Not indicated for use in type 1 diabetes mellitus or for the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis.
Semaglutide causes a delay of gastric emptying, and thereby has the potential to impact the absorption of concomitantly administered oral medications.
- TRADE NAMES: Ozempic (Novo Nordisk); Rybelsus; Wegovy
- INDICATIONS: Antidiabetic. Treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
- CLASS: Anti-obesity / weight loss pharmacotherapy, Antidiabetic, Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist
- HALF-LIFE: Approximately 1 week
- FDA APPROVAL DATE: 12/05/2017
- CLINICALLY IMPORTANT, POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS INTERACTIONS WITH:
Insulin, insulin secretagogues - PREGNANCY: Discontinue semaglutide in women at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy due to the long washout period for this drug.
- See adverse reactions attributed to class:
WARNING: RISK OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORS
IN RODENTS, SEMAGLUTIDE CAUSES THYROID C-CELL TUMORS. IT IS UNKNOWN WHETHER SEMAGLUTIDE CAUSES THYROID C-CELL TUMORS, INCLUDING MEDULLARY THYROID CARCINOMA (MTC), IN HUMANS AS THE HUMAN RELEVANCE OF SEMAGLUTIDE-INDUCED RODENT THYROID C-CELL TUMORS HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. SEMAGLUTIDE IS CONTRAINDICATED IN PATIENTS WITH A PERSONAL OR FAMILY HISTORY OF MTC OR IN PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE ENDOCRINE NEOPLASIA SYNDROME TYPE 2. COUNSEL PATIENTS REGARDING THE POTENTIAL RISK OF MTC AND SYMPTOMS OF THYROID TUMORS.
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Click on the DRUG REVIEW ARTICLE links (above) to see two reviews of semaglutide in the Taylor & Francis journal Expert Opinion on Drug Safety.
(Note that non-subscribers to the journal will only be able to see an abstract of the article.)
Page last updated 05/27/2025
