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Specimen Atlas of Research Peptides30 plates · MIT
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XXIPlate XXIFDA approved · 2017Reviewed 2026-04-25

Semaglutide

GLP-1 Receptor Agonist

also known as Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus

Long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist with C-18 fatty-acid acylation that enables albumin binding and a ~7-day half-life. FDA-approved 2017 for type 2 diabetes (Ozempic) and 2021 for chronic weight management (Wegovy). The STEP-1 trial showed 14.9% body-weight reduction over 68 weeks at 2.4 mg/week.

§ I

At a glance

Weekly dose
0.25–2.4 mg
[fda-wegovy-label-2021]
Body-weight ↓
14.9%
[wilding-2021]
Half-life
~7 days
[fda-wegovy-label-2021]
Route

SQ · Abdomen / thigh / arm · Once weekly

§ II

Mechanism

Primary target — GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) [fda-wegovy-label-2021].

Pathway — GLP-1R agonism → ↑glucose-dependent insulin secretion, ↓glucagon, ↓gastric emptying, ↓appetite via hypothalamic centres [wilding-2021].

Downstream effect — Improved glycemic control, reduced caloric intake, body-weight reduction, cardiovascular risk reduction [wilding-2021].

Origin — Modified GLP-1(7-37) with two amino-acid substitutions and C-18 fatty-acid acylation for albumin binding and 168-h half-life [fda-wegovy-label-2021].

Feedback intact — Glucose-dependent insulin release preserves physiological feedback.

§ III

Dosage

Protocols described in the cited literature; not medical advice.

ParameterValue
Standard dose (T2D, Ozempic)0.5–1.0 mg / week [fda-wegovy-label-2021]
Standard dose (weight, Wegovy)2.4 mg / week (after 16-wk titration) [fda-wegovy-label-2021][wilding-2021]
FrequencyOnce weekly, same day each week
Titration schedule0.25 → 0.5 → 1.0 → 1.7 → 2.4 mg over 16 weeksMitigates GI side effects.
Evidence basisFDA-approved · Phase 3 RCTs [wilding-2021][fda-wegovy-label-2021]
DurationIndefinite for chronic indicationDiscontinuation results in weight regain.
ReconstitutionPre-mixed pen device (commercial). Research lyophilised vial: bacteriostatic water per label.
TimingAny time of day, with or without food
Half-life~7 days (168 h) [fda-wegovy-label-2021]
§ III · b

Reconstitution

A pure mass-to-volume utility. Enter what you have in the vial; the atlas computes the volume per dose. No prescription information.

Inputs
The calculator does pure mass-to-volume math. It does not recommend a dose. Refer to Semaglutide's cited literature for protocol specifics.
Volumetric outputFig. C — reconstitution math
Volume per dose
0.208mL
≈ 20.8 units on a U-100 insulin syringe
Concentration
1200
mcg per mL
Doses per vial
10
at this dose
§ V

Adverse events

Severities follow the FDA / CTCAE convention.

GI symptomsmoderate
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation (very common) [wilding-2021]
Injection site reactionmild
Mild erythema, pruritus
Pancreatitis risksevere
Rare; discontinue if suspected [fda-wegovy-label-2021]
Thyroid C-cell tumourssevere
Boxed warning — contraindicated in MEN2 / personal or family MTC history [fda-wegovy-label-2021]
Hypoglycemiamoderate
Low risk as monotherapy; elevated when combined with sulfonylureas / insulin
Gallbladder eventsmoderate
Increased cholelithiasis
Pregnancy / OBsevere
Contraindicated [fda-wegovy-label-2021]
Heart ratemild
Modest ↑ resting HR (~2-4 bpm)
Absolute contraindications
  • — Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma
  • — Multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2
  • — Pregnancy / breastfeeding
  • — Hypersensitivity to semaglutide
Relative contraindications
  • — Severe gastroparesis
  • — History of pancreatitis
  • — Diabetic retinopathy (may worsen with rapid glycemic improvement)
§ VI

Administration

  1. 01
    Reconstitution / device

    Commercial: pre-filled pen, no reconstitution. Research vial: per-label or bacteriostatic water.

  2. 02
    Injection site

    SQ — abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. Rotate sites weekly to avoid lipohypertrophy.

  3. 03
    Timing

    Once weekly, same day. Day can be changed if ≥2 days separate doses.

  4. 04
    Storage

    Pen: refrigerate 2–8 °C unopened; room temp ≤30 °C up to 56 days after first use.

  5. 05
    Needle

    Pen-supplied 31–34G needle. Research vial: 27–31G insulin syringe.

§ VII

Synergies

weak synergy
+
Semaglutide + Tirzepatide

Combining two GLP-1 RA-class drugs is not clinically validated and risks additive GI toxicity. Tirzepatide's GIP component already provides complementary mechanism vs pure GLP-1; stacking with semaglutide adds receptor saturation but no synergy. NOT recommended.

Primary benefit — (none — additive toxicity, no synergy)
Appendix

Sources

28%

of 53 rendered claims carry a resolvable citation.

  1. [fda-wegovy-label-2021]
    WEGOVY (semaglutide) injection 2021 — WEGOVY (semaglutide) injection prescribing information
    fda-label, 2021
    Source →
  2. [wilding-2021]
    Wilding 2021 — Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity
    N Engl J Med, 2021
    PubMed →
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