Semaglutide

Overview

Semaglutide is an analogue of the gut hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Two changes make it long-acting: an amino-acid substitution that protects it from the DPP-4 enzyme, and a fatty diacid chain that binds albumin. Together they extend its half-life to about one week.

Because it has been studied so extensively, semaglutide is the usual benchmark against which newer incretin peptides such as tirzepatide and retatrutide are compared.

Research areas

• Glucose-dependent insulin secretion and glucagon suppression (SUSTAIN programme)
• Appetite, gastric emptying and body-weight regulation (STEP programme)
• Cardiovascular outcomes (SELECT trial)
• GLP-1 receptor signalling in the brain and gut

Specifications

Category

Weight loss

Compound

Synthetic GLP-1 analogue, GLP-1 receptor agonist

Structure

31 amino acids, 94% sequence homology with human GLP-1, C18 fatty diacid side chain

Form

Lyophilised (freeze-dried) powder in sealed vials

Available as

5mg (10 vials) · 10mg (10 vials) · 15mg (10 vials) · 20mg (10 vials) · 30mg (10 vials)

Quality

Third-party tested

Storage and handling

Unopened vials: freezer (−20 °C) for long-term storage, or refrigerator (2–8 °C) for shorter periods. Keep away from light and moisture. After reconstitution, keep refrigerated.