# Semaglutide

Ozempic · Wegovy · Rybelsus

https://graded.pl/en/substances/semaglutide · Checked: Not yet

Preliminary version. The editors have not finished checking this card, and grades may change.

A medicine that mimics GLP-1, a gut hormone that lowers appetite. Approved in the EU and US for type 2 diabetes and obesity. Approval covers only these medicines.

> This site is for information and education only. It does not promote or encourage the use or purchase of the substances described and is not medical advice. Many are not authorised as medicines and their safety has not been established. We sell nothing and have no ties to sellers. For health decisions, consult a doctor.

## Short answers

### Does semaglutide work?

A medicine that mimics GLP-1, a gut hormone that lowers appetite. Approved in the EU and US for type 2 diabetes and obesity. Approval covers only these medicines. Fat loss: grade A, effect in studies. Weight fell by 14.9% on average, and by 2.4% on placebo, after 68 weeks. Two more large studies agree. The maker paid for the studies, which tested the pharmacy medicine.

### Is Semaglutide legal?

PL: Prescription only. EU-wide approvals, including Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, cover Poland. The European medicines database (EMA) shows no separate Polish product (9 October 2026). EU: Prescription only. Approved across the EU as Ozempic and Wegovy. This covers that medicine only, not products sold outside pharmacies. US: Prescription only. Prescription medicine (Wegovy).

### Is semaglutide banned in sport?

Allowed, being watched, WADA 2026. Not banned. In 2026 WADA is collecting data on its use in sport.

### Is Semaglutide safe?

Well known. Large studies and a US drug label. The label carries its strongest warning, on rare thyroid tumours in rodents, and lists sudden inflammation of the pancreas. This describes the pharmacy medicine.

## What studies show

| | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fat loss | A | Effect in studies | Weight fell by 14.9% on average, and by 2.4% on placebo, after 68 weeks. Two more large studies agree. The maker paid for the studies, which tested the pharmacy medicine. |

## Studies we have read

- Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity. (The New England journal of medicine 2021; Random groups, n=1961) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33567185/
- Effect of Subcutaneous Semaglutide vs Placebo as an Adjunct to Intensive Behavioral Therapy on Body Weight in Adults With Overweight or Obesity: The STEP 3 Randomized Clinical Trial. (JAMA 2021; Random groups, n=611) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33625476/
- Semaglutide 2·4 mg once a week in adults with overweight or obesity, and type 2 diabetes (STEP 2): a randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. (Lancet (London, England) 2021; Random groups) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33667417/

## Is it legal

- PL: Prescription only. EU-wide approvals, including Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, cover Poland. The European medicines database (EMA) shows no separate Polish product (9 October 2026). https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/other/article-57-product-data_en.xlsx (Checked: Not yet)
- EU: Prescription only. Approved across the EU as Ozempic and Wegovy. This covers that medicine only, not products sold outside pharmacies. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/ozempic (Checked: Not yet)
- US: Prescription only. Prescription medicine (Wegovy). https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf/index.cfm?event=overview.process&ApplNo=215256 (Checked: Not yet)

## Doping

Allowed, being watched, WADA 2026. https://www.gov.br/abcd/pt-br/composicao/atletas/substancias-e-metodos-proibidos/2026ProgramadeMonitoramento.pdf

## How much research exists

- Scientific papers: 5817
- Studies with random groups: 312
- Registered studies in people: 793
- These are search results. A count shows how much exists, not how good the studies are. 1 Nov 2026.

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Open data: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/