Semaglutide
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy / Rybelsus)
Research Parameters
- Typical Dose Range
- Clinical: 0.25 mg weekly titrating up to 2.4 mg weekly (Wegovy for obesity). 0.25 mg weekly titrating up to 2 mg weekly (Ozempic for diabetes).
- Half-Life
- ~1 week (~165 hours)
- Administration Route
- Subcutaneous, Oral
Dosing information is for research purposes only and has not been evaluated by the FDA.
Semaglutide is Ozempic and Wegovy, the weight-loss molecule that became a cultural event. For research purposes, it's the first genuinely disruptive pharmacological weight management compound since amphetamines, and the clinical dataset behind it (the STEP trials, the SELECT trial) produced effect sizes nobody in obesity medicine had seen before: 15 to 17% average body weight reduction and a 20% reduction in major cardiovascular events in non-diabetic patients.
For lifters and body composition researchers, the nuance that matters: semaglutide produces weight loss by suppressing appetite and slowing digestion, which reduces caloric intake. A meaningful percentage of that weight loss is lean tissue unless resistance training and protein intake are deliberately maintained. Research now covers cardiovascular outcomes, Alzheimer's disease, addiction, and metabolic liver disease. The landscape is moving fast.
For research purposes only.
Mechanism of Action
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, a synthetic long-acting version of glucagon-like peptide-1, the gut hormone that signals satiety, slows gastric emptying, and improves insulin sensitivity. Structural modifications (fatty acid chain attachment) extend the half-life from minutes (native GLP-1) to approximately 165 hours, enabling weekly dosing.
Citations
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is semaglutide used for in research?
Research covers weight management, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular outcomes, Alzheimer's disease, and substance use disorders. The weight management and cardiovascular data have been the highest-impact findings of the last decade in this space. For research purposes only.
- How does semaglutide compare to tirzepatide?
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 agonist; tirzepatide is a dual GLP-1/GIP agonist. Head-to-head trials (SURMOUNT-5) show tirzepatide producing larger weight reduction on average, though semaglutide has a deeper cardiovascular outcomes dataset. For research purposes only.
- What's the typical research titration schedule for semaglutide?
Research and clinical protocols both titrate slowly. Typically starting at 0.25 mg weekly and increasing every 4 weeks. Rapid escalation is linked to a higher incidence of gastrointestinal side effects in the literature. For research purposes only.