Semaglutide at a glance
A fast read for beginners, with evidence strength, route context, safety depth, and community activity surfaced before the deeper sections.
Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist developed by Novo Nordisk. It is a 31-amino acid analog of human GLP-1 with approximately 94% sequence homology, modified to resist enzymatic degradation and enable once-weekly subcutaneous dosing. It is FDA approved as Ozempic for type 2 diabetes and Wegovy for chronic weight management.
GLP-1 is an incretin hormone secreted by intestinal L-cells in response to eating. It stimulates insulin secretion in a glucose-dependent manner, suppresses glucagon, slows gastric emptying, and acts on hypothalamic centers to reduce appetite and food intake. Semaglutide amplifies all of these effects with a duration of action spanning a week.
Clinical trial data is among the most robust of any weight-loss intervention: the STEP trials demonstrated 15-17% mean body weight loss over 68 weeks in patients with obesity, far exceeding any previously approved pharmacotherapy. The SUSTAIN trials demonstrated significant cardiovascular risk reduction in diabetic patients. An oral formulation (Rybelsus) is also available for type 2 diabetes, though injectable formulations achieve superior pharmacokinetics.
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