At a glance
Type
GLP-1 receptor agonist
Molecular weight
≈4113.6 g/mol
Studied for
Weight managementBlood-sugar controlAppetite / satietyCardiometabolic
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonist — an engineered, long-acting analog of the body’s own incretin hormone. It is the peptide behind the modern wave of metabolic and weight-management research, designed with a fatty-acid modification that lets it bind albumin and last about a week per dose.
How semaglutide works
Semaglutide activates the GLP-1 receptor, mimicking the gut hormone GLP-1. That does several things at once: it prompts glucose-dependent insulin release, suppresses glucagon, slows gastric emptying, and acts on appetite centres in the brain to reduce food intake. Its fatty-acid side chain binds strongly to albumin, giving a half-life of roughly one week and supporting once-weekly dosing.
What the research shows
- Weight management — STEP 1 (Wilding et al., NEJM 2021). In ~1,961 adults with obesity and no diabetes, once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg produced ~14.9% mean body-weight loss at 68 weeks versus ~2.4% on placebo.
- Cardiovascular outcomes in obesity — SELECT (Lincoff et al., NEJM 2023). In 17,604 adults with overweight/obesity and prior cardiovascular disease (no diabetes), semaglutide cut major adverse cardiovascular events by ~20%.
- Type 2 diabetes & CV — SUSTAIN-6 (Marso et al., NEJM 2016). In patients with type 2 diabetes, semaglutide reduced the composite of CV death, heart attack or stroke by ~26%.
- Oral formulation — PIONEER 6 (Husain et al., NEJM 2019). Oral semaglutide was non-inferior to placebo for cardiovascular safety in high-risk type 2 diabetes.
Semaglutide is among the most heavily studied peptides in medicine, but trial results apply to the specific populations and doses studied. It should be used under a physician’s guidance. (The molecule has been marketed under brand names including Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy — noted here for context only.)
Molecular specification
| Type | GLP-1 receptor agonist (acylated GLP-1 analog) |
| Sequence | 31-amino-acid GLP-1 analog with C18 fatty-diacid chain |
| Molecular formula | C187H291N45O59 |
| Molecular weight | ≈4113.6 g/mol |
| CAS number | 910463-68-2 |
Quality and sourcing
Every batch of Azzurri Wellness semaglutide is compounded through a Registered 503B outsourcing facility under GMP-compliant processes, HPLC-tested for purity and potency, and third-party lab verified. Shipped cold-pack when needed to protect stability.
References
- Wilding JPH, et al. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity (STEP 1). N Engl J Med. 2021;384(11):989–1002. NEJM
- Lincoff AM, et al. Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes (SELECT). N Engl J Med. 2023;389(24):2221–2232. PubMed
- Marso SP, et al. Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (SUSTAIN-6). N Engl J Med. 2016;375(19):1834–1844. PubMed
- Husain M, et al. Oral Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (PIONEER 6). N Engl J Med. 2019;381(9):841–851. PubMed
Compiled by the Azzurri Wellness Research Team and checked against the cited literature. Educational only — not medical advice.
