Ozempic is the brand name for semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist originally developed by Novo Nordisk. It was FDA-approved in 2017 primarily for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults, and has since become one of the most widely prescribed medications in the world due to its significant weight loss effects as a secondary benefit.
Semaglutide mimics a naturally occurring hormone in your gut called GLP-1, which is released after eating. This hormone signals to your brain that you are full, slows the rate at which food leaves your stomach, and stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin in response to blood sugar. The combined result is significantly reduced appetite, lower caloric intake, and sustained weight loss over time.
In clinical trials, patients using Ozempic-dose semaglutide (up to 2mg weekly) lost an average of 9.3 to 14.1 pounds over 40 weeks. The higher-dose weight-loss version — Wegovy at 2.4mg — produces greater results of around 15% body weight reduction over 68 weeks.













