Semaglutide Pharmacokinetics
Semaglutide half-life, absorption, routes of administration, and clearance.
The 7-Day Half-Life: Engineering Once-Weekly GLP-1 Dosing
Semaglutide's pharmacokinetic profile is the product of deliberate molecular engineering. By optimizing albumin binding affinity through fatty acid acylation, Novo Nordisk achieved a half-life long enough for once-weekly dosing while maintaining full GLP-1 receptor agonist activity — a breakthrough that fundamentally changed the GLP-1 agonist therapeutic landscape.
Physicochemical and PK profile
- Molecular Formula
- C187H291N45O59
- Molecular Weight
- 4113.58 g/mol
- CAS Number
- 910463-68-2
- Half-Life
- Approximately 7 days (168 hours)
- Sequence
- His-Aib-Glu-Gly-Thr-Phe-Thr-Ser-Asp-Val-Ser-Ser-Tyr-Leu-Glu-Gly-Gln-Ala-Ala-Lys(γGlu-γGlu-C18 diacid)-Glu-Phe-Ile-Ala-Trp-Leu-Val-Arg-Gly-Arg-Gly
- Solubility
- Soluble in water with appropriate pH adjustment
- Storage
- Store at 2-8°C (refrigerated). In-use pens may be stored at room temperature up to 56 days.
References
- Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity · Wilding JPH, et al. · 2021
- FDA Approval Announcement for Wegovy (2021). · 2021
- Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes. · Lincoff AM, Brown-Frandsen K, Colhoun HM et al. · 2023
- Semaglutide, a glucagon like peptide-1 receptor agonist with ... - NIH · Mahapatra MK, Karuppasamy M, Sahoo BM · 2022
- Semaglutide Mechanism of Action Review. PMC. · Ghusn W, De la Rosa A, Sacoto D, Cifuentes L, Campos A, Feris F, Hurtado MD, Acosta A · 2022
- Oral Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in High-Risk Type 2 Diabetes. · McGuire DK, Marx N, Mulvagh SL et al. · 2025
- Semaglutide | C187H291N45O59 | CID 56843331 - PubChem - NIH
- Central Nervous System Effects of GLP-1 Agonists. Nature Medicine.
- Effects of oral semaglutide on cardiovascular outcomes in individuals with type 2 diabetes and established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and/or chronic kidney disease: Design and baseline characteristics of SOUL, a randomized trial. · McGuire DK, Busui RP, Deanfield J et al. · 2023
- Semaglutide - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf
- Wilding JPH, et al. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity (STEP 1). NEJM. 2021. · Wilding JP, Batterham RL, Calanna S, Davies M, Van Gaal LF, Lingvay I, McGowan BM, Rosenstock J, Tran MT, Wadden TA, Wharton S, Yokote K, Zeuthen N, Kushner RF · 2021
- Effects of Semaglutide on Chronic Kidney Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. · Perkovic V, Tuttle KR, Rossing P et al. · 2024
- Molecular mechanisms of semaglutide and liraglutide as a ... · Tamayo-Trujillo R, Ruiz-Pozo VA, Cadena-Ullauri S, Guevara-Ramírez P, Paz-Cruz E, Zambrano-Villacres R, Simancas-Racines D, Zambrano AK · 2024