# Semaglutide > Long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist for glycemic control and weight management. - Also known as: Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus - Class: Metabolic - FDA approved: Yes - Canonical page: https://www.americanpeptide.com/catalog/semaglutide ## Overview Semaglutide is a 31-amino-acid GLP-1 receptor agonist engineered for once-weekly dosing via fatty-acid acylation and amino-acid substitutions that resist DPP-4 degradation. Approved by the FDA for type 2 diabetes (2017) and chronic weight management (2021). Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist built on the backbone of human GLP-1. Two engineering changes define it: a C18 fatty-diacid chain attached through a linker that promotes reversible binding to albumin, and amino-acid substitutions that resist degradation by the enzyme DPP-4. Together these extend its half-life to roughly a week, enabling once-weekly administration. It reached the market first for type 2 diabetes (Ozempic, 2017; oral Rybelsus, 2019) and then for chronic weight management (Wegovy, 2021). Large cardiovascular-outcome and weight-management trials have made it one of the most studied metabolic peptides of the past decade, and its template — acylation plus DPP-4 resistance — now informs the broader incretin class. ## Mechanism GLP-1 receptor agonism → glucose-dependent insulin secretion, slowed gastric emptying, central appetite suppression. ## Chemistry | Property | Value | | --- | --- | | Molecular formula | C187H291N45O59 | | Molecular weight | 4113.6 Da | | CAS number | 910463-68-2 | | PubChem CID | [56843331](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/56843331) | ## Research areas Studied in: Type 2 diabetes, Obesity, MASH, Cardiovascular risk reduction. Guides on this site: - [Weight Loss & Metabolic Health](https://www.americanpeptide.com/research-areas/weight-loss): Incretin and metabolic peptides studied for glycemic control and fat loss. ## Key research - Glycemic control — studied for glucose-dependent insulin secretion and glucagon suppression in type 2 diabetes. - Weight management — chronic-weight-management trials reported substantial mean body-weight reduction versus placebo. - Cardiovascular outcomes — investigated for reduction of major adverse cardiovascular events in at-risk populations. - MASH / hepatic fat — examined as an endpoint in metabolic liver-disease research. - Half-life engineering — fatty-acid acylation and DPP-4-resistant substitutions are the basis of its once-weekly profile. ## Storage, handling & synthesis **Storage.** Lyophilized: store frozen and protected from light; stable for extended periods. Reconstituted: refrigerate at 2–8 °C and use within weeks, not months. **Handling.** Reconstitute gently — swirl rather than shake, since agitation can shear the peptide. Protect from heat and minimize freeze–thaw cycles. **Synthesis.** Beyond its 31-residue chain, semaglutide carries a fatty-diacid side chain on a linker — extra synthetic steps that each add cost and another opportunity for impurities to form. Genuine material is purified to a defined spec and documented on a certificate of analysis, never judged by appearance. ## FAQs ### What is semaglutide? Semaglutide is a long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for type 2 diabetes and chronic weight management. It is marketed as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus. ### How does semaglutide promote weight loss? In studies it slows gastric emptying and acts on appetite centers in the brain while enhancing glucose-dependent insulin release, which together reduce caloric intake. ### Why is it dosed once weekly? Fatty-acid acylation promotes reversible binding to albumin and amino-acid substitutions resist DPP-4 breakdown, extending its half-life to about a week. ### What is the difference between Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus? All three are semaglutide. Ozempic and oral Rybelsus are approved for type 2 diabetes; Wegovy is approved for chronic weight management. This page is a research reference, not medical advice. ## Latest research Recent trials and publications mentioning Semaglutide, pulled automatically from ClinicalTrials.gov and PubMed (unfiltered search results, refreshed daily). ### Recent trials - [A Study to Evaluate the Effect of Retatrutide on Insulin Secretion and Insulin Sensitivity in Adult Participants With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06982859) — ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING · PHASE1 · NCT06982859 - [A Study of a Novel Precision Medicine Approach For Obesity](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06814938) — ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING · PHASE4 · NCT06814938 - [A Phase 1 Clinical Trial to Assess the Safety of DWRX5003 and Relative Bioavailability to DWC202502 and DWC202503 in Healthy Adult Volunteers](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07539415) — RECRUITING · PHASE1 · NCT07539415 - [Assessing Follow up Trajectories in Eating, Routines, and Weight After GLP-1](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07701460) — NOT_YET_RECRUITING · NA · NCT07701460 - [Physiologic Response to Bariatric Surgery and the Impact of Adjunct Semaglutide in Adolescents](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06575738) — RECRUITING · PHASE1 · NCT06575738 - [Non-Invasive Hepatic and Metabolic Index Changes After Incretin Therapy in Overweight/Obesity](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07701005) — COMPLETED · NCT07701005 ### Recent publications - [Tirzepatide and reduced risk of pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis: a multicenter U.S. cohort study.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42460324/) — Front Endocrinol (Lausanne), 2026 (PMID 42460324) - [Vutiglabridin overcomes the GLP-1 RA-associated weight-loss plateau to achieve normal body weight.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42457940/) — Int J Obes (Lond), 2026 Jul 15 (PMID 42457940) - [Efficacy and safety of zalfermin co-administered with semaglutide in participants with fibrosis and cirrhosis due to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis: a phase 2, dose-ranging, double-blind, randomised controlled trial.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42456707/) — Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2026 Jul 15 (PMID 42456707) - [Incretin-Based Therapies in Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity: A Systematic Review of GLP-1 and Dual GIP/GLP-1 Agonists.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42455418/) — Cardiovasc Toxicol, 2026 Jul 15 (PMID 42455418) - [Thermosensitive Hydrogels for Sustained Semaglutide Release: Overcoming Weight Loss Plateau in Diet-Induced Obese Rats.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42454991/) — Pharm Dev Technol, 2026 Jul 15 (PMID 42454991) - [Semaglutide and Resmetirom in Patients With Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis and Fibrosis: An Exploratory Indirect Comparison.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42454420/) — Diabetes Obes Metab, 2026 Jul 15 (PMID 42454420) --- Source: AmericanPeptide.com — https://www.americanpeptide.com/catalog/semaglutide Data license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Attribution: AmericanPeptide.com. Research reference only — computational and educational content, not medical advice.