it does not fall under class S0.

Do you sell semaglutide?

No. It is a licensed prescription medicine. This entry is for reference.

How is it different from tirzepatide and retatrutide?

Semaglutide acts on one receptor (GLP-1). Tirzepatide acts on two (GLP-1 and GIP). Retatrutide adds a third, the glucagon receptor.

—

See also

Tirzepatide Entry 0008Retatrutide Entry 0005Metabolic ShelfSemaglutide vs tirzepatide vs retatrutide Comparison
08

References

  1. Wikipedia. Semaglutide, for identifiers and approval dates, checked 2 Nov 2026.
  2. Marso SP, et al. Semaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2016;375:1834–1844.
  3. Wilding JPH, et al. Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity. N Engl J Med. 2021;384:989–1002. PMID 33567185
  4. Lincoff AM, et al. Semaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in obesity without diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2023;389:2221–2232. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2307563
  5. Aronne LJ, et al. Tirzepatide as compared with semaglutide for the treatment of obesity. N Engl J Med. 2025;393(1):26–36. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2416394
  6. Reuters. UK seizes record haul of illegal weight-loss drugs in factory raid. 24 October 2025.
  7. The Pharmacist. Almost 2,000 unauthorised weight loss drugs seized in MHRA raids. 26 February 2026. thepharmacist.co.uk
  8. World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List. wada-ama.org

Peptidarium Library. Semaglutide (entry 0007), revision 1.0, 2 November 2026. peptidarium.com/library/semaglutide

09

Revision history

RevDateChangeBy
1.02 Nov 2026Entry created.[Scientific editor]

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