What Is Ozempic? What It Is Used For, How It Works and Doses

Ozempic is a once-weekly injection for adults with type 2 diabetes. It contains semaglutide, which copies the gut hormone GLP-1 to help control blood sugar. This guide explains what it is licensed for in the UK, how it works, how it is dosed and how it differs from Wegovy, using the UK product information.

What Is Ozempic?

A once-weekly semaglutide injection licensed in the UK for adults with type 2 diabetes.

Ozempic contains semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist. It is made by Novo Nordisk and holds a UK marketing authorisation (PLGB 04668/0331). It is a once-weekly injection from a pre-filled pen.

Its Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) licenses it for adults with type 2 diabetes that is not well controlled, alongside diet and exercise:

• on its own, when metformin is not suitable, or

• added to other diabetes medicines.

It is not used for type 1 diabetes, and it is not licensed in the UK for weight management.

How Does Ozempic Work?

It copies GLP-1 to boost insulin and lower glucagon when blood sugar is high.

Semaglutide is very similar to GLP-1, a hormone the gut releases after eating; the SmPC describes 94% sequence similarity. Its effects on blood sugar come through GLP-1 receptors in the pancreas and brain:

• Insulin and glucagon: when blood sugar is high, it helps the pancreas release insulin and lowers glucagon, a hormone that raises blood sugar. When blood sugar is low, it reduces insulin release and does not block glucagon. No severe low blood sugar was seen when it was used on its own in the trials.

• Stomach emptying: it slightly delays stomach emptying after meals.

• Appetite: the SmPC notes it lowers appetite and calorie intake, which reduces body weight and body fat.

The SmPC reports that fasting blood sugar fell after the first dose.

How Well Does Ozempic Lower Blood Sugar?

In SUSTAIN 1, HbA1c fell 1.5 (0.5 mg) and 1.6 (1 mg) points over 30 weeks, against no change on placebo.

Blood sugar control in diabetes is measured with HbA1c, an average over about three months. In SUSTAIN 1, a 30-week trial reported in the SmPC, adults with type 2 diabetes not controlled by diet and exercise took semaglutide 0.5 mg, 1 mg or placebo once a week:

• HbA1c fell by an average of 1.5 and 1.6 percentage points on 0.5 mg and 1 mg, against no change on placebo.

• 74% and 72% reached an HbA1c below 7%, against 25% on placebo.

The SmPC also reports trials of Ozempic added to other diabetes medicines, including insulin, and trials of its effects on cardiovascular and kidney outcomes. Your own target is agreed with your diabetes team.

Ozempic Doses

0.25 mg for 4 weeks, then 0.5 mg; 1 mg and 2 mg if needed, each after at least 4 weeks.

According to the SmPC:

• Start: 0.25 mg once a week for 4 weeks. This is not a maintenance dose.

• Then: 0.5 mg once a week.

• If needed: after at least 4 weeks, 1 mg; after at least 4 more weeks, 2 mg, the maximum.

Most pens hold 4 doses (one 1 mg pen size holds 8) and come with needles. If a dose is missed, it can be taken within 5 days; after that, skip it and take the next one on the usual day. If you also take a sulfonylurea or insulin, your prescriber may lower that dose to reduce the risk of low blood sugar.

Is Ozempic Safe?

It is licensed in the UK; most side effects are stomach-related, with rarer serious ones such as pancreatitis.

Ozempic is licensed in the UK, and its SmPC sets out the known side effects and warnings. The only contraindication listed is an allergy to semaglutide or any of the other ingredients.

• Most common: nausea and diarrhoea, mostly in the first months.

• Low blood sugar: mainly when taken with a sulfonylurea or insulin.

• Gallstones are common, and vomiting or diarrhoea can cause dehydration, which in rare cases affects the kidneys, so keep drinking fluids.

• Serious but uncommon or rare: acute pancreatitis, diabetic eye complications in people with existing retinopathy, and a rare eye condition called NAION. Seek immediate medical attention for persistent, severe stomach pain or sudden loss of vision.

• Pregnancy and breastfeeding: it should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and should be stopped at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy.

For the full list, see Ozempic side effects. Report suspected side effects to the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.

Ozempic vs Wegovy

Same medicine, different licences: Ozempic for type 2 diabetes, Wegovy for weight management.

Both contain semaglutide and are made by Novo Nordisk, but they are different products with different licences:

• Ozempic is licensed for type 2 diabetes, at doses up to 2 mg a week.

• Wegovy is licensed for weight management, and for reducing cardiovascular risk in some adults, at doses up to 2.4 mg a week, or 7.2 mg for some adults with obesity.

If you are looking for a weight-management medicine, Wegovy is the semaglutide product licensed for that. See what is Wegovy. A prescriber decides which medicine, if any, is suitable.

Frequently Asked Questions