Ozempic (semaglutide) is an injectable diabetes medication that activates a hormone called the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor, which decreases blood glucose.
It’s also been shown to lower a person’s appetite. That can be a great thing for people with obesity.
1. Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist.
Semaglutide is a potent and long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist with 94% structural similarity to the native GLP-1. This drug is a therapeutic option for treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity. It has also been shown to be safe and well tolerated in patients with renal, hepatic or cardiovascular (CV) diseases.
Semaglutide acts as an agonist at the GLP-1 receptor and improves glucose metabolism by increasing insulin secretion, suppresses appetite, reduces weight, and decreases liver fat. It also has hepatoprotective properties and is currently under trial in patients with NASH and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
Semaglutide is a therapeutic peptidic drug that can be used as monotherapy or in combination with other oral anti-hyperglycaemic agents. Its anti-hyperglycaemic activity is backed by multiple clinical trials in adults, elderly and obese type 2 diabetic patients with or without renal/hepatic impairment or CV disorders.
2. Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist.
Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist that can be used to treat patients with type 2 diabetes. This therapy reduces glycated hemoglobin levels and body weight, promoting a favorable proinsulin to insulin ratio.
It is a new class of drugs that has shown a significant effect on weight loss and glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients. In addition, GLP-1 agonists have been shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart attack and stroke in patients with T2D.
The pharmacokinetics of semaglutide have been studied in healthy subjects, rats and monkeys. The pharmacokinetic profile of semaglutide was found to be similar in all three species. Its bioavailability in both the gastrointestinal tract and the hepatic system was not different between the three species.
3. Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) receptor agonist.
Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) receptor agonist that is used to treat type 2 diabetes. This medication lowers blood sugar by increasing the body’s production of insulin.
GLP-1 agonists also improve heart rate and can help control weight loss. In the SUSTAIN 6 trial, a heart rate increase of 2.75 beats per minute was seen for semaglutide 0.5 mg and 3.2 bpm for 1.0 mg.
Despite these positive effects, all GLP-1RAs have been associated with some adverse events. However, these are usually mild and transient. The most common adverse events that result in discontinuation of treatment are injection site reactions and gastrointestinal (GI) complaints.
4. Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-3 (GLP-3) receptor agonist.
GLP-1 receptor agonists are an important class of drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes (T2D). These drugs work by increasing insulin secretion, inhibiting glucagon secretion that leads to reduced hepatic glucose production, correcting defects in the production of gastrointestinal incretins and promoting an effect on the central nervous system that reduces appetite.
Oral semaglutide is a potent, long-acting GLP-1 RA that has been shown to be highly effective and safe across the T2D spectrum. In the PIONEER program, it was shown to be better than comparators for glycemic control and weight loss in patients with T2D managed by diet and exercise, and adults with advanced disease who needed daily insulin.
In the PIONEER program, nausea and vomiting were the most common GI AEs observed in patients taking oral semaglutide. However, a recent mediation analysis of SUSTAIN 1-5 showed that these adverse events had minimal contribution to the greater weight loss (WL) with semaglutide versus exenatide extended release (SUSTAIN 3; 56 weeks), dulaglutide (SUSTAIN 7; 40 weeks) or liraglutide (SUSTAIN 10; 30 weeks).