Ozempic (semaglutide)

Description

What is Ozempic (semaglutide) for?

Ozempic is a medicine prescribed for the treatment of adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus ^[1]. Although in recent years Ozempic has been often prescribed “off-label” for weight loss, it is not currently approved for this indication.

Ozempic (semaglutide) is available as a single-patient-use pen for subcutaneous injection in the following strengths:

• 2 mg/3 mL, delivering 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg per injection;
• 4 mg/3 mL, delivering 1 mg per injection;
• 8 mg/3 mL, delivering 2 mg per injection ^[1].

How does Ozempic (semaglutide) work?

The active ingredient in Ozempic, semaglutide, is a GLP-1 receptor antagonist. It acts the same way as GLP-1 (a hormone produced in the gut). By increasing the amount of insulin released by the pancreas in response to food, semaglutide helps control blood glucose levels ^[3].

Where has Ozempic (semaglutide) been approved?

Ozempic (semaglutide) is currently approved in the USA, EU, Canada, Japan, and Australia ^[2,3,4,5,6] for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Ozempic is not approved anywhere for use as a weight loss medication.