A GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for type 2 diabetes, chronic weight management and cardiovascular risk reduction.
Semaglutide mimics GLP-1, a gut hormone that increases insulin release when blood sugar is high, slows stomach emptying and reduces appetite. Novo Nordisk sells it as Ozempic (weekly injection for type 2 diabetes), Rybelsus (daily tablet for type 2 diabetes) and Wegovy for chronic weight management, which now comes as a weekly injection, a higher-dose weekly injection called Wegovy HD, and a daily tablet.
FDA approved Ozempic in 2017, Rybelsus in 2019 and Wegovy in 2021, followed by an oral Wegovy tablet in December 2025 and Wegovy HD, a 7.2 mg weekly dose, in March 2026. All are prescription drugs. FDA declared the semaglutide shortage resolved in February 2025, which ended the shortage-based allowance for pharmacies to compound copies, and the agency has warned about dosing errors and unapproved products sold as semaglutide.
Status reflects public FDA actions and reporting as of October 8, 2026. An advisory committee vote is a recommendation, not an FDA decision, and inclusion on a compounding list is not FDA approval.
Unlike most compounds in this guide, semaglutide has large randomized trials behind it. The STEP trials established its weight-loss effect, and the SELECT trial showed a reduction in major cardiovascular events in adults with heart disease and overweight or obesity, which led to that indication being added to Wegovy's label in 2024.
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