Semaglutide

What is Semaglutide?

Semaglutide is a GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonist — a peptide medication that mimics a gut hormone your body releases after eating. It is FDA-approved under the brand name Wegovy for chronic weight management and under Ozempic and Rybelsus for type 2 diabetes.

Unlike most peptides used in wellness settings, semaglutide sits on a deep foundation of human evidence. It is a manufactured, FDA-approved medication with well-characterized dosing, safety, and efficacy — not a research compound. Strong Health prescribes it as part of a physician-supervised weight-management program.

How Semaglutide works

Semaglutide activates GLP-1 receptors in the brain, pancreas, and gastrointestinal tract. Centrally, it acts on appetite-regulating centers in the hypothalamus to reduce hunger and food cravings; peripherally, it slows gastric emptying so you feel full longer.

In the pancreas it enhances glucose-dependent insulin secretion and suppresses glucagon — which is why it improves blood-sugar control in type 2 diabetes. The combined effect is reduced caloric intake and improved metabolic markers, producing sustained weight loss when paired with nutrition and activity changes.

What Semaglutide is used for

What the evidence shows

Semaglutide's weight-loss evidence comes from the STEP program — large, placebo-controlled randomized trials. In STEP 1, adults without diabetes lost a mean of about 15% of body weight over 68 weeks on 2.4 mg weekly semaglutide, versus roughly 2.4% on placebo [1].

Later trials extended these findings to people with type 2 diabetes (STEP 2) and demonstrated that continued treatment sustains the loss while discontinuation leads to regain [2]. Separately, the SELECT trial showed cardiovascular event reduction in patients with established cardiovascular disease and overweight/obesity [3].

This is a genuinely different evidence tier from most peptides discussed on this site: semaglutide's efficacy and safety are established in tens of thousands of trial participants, which is why we can speak about expected results with far more confidence.

Dosing & administration context

For weight management, semaglutide is a once-weekly subcutaneous injection titrated slowly upward over months to a maintenance dose, minimizing gastrointestinal side effects. The oral form (Rybelsus) is dosed daily and is approved for diabetes rather than weight management.

The exact starting dose, titration schedule, and target are set by the prescribing physician based on your response and tolerance — the slow ramp is deliberate and matters. Because this is an FDA-approved medication, we prioritize dispensing manufactured product; compounded semaglutide is a separate regulatory situation tied to shortage status and state rules.

Semaglutide is an FDA-approved medication (Wegovy for weight management; Ozempic/Rybelsus for type 2 diabetes). Strong Health prescribes it under physician supervision; compounded semaglutide is a separate regulatory situation dependent on shortage status and state rules.

Safety & side effects

The most common side effects are gastrointestinal — nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting — usually mild to moderate and most pronounced during dose escalation. Slow titration and dietary adjustments reduce them substantially.

More serious but uncommon concerns include pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, and a boxed warning regarding thyroid C-cell tumors (based on rodent studies), which makes a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2 a contraindication. We screen for these before prescribing and monitor throughout treatment.

How Strong Health prescribes Semaglutide

At Strong Health, semaglutide is prescribed only within a physician-supervised weight-management program — an evaluation, a metabolic lab panel, screening for contraindications, and a plan that pairs the medication with nutrition and lean-mass preservation. We treat weight loss as medicine, not a monthly vial.

We prioritize FDA-approved manufactured product where available and appropriate. Availability, formulation, and whether a compounded option is permissible depend on current shortage status and the rules of the state you're in — your physician will walk you through what applies to you before anything is prescribed.

Available in person at our Miami (Brickell) clinic and via telehealth across our service areas.

Frequently asked questions