Semaglutide is a long-acting analogue of human glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) developed by Novo Nordisk and marketed as Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus.1 It is supplied here strictly for laboratory research use only and is not offered for human or veterinary use. Although semaglutide is an approved medicine in several jurisdictions, nothing on this page is a usage direction, medical advice, or a claim that the compound treats, prevents or cures any condition. The data below describe what investigators have reported in published studies. It is among the most extensively studied compounds in this category, with cardiovascular and weight-related outcomes assessed in large randomized human trials.234
Sequence & identity
Not a simple linear peptide · C187H291N45O59 · ~4113.58 g/mol
Acylated GLP-1 analogue. Identity per PubChem CID 56843331 (InChIKey DLSWIYLPEUIQAV-CCUURXOWSA-N).1
Mechanisms studied
Researchers describe semaglutide as a selective agonist at the GLP-1 receptor that shares roughly 94% sequence homology with native human GLP-1(7-37).5 Two engineered modifications are reported to account for its protracted action: substitution of the position-8 residue with the non-proteinogenic amino acid 2-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib), which investigators report confers resistance to degradation by dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4), and acylation of Lys26 with a C18 fatty diacid (octadecanedioic acid) via a γ-glutamic acid and two short PEG (8-amino-3,6-dioxaoctanoic acid) spacers.5 Researchers report that this fatty-acid chain drives strong, reversible binding to serum albumin, which they associate with reduced renal clearance and a circulating half-life of approximately 165–184 hours (about one week) in humans.56 Activation of GLP-1 receptors has been reported in published work to stimulate glucose-dependent insulin secretion, suppress glucagon release, slow gastric emptying and reduce food intake through central pathways.6
Dosing in the research literature
The figures below summarise regimens as reported in published research — they are not recommendations or directions for use.
| Source / model | Regimen reported | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SUSTAIN-6 (Marso et al., NEJM 2016) — type 2 diabetes cardiovascular outcomes2 | 0.5 mg or 1.0 mg once weekly by subcutaneous injection, following dose escalation, over a median 2.1 years. | As reported in the trial protocol; figures describe the study design and are not a usage direction. |
| STEP 1 (Wilding et al., NEJM 2021) — overweight/obesity3 | 2.4 mg once weekly subcutaneously, reached via 16-week escalation, for 68 weeks plus lifestyle intervention. | Study-reported regimen in adults without diabetes; provided for reference only. |
| SELECT (Lincoff et al., NEJM 2023) — obesity without diabetes, established CVD4 | Target 2.4 mg once weekly subcutaneously over a mean ~40 months follow-up. | As reported in the published trial; not a recommendation. |
Effects observed in research
In SUSTAIN-6, investigators reported that among 3,297 adults with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk, semaglutide lowered the rate of the composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction or non-fatal stroke by 26% versus placebo over a median 2.1 years (hazard ratio 0.74).2 In the STEP 1 trial, researchers observed a mean body-weight change of −14.9% with semaglutide 2.4 mg versus −2.4% with placebo at week 68 in adults with overweight or obesity, and reported that 86.4% of the semaglutide group versus 31.5% of placebo reached at least 5% weight loss.3 In SELECT, which enrolled 17,604 adults with established cardiovascular disease and obesity but without diabetes, investigators reported a 20% reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events versus placebo (6.5% vs 8.0%; hazard ratio 0.80) over a mean ~40 months.4 Across these studies, gastrointestinal events such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea were the most frequently reported adverse effects and the most common reason participants discontinued.34
Strength of evidence
Grade A. Semaglutide has been evaluated in multiple large, randomized, placebo-controlled human trials with hard clinical endpoints, including the SUSTAIN-6 and SELECT cardiovascular-outcomes trials and the STEP weight-management program.234 The chemical identity (molecular formula, molar mass, InChIKey, CAS number) is established in PubChem and corroborated by independent chemical suppliers.1 This is a strong evidence base by the standards of this catalogue; however, the material is sold for in-vitro and laboratory research only, and the trial data summarized here were generated under regulated clinical conditions that do not apply to research-grade material.
Reconstitution & storage
Reconstitute with bacteriostatic water for laboratory handling. Store lyophilised material frozen and reconstituted material refrigerated. Use Peptigo’s reconstitution calculator and storage cheat sheet for working figures.
References
- PubChem Compound Summary for CID 56843331, Semaglutide. U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/56843331 (molecular formula C187H291N45O59, InChIKey DLSWIYLPEUIQAV-CCUURXOWSA-N, CAS 910463-68-2).
- Marso SP, Bain SC, Consoli A, et al. Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (SUSTAIN-6). N Engl J Med. 2016;375(19):1834-1844. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1607141.
- Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Calanna S, et al. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity (STEP 1). N Engl J Med. 2021;384(11):989-1002. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2032183.
- Lincoff AM, Brown-Frandsen K, Colhoun HM, et al. Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes (SELECT). N Engl J Med. 2023;389(24):2221-2232. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2307563.
- Knudsen LB, Lau J. The Discovery and Development of Liraglutide and Semaglutide. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2019;10:155. doi:10.3389/fendo.2019.00155.
- Kommu S, Whitfield P. Semaglutide. StatPearls. NCBI Bookshelf NBK603723. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK603723/ (elimination half-life approximately 1 week; GLP-1 receptor agonist mechanism).