Semaglutide
- Brand-name medicines
- Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus (Novo Nordisk)
- Category
- Incretin & Amylin Analogues
- Designed to bind
- GLP-1 receptor
- Length
- 31 amino acids, with a fatty-acid side chain
- Molecular weight
- ≈ 4,114 Da
- Supplied as
- Lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder in a sealed vial
- Status checked
- October 2026
01What it is
GLP-1 is a natural hormone made in the gut. Semaglutide is a lab-made peptide modeled on it: 31 amino acids, with two amino acids swapped and a fatty-acid chain attached. Novo Nordisk developed it, and it's the active ingredient in their FDA-approved medicines. What we sell is research-grade semaglutide powder for laboratory use. It's the same molecule, but it isn't those medicines.
02Where it stands legally
| FDA approval | Approved as the active ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Ozempic (2017), Rybelsus (2019) and Wegovy (2021). Those approvals cover Novo Nordisk's finished, prescription products, not research-grade powder. |
| Compounding | The FDA declared the semaglutide shortage over in February 2025, ending pharmacies' temporary permission to make copies. In April 2026 it proposed keeping semaglutide off the list large outsourcing pharmacies can compound from. |
| FDA enforcement | The FDA has sent 2026 warning letters to online sellers of "research use only" semaglutide whose websites showed it was meant for people. |
| Sport | Not on the World Anti-Doping Agency's prohibited list. It's in WADA's Monitoring Program, which tracks use without banning it. |
| Sold here as | Research use only. Not for human or animal consumption. |
03Storage
| Sealed vial (powder) | Store sealed at room temperature, away from heat and light. |
04Quality: what a good COA shows
| Identity (mass spectrometry) | A mass near 4,114 Da. Large peptides often show as a cluster of charged peaks that work back to that number. A different mass means a different molecule. |
| Purity (HPLC) | 98% or higher, with the chromatogram shown, not just a number. |
| Salt form | The COA should say which form it is. The FDA treats salt forms such as semaglutide sodium or acetate as different ingredients from semaglutide itself. |
| Lot number and date | Matches the vial you have. A COA without a lot number proves nothing. |
| Red flags | No lab name, no chromatogram, the same COA reused for every lot, a "100%" purity claim, or a nickname instead of the compound's name. |
05Common questions
How much should I take?
We don't give dosing or usage guidance for any research peptide. Our semaglutide is a research-grade peptide, not approved for human use. The approved medicines are prescribed by clinicians, and the only person who can advise you on putting a substance in your body is a licensed clinician who knows your health.
Is this the same as Ozempic or Wegovy?
No. Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus are FDA-approved drug products made by Novo Nordisk, manufactured and tested to drug standards and prescribed by a clinician. What we sell is a research-grade semaglutide peptide for laboratory use. It's the same molecule, but it isn't the approved drug product and isn't for human use.
Is it legal to buy?
In the US it can be sold for laboratory research. It can't be sold as a drug, supplement or treatment.
How is it different from tirzepatide?
They're different molecules. Semaglutide is designed to bind one receptor (GLP-1); tirzepatide is designed to bind two (GIP and GLP-1). Tirzepatide fact sheet →
06Sources
- FDA, Drugs@FDA: Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy approval records.
- FDA, semaglutide shortage resolution (February 2025) and proposed 503B bulks-list decision (April 30, 2026).
- FDA, warning letters to online sellers of research-labelled GLP-1 products, 2026.
- KEGG DRUG, Semaglutide: formula and molecular weight.
- World Anti-Doping Agency, 2026 Monitoring Program.