Peptide
Semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy)
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist peptide approved by the FDA for type 2 diabetes (Ozempic, Rybelsus) and chronic weight management (Wegovy). It is a 31-amino-acid peptide analog of human GLP-1 with 94% structural similarity but modified for extended half-life (approximately 1 week). The STEP, SUSTAIN, and SELECT clinical trial programs demonstrated consistent, substantial benefits for glycemic control, weight loss, and cardiovascular outcomes.
- Updated
- How we grade
- 59 studies cited
Research notice. This page is for education and research. Peptides may not be FDA-approved for human use and may only be legally available for research. Talk to a qualified clinician before considering any peptide.
- Best evidence
- Grade A
- Conditions studied
- 3
- Outcomes
- 16
- Graded outcomes
- 9421
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
Cardiovascular Disease
- Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (MACE): improves
- Cardiovascular Death: improves
- Heart Failure Outcomes: improves
General
- Safety/Tolerability: improves
- Blood Glucose Control: improves
- Cardiac Protection: improves
Key findings
- Body Weight ReductionImproves (the measure goes down)
- Weight Loss ≥5% AchievementChanges; see studies
- Weight Loss ≥10% AchievementChanges; see studies
Studies cited
59 studies from PubMed
- Semaglutide in heart failure and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: the current state-of-the-art.
- Semaglutide and Tirzepatide in Patients With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.
- Semaglutide and non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy: Review and interpretation of reported association.
- Tirzepatide Versus Semaglutide on Weight Loss in Type 2 Diabetes Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Direct Comparative Studies.
- Semaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with obesity and prevalent heart failure: a prespecified analysis of the SELECT trial
- Efficacy and safety of semaglutide 2.4 mg for weight loss in overweight or obese adults without diabetes: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis including the 2-year STEP 5 trial
- Semaglutide alleviates gut microbiota dysbiosis induced by a high-fat diet.
- Semaglutide alters gut microbiota and improves NAFLD in db/db mice.
- Semaglutide Attenuates Anxious and Depressive-Like Behaviors and Reverses the Cognitive Impairment in a Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Mouse Model Via the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis.
- Semaglutide ameliorates Alzheimer's disease and restores oxytocin in APP/PS1 mice and human brain organoid models.
- Associations of semaglutide with first-time diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease in patients with type 2 diabetes: Target trial emulation using nationwide real-world data in the US.
- Can Semaglutide offer hope for patients with obesity-related heart failure?
- Semaglutide and heart failure: Updated meta-analysis.
- Acute pancreatitis due to different semaglutide regimens: An updated meta-analysis.
- Subcutaneously administered tirzepatide vs semaglutide for adults with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
- A systematic review of the effect of semaglutide on lean mass: insights from clinical trials.
- Assessment of Thyroid Carcinogenic Risk and Safety Profile of GLP1-RA Semaglutide (Ozempic) Therapy for Diabetes Mellitus and Obesity: A Systematic Literature Review.
- Clinical Pharmacokinetics of Semaglutide: A Systematic Review.
- Semaglutide for the prevention of atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Evaluating the safety profile of semaglutide: an updated meta-analysis.
- The cost-effectiveness analysis of semaglutide for the treatment of adult and adolescent patients with overweight and obesity: a systematic review.
- Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes
- Semaglutide for the treatment of obesity.
- Semaglutide inhibits ischemia/reperfusion-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis through activating PKG/PKCε/ERK1/2 pathway.
- Safety and tolerability of semaglutide across the SUSTAIN and PIONEER phase IIIa clinical trial programmes.
- Two-year effects of semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity: the STEP 5 trial
- Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide: The STEP 1 trial extension
- Gastrointestinal tolerability of once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg in adults with overweight or obesity, and the relationship between gastrointestinal adverse events and weight loss.
- Wegovy (semaglutide): a new weight loss drug for chronic weight management.
- Semaglutide once a week in adults with overweight or obesity, with or without type 2 diabetes in an east Asian population (STEP 6): a randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled, phase 3a trial.
- Semaglutide and Diabetic Retinopathy Risk in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
- Semaglutide for the treatment of type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of safety and efficacy outcomes.
- Gastrointestinal adverse events associated with semaglutide: A pharmacovigilance study based on FDA adverse event reporting system.
- Efficacy and Safety of Semaglutide for Weight Loss in Obesity Without Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- Efficacy and safety of semaglutide for weight management: evidence from the STEP program.
- Therapeutic Potential of Semaglutide, a Newer GLP-1 Receptor Agonist, in Abating Obesity, Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis and Neurodegenerative diseases: A Narrative Review.
- Semaglutide ameliorates metabolism and hepatic outcomes in an NAFLD mouse model.
- Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity
- Semaglutide 2·4 mg once a week in adults with overweight or obesity, and type 2 diabetes (STEP 2): a randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial
- Effect of Continued Weekly Subcutaneous Semaglutide vs Placebo on Weight Loss Maintenance in Adults With Overweight or Obesity: The STEP 4 Randomized Clinical Trial
- The effect of semaglutide 2.4 mg once weekly on energy intake, appetite, control of eating, and gastric emptying in adults with obesity.
- Semaglutide (Ozempic) for weight loss.
- Semaglutide (Wegovy) for weight loss.
- Comprehensive analysis of the safety of semaglutide in type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis of the SUSTAIN and PIONEER trials.
- Efficacy and safety of once-weekly semaglutide 2·0 mg versus 1·0 mg in patients with type 2 diabetes (SUSTAIN FORTE): a double-blind, randomised, phase 3B trial.
- Safety of Semaglutide.
- Comparative efficacy, safety, and cardiovascular outcomes with once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide in the treatment of type 2 diabetes: Insights from the SUSTAIN 1-7 trials
- Semaglutide lowers body weight in rodents via distributed neural pathways.
- Oral semaglutide in type 2 diabetes.
- Semaglutide injection for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes.
- Semaglutide as a promising antiobesity drug.
- Semaglutide Added to Basal Insulin in Type 2 Diabetes (SUSTAIN 5): A Randomized, Controlled Trial
- Semaglutide versus dulaglutide once weekly in patients with type 2 diabetes (SUSTAIN 7): a randomised, open-label, phase 3b trial
- Semaglutide for type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Semaglutide once-weekly: improved efficacy with a new safety warning.
- Efficacy and safety of once-weekly semaglutide monotherapy versus placebo in patients with type 2 diabetes (SUSTAIN 1): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multinational, multicentre phase 3a trial
- Effects of once-weekly semaglutide on appetite, energy intake, control of eating, food preference and body weight in subjects with obesity.
- Efficacy and safety of once-weekly semaglutide versus once-daily sitagliptin as an add-on to metformin, thiazolidinediones, or both, in patients with type 2 diabetes (SUSTAIN 2): a 56-week, double-blind, phase 3a, randomised trial.
- Effect of Oral Semaglutide Compared With Placebo and Subcutaneous Semaglutide on Glycemic Control in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial.