What semaglutide is

The ingredient and the names

Semaglutide is a medicine made to act like a gut hormone. A hormone is a signal the body uses. This signal helps with fullness and blood sugar.

It belongs to a group called GLP-1 medicines. GLP-1 is the name of the natural signal these medicines copy.

Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) has several product names. Semaglutide names the ingredient; the other names are brands.

A clinician is the health professional who checks your health. A prescription is the medicine order a licensed clinician writes.

As of September 26, 2026, Ozempic (semaglutide) and Wegovy (semaglutide) included both injection and tablet forms in the US.

The reason for treatment matters

As of September 26, 2026, the FDA, the US medicine agency, approved Ozempic injection for adults with type 2 diabetes, rather than for weight loss.

Type 2 diabetes is a condition involving how the body handles blood sugar. Wegovy has an approved use for weight management.

The FDA-approved label is the official medicine information that lists the uses the FDA has approved. An off-label prescription uses an approved medicine to treat something not on that list. As of September 26, 2026, a prescriber could legally do this, but it did not mean the FDA had approved that other use.

Reading for this question

• Ozempic (semaglutide) injection label

  The approved uses belong to this product and form. They do not apply to every product containing semaglutide.

• Wegovy (semaglutide) label

  A separate label for the weight-management brand, including its injection and tablet forms.