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Semaglutide

APPROVED MEDICINE

Approved as Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus in many countries. Research-grade material is not the branded product.

At a glance. The GLP-1 receptor agonist that defined the modern weight-management category, with the longest safety record of the compounds on this page.

Written and maintained by the AVERON Research Desk · Last reviewed September 2026

What it is

Semaglutide is a synthetic analogue of GLP-1, the gut hormone released after eating. It has been modified so that it lasts far longer in the body than natural GLP-1, which is broken down within minutes. That allows it to be given once weekly.

It was developed by Novo Nordisk and is approved as Ozempic for type 2 diabetes, as Wegovy for chronic weight management, and as Rybelsus, a tablet form, for type 2 diabetes.

What researchers study it for

Type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular risk reduction, kidney disease in diabetes, fatty liver disease and heart failure.

What the research shows

STEP 1, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2021, enrolled 1,961 adults with obesity, or overweight with at least one related condition, and without diabetes. Over 68 weeks, average weight change was −14.9% with semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly, compared with −2.4% on placebo.

SELECT, published in the same journal in 2023, enrolled more than 17,000 adults with established cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity, without diabetes. Semaglutide reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events — cardiovascular death, heart attack or stroke — by 20% compared with placebo. This made it one of the first weight-management medicines shown to reduce cardiovascular events.

In the head-to-head SURMOUNT-5 trial, semaglutide produced less weight loss than tirzepatide: −13.7% compared with −20.2% over 72 weeks.

What it does not do, and what is not known

  • Research-grade material is not Ozempic or Wegovy. It has not been manufactured or tested to the standards of the registered medicines.
  • It is not a fat burner. Its effect comes from reduced appetite and slower digestion.
  • Weight tends to return when it is stopped. An extension of STEP 1 found that participants regained most of the weight lost within a year of stopping.
  • It does not specifically preserve muscle. Part of the weight lost is lean mass.
  • The cardiovascular benefit seen in SELECT applies to the population studied, people with existing cardiovascular disease.

Adverse effects reported in research

The most common were gastrointestinal: nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting and constipation, most frequent during dose escalation. Less common but more serious risks in the prescribing information include pancreatitis, gallbladder disease and kidney problems related to dehydration.

Like tirzepatide, the US label carries a boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumours based on rodent findings, and it is contraindicated in people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2.

Regulatory and anti-doping status

Regulatory: Approved by the US FDA as Ozempic (2017), Rybelsus (2019) and Wegovy (2021), and by the European Medicines Agency. Semaglutide is registered with Indonesia's BPOM.

Anti-doping: Not on WADA's Prohibited List. GLP-1 receptor agonists are included in WADA's Monitoring Program.

At AVERON

Semaglutide is not yet in stock. When it arrives, it will be listed in the shop, and its independent lab report will be published on our verify page before it is sold.

Frequently asked questions

It is the same molecule. Ozempic and Wegovy are registered medicines. Research-grade semaglutide is not those products.

An average of 14.9% over 68 weeks, compared with 2.4% on placebo.

In the head-to-head SURMOUNT-5 trial, tirzepatide produced more weight loss. Semaglutide has a longer track record and proven cardiovascular benefit in the SELECT trial.

No. It is on WADA's Monitoring Program, not the Prohibited List.

In the STEP 1 extension, participants regained most of the weight they had lost within a year of stopping.

Doses mentioned on this page are the arms of published trials, given to describe their results. They are not guidance.

Sources

  1. Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Calanna S, et al.. Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity. New England Journal of Medicine, 2021;384:989–1002. Link
  2. Lincoff AM, Brown-Frandsen K, Colhoun HM, et al.. Semaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in obesity without diabetes. New England Journal of Medicine, 2023;389:2221–2232. Link
  3. Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Davies M, et al.. Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide: the STEP 1 trial extension. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2022;24:1553–1564. Link
  4. Aronne LJ, Horn DB, le Roux CW, et al.. Tirzepatide as compared with semaglutide for the treatment of obesity. New England Journal of Medicine, 2025. Link
  5. World Anti-Doping Agency. Monitoring Program. WADA. Link

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