About Semaglutide

What is Semaglutide? 

Semaglutide is an injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist that’s administered once weekly. It was originally approved in 2017 — at a much lower dose — to help control blood sugar in type 2 diabetes under the brand name Ozempic. People taking Ozempic to help control blood sugar also tend to lose weight as an additional benefit.   

Because of this, Novo Nordisk studied the medication in people without type 2 diabetes, but at a higher dose. Now, semaglutide (under the brand name Wegovy) is FDA-approved for weight loss in adults with a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30mg/kg² alone or 27 mg/kg² with at least one weight-related comorbidity (e.g., high blood pressure, high cholesterol).

Semaglutide should be used in combination with lifestyle changes, including a healthy diet and exercise.

How does it work for weight loss?

GLP-1 is an incretin hormone that plays a role in your appetite and digestion. Incretins — hormones released by your small intestine — are sent out by your body after you’ve eaten a meal to help lower your blood sugar by triggering insulin and blocking other sources of sugar. It also slows down how quickly food leaves your stomach (called gastric emptying).  

The result of these actions causes you to feel full — lowering your appetite and causing you to lose weight. Medications like GLP-1 agonists are referred to as incretin mimetics since they “mimic” these effects.   

As mentioned above, GLP-1 agonists, like semaglutide, were originally used to treat type 2 diabetes due to their blood sugar-lowering effects. However, the weight loss side effect has been shown to benefit people without type 2 diabetes as well.

How will semaglutide be dosed? 

Semaglutide is available as a single-use injection.   

You’ll get the injection once a week, on the same day each week. It can be given at any time of day, and you can take it with or without food.   

Semaglutide is typically injected just under the skin (subcutaneously) in your abdomen. Avoid injecting the medication into the same spot every time — change your injection site with each dose. But injecting in the same body area (e.g., abdomen) is OK as long as you’re rotating sites within the area each time.  

Since semaglutide slows down how quickly food leaves your stomach, you may experience side effects like nausea and vomiting. Once you get started on the medication, your provider will slowly raise your dosage every 2 weeks to help make these effects more manageable.  

Does Semaglutide curb your appetite?

Yes, it is believed that Semaglutide can help curb your appetite. In addition to slowing gastric emptying to make you feel full for longer, GLP-1 also plays a direct role in how your appetite is regulated.  

How does semaglutide compare to other weight loss medications?

One of the reasons there’s a lot of buzz around semaglutide is the amount of weight people lost during clinical trials. Typically, we tend to see an average of 5% to 10% weight loss with other medications.   

Oral weight loss medications tend to be less expensive than the injectable options, but you may not lose as much weight. Let’s review a few of the more popular weight loss medications and how they compare to semaglutide.

 Is Semaglutide safe? 

Yes. Semaglutide is considered to be safe and effective when used as indicated. But safe doesn’t mean that there aren’t risks. Semaglutide also carries a boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumors occurring in rodents (with unknown risk in humans), and Semaglutide shouldn’t be used if you or your family have a history of certain thyroid cancers. Semaglutide should not be used in people with type-1 diabetes or a history of pancreatitis. Semaglutide should be used cautiously for people on other blood sugar lowering medications.  

Is Semaglutide covered by my insurance? 

No. Semaglutide is not covered by insurance for people who are not diabetic type 2. However, if you can get this medication as part of our Semaglutide Weight Loss Program.  

The bottom line 

While no magic weight loss pill currently exists, available medications can help. But they should be used in combination with diet and exercise to get the most benefit and set you up for long-term results.  

Keep in mind that these medications may not be covered by insurance, and some tend to be expensive. So if you are interested in a prescription to help you lose weight, you’ll want to talk to your provider to see which one would be the best fit for you.  

Semaglutide is a new FDA-approved injectable weight loss medication. Compared to other medications on the market, it’s expensive, but it may help you lose more weight. It takes a few months to reach the target dose, and you may experience side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.