Semaglutide
Contents
In short
- Semaglutide is an approved medicine that works like the gut hormone GLP-1. It is available on prescription.
- In the large STEP 1 study, participants lost 14.9 per cent of their body weight in 68 weeks, compared with 2.4 per cent on placebo.
- In people with heart and blood vessel disease, semaglutide led to fewer heart attacks, strokes and deaths from heart disease.
- Long-term blood sugar fell by about 1.5 percentage points in people with type 2 diabetes.
Fact box
- Type
- Approved medicine
- Developed by
- Novo Nordisk
- Research
- Large human trials
- Other names
- semaglutid, Ozempic, Wegovy
What is Semaglutide?
Semaglutide is a peptide medicine that works like the body’s own gut hormone GLP-1. It improves blood sugar and reduces hunger, and it is approved for type 2 diabetes and overweight.
GLP-1 is a hormone the gut makes when we eat. It makes the pancreas release insulin when blood sugar is high, and it helps us feel full. Semaglutide acts on the same receptors, but lasts much longer in the body than the body’s own hormone.
Semaglutide is approved in the EU and is sold as a once-weekly injection: Ozempic for type 2 diabetes and Wegovy for overweight.[1][2] The medicine was developed by Novo Nordisk, which also funded the large studies.
What does the research say about Semaglutide?
Semaglutide has been tested in large, controlled studies with thousands of participants. They show clear weight loss, better blood sugar and fewer heart and blood vessel events.
| Use | Studies | Research |
|---|---|---|
| Overweight and obesity | 1 study · RCT · n = 1,961 | Large human trials |
| Type 2 diabetes | 1 study · RCT · n = 388 | Large human trials |
| Heart and blood vessels | 2 studies · RCT · n = 20,901 | Large human trials |
RCT means randomised controlled trial. How to read a study
Overweight and obesity
In STEP 1, 1,961 adults with overweight or obesity and without diabetes received semaglutide or placebo for 68 weeks, together with advice on diet and activity. Weight fell by 14.9 per cent on average with semaglutide, compared with 2.4 per cent on placebo. Half of those on semaglutide lost 15 per cent or more.[3]
Type 2 diabetes
In SUSTAIN 1, long-term blood sugar (HbA1c) fell by about 1.5 percentage points in 30 weeks with semaglutide, while it barely changed with placebo. Weight also fell.[4]
Heart and blood vessels
SELECT followed 17,604 people with heart and blood vessel disease and overweight, without diabetes, for more than three years. A heart attack, stroke or death from heart disease happened to 6.5 per cent on semaglutide, compared with 8.0 per cent on placebo.[5]
In SUSTAIN-6, with 3,297 people with type 2 diabetes, such events were also fewer with semaglutide.[6]
Questions and answers about Semaglutide
What is the difference between Ozempic and Wegovy?
Both contain semaglutide. Ozempic is approved for type 2 diabetes, and Wegovy is approved for overweight and obesity.
How much weight do people lose with semaglutide?
In the large STEP 1 study, participants lost 14.9 per cent on average in 68 weeks, compared with 2.4 per cent on placebo. The effect varies a lot from person to person.
Does the weight come back when you stop?
For many people, yes. One year after stopping, participants in the study had regained about two thirds of the weight they had lost.
How do I get semaglutide in Norway?
Talk to your doctor. With a prescription, you can collect it at a pharmacy or order it from an approved Norwegian online pharmacy.