Ozempic®

semaglutide, GLP-1, injection

Ozempic® mimics the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) hormone, which plays a role in digestion and appetite regulation, causing you to feel fuller faster. It also:

Balances blood sugar

Reduces appetite

Regulates insulin

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Everything you need to know about
Ozempic®

What is

Ozempic®

Benefits How it works How to use it

What is
Ozempic®
?

Ozempic is a drug that is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat type 2 diabetes and to reduce major heart events in adults who have type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Clinicians prescribe it off-label for weight loss because clinical evidence shows it also helps people lose weight.

Benefits of
Ozempic®

Expected weight loss depends on the dosage of Ozempic. In one study, people who took 2.4 mg of semaglutide every week for 68 weeks lost an average of 14.9% of their total body weight. (Safe weight loss is one to two pounds per week.)

Although Ozempic is a diabetes medication, it may have more benefits for off-label use beyond weight management. Multiple clinical trials funded by Novo Nordisk show semaglutide can reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death in adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease.

Semaglutide improves heart health by lowering blood sugar and helping people lose excess body weight. Research is ongoing to determine if semaglutide can treat other medical conditions.

And it’s significant to note that some patients have reported reduced cravings while using semaglutide for weight loss.

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How does
Ozempic®
work?

When you eat, your food stimulates your gut to release the GLP-1 hormone. GLP-1 helps lower blood glucose (blood sugar) by stimulating insulin release. And insulin helps blood glucose enter your body’s cells for later energy use.

In some people, the gut doesn't make enough natural GLP-1, or the brain isn't sensitive to it.

‍Ozempic is a synthetic GLP-1 RA or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist. A drug that works as an agonist activates the same cell receptors as the body's natural hormones. So, Ozempic works in the gut like natural GLP-1. Because Ozempic slows digestion, it helps curb hunger and signal fullness to the brain. As a result, some people with obesity have lost weight while taking it.

Because Ozempic supports a process the body isn’t doing well, it’s intended for long-term use.

It’s important to note that GLP-1 medications don’t work for everyone. There are dozens of biological reasons why people struggle to lose weight. Found’s health care providers, trained in obesity medicine, can help patients identify the root cause of their weight gain and personalize a prescription to target it.

More on personalized treatment with Found

How to use it

Physicians typically instruct patients to take Ozempic once a week. Novo Nordisk recommends injecting the medicine under the skin in your upper arm, upper thigh, or stomach. Store Ozempic in a refrigerator.

Dosing

For most patients, dosing begins with the 0.25 mg pen for weekly injections for the first four weeks and increases to 0.5 mg on the fifth week of treatment. After that, your provider may increase your weekly dose to 1 mg, then 2 mg as clinically needed for additional glycemic control for those with type 2 diabetes and if you continue to tolerate semaglutide injections.

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Side effects

Rapid or significant weight loss can lead to too much muscle loss. It’s important to start a strength training program and exercise regularly to protect your muscles while taking Ozempic.

Use adequate contraception while taking this medication. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant, do not take Ozempic.

Tell your health care provider if you have severe stomach problems that won’t go away, including abdominal bloating or pain, acid reflux, a feeling of fullness after eating just a few bites of food, nausea, and vomiting, including vomiting undigested food eaten a few hours earlier. These may be symptoms of gastroparesis (stomach paralysis).

Severe pain in your abdomen or back that will not go away is a symptom of pancreatitis. Contact your health care provider immediately.

Ozempic is not appropriate for those with insulin-dependent diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. So, if that’s you, Ozempic isn’t the right fit.

Black Box Warning

Although rare, semaglutide caused thyroid C-cell tumors in animal studies. Ozempic’s “black box” warns of the risk of these tumors. If you have trouble swallowing, develop hoarseness, or feel swelling or a lump in your neck, contact your health care provider immediately.

The FDA also warns not to take Ozempic if you have or have a family history of multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 or medullary thyroid cancer.

Precautions

Rapid or significant weight loss can lead to too much muscle loss. It’s important to start a strength training program and exercise regularly to protect your muscles while taking Ozempic.

Use adequate contraception while taking this medication. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant, do not take Ozempic.

Tell your health care provider if you have severe stomach problems that won’t go away, including abdominal bloating or pain, acid reflux, a feeling of fullness after eating just a few bites of food, nausea, and vomiting, including vomiting undigested food eaten a few hours earlier. These may be symptoms of gastroparesis (stomach paralysis).

Severe pain in your abdomen or back that will not go away is a symptom of pancreatitis. Contact your health care provider immediately.

Ozempic is not appropriate for those with insulin-dependent diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. So, if that’s you, Ozempic isn’t the right fit.

Interactions

Some drugs can also interact with Ozempic, including:

Insulin
Sulfonylureas (when combined, these can cause blood sugar levels to drop dangerously low when combined with Ozempic)
Some birth control pills
Other GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist medications such as liraglutide, dulaglutide, or tirzepatide

You should not drink alcohol while taking these drugs because it can lower blood sugar. Combining alcohol with these medications may cause blood sugars to fall too fast, leading to fainting and dizziness.

about
found

Found is an online weight loss program offering personalized care for every member. Some of the nation’s top obesity medicine specialists helped design our program. Our approach is based on science, and we’re committed to clinical excellence.

Members get access to: Clinicians trained in obesity medicine 1:1 health coaching Self-paced lifestyle change program designed by doctors, psychologists, and behavioral scientists Exclusive in-app community.

Found’s comprehensive program is designed to work with your body—so you can achieve lasting results and enjoy better health.

Alternative medications

Depending on your health history, weight history, and MetabolicPrint^TM assessment, your Found health care provider may consider other alternatives to help you lose weight. Some are FDA-approved for weight loss. Others are used off-label and have strong clinical evidence supporting their use for weight loss.

Unfortunately, there are no generic versions of Ozempic currently on the market.
However, your health care provider might consider alternatives such as Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Saxenda, all of which are GLP-1 medications but not all are FDA-approved for weight loss specifically.