How does semaglutide work?
Semaglutide switches on the GLP-1 receptor. That raises insulin when blood sugar is high, lowers glucagon (a hormone that raises blood sugar), slows how fast the stomach empties, and cuts appetite through signals in the brain and body. This site's profile says its half-life is about 7 days. Its molecular weight is 4,113.6 daltons. The evidence in people on this site includes SELECT (17,604 adults, about 39.8 months on average, 20% fewer major heart events) and STEP 1 (1,961 adults without diabetes, down 14.9% at 68 weeks, versus down 2.4% on a dummy shot). The evoke and evoke plus Alzheimer's studies in 3,808 people found it did not slow decline. Changes in appetite and stomach emptying are how it works. They do not promise that a given person will lose a set amount of fat. A research-chemical vial is not Ozempic, Wegovy, or Rybelsus. This FAQ does not invent a dose. Full record at /compounds/semaglutide.
Studies in people from the compound pages this answer belongs to
- Semaglutide
- Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes (SELECT) 2023 PMID 37952131
- Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity (STEP 1) 2021 PMID 33567185
- Efficacy and safety of oral semaglutide 14 mg (flexible dose) in early-stage symptomatic Alzheimer's disease (evoke and evoke+): two phase 3, randomised, placebo-controlled trials 2026 PMID 41865758
Educational use only. This database summarizes published research and is not medical advice. Where a dose appears it is a record of what a trial or clinic ran, or what people describe doing, with its source attached. Nothing here is a recommendation for personal use.
Part of glp-1 and metabolic peptides. Semaglutide, tirzepatide, retatrutide, and the rest of the incretin and glucagon receptor family.