Semaglutide vs Insulin

Semaglutide

• Weight loss (~15%)
• Glycemic control
• Cardiometabolic improvement

Insulin

• Caloric restriction increases lifespan partly via reduction of IGF-1, insulin, and glucose
• Metformin extends lifespan and inhibits carcinogenesis in rodents
• Regulation of glucose metabolism
• Required for noxious light avoidance
• Regulation of adipocyte biology (glucose transport, triglyceride synthesis, inhibition of lipolysis)

Semaglutide

• SubQ — 7–14 mg
• SubQ — ~400 mg
• SubQ — 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg
• SubQ — Discard vial within 28 days after first use; use a new sterile needle and syringe for each dose
• SubQ — 2.4 mg once weekly subcutaneously
• SubQ — 0.5 mg or 1.0 mg once weekly subcutaneously
• SubQ — 0.25 mg once weekly, escalating to 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, and maintenance 2.4 mg
• SubQ — 10 μg/kg
• SubQ — 10 μg/kg, administered 120 minutes before oral glucose challenge
• SubQ — Once daily
• SubQ — Varies; reports of doses beyond FDA-approved label limits
• Oral — 3 mg, 7 mg, or 14 mg orally once daily
• SubQ — Once-weekly subcutaneous injection via prefilled pen; low starting dose increased every 4 weeks for first 16 weeks to reach recommended dose
• Oral — One tablet once daily on an empty stomach after at least 8 hours fasting; wait 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other medicines
• Oral — Once daily on an empty stomach after at least 8 hours of fasting; wait 30 minutes before eating, drinking, or taking other medicines
• Oral — One tablet once daily on an empty stomach after at least 8 hours fasting; wait 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other medicines
• Oral — 2.5 mg to 40 mg co-formulated with 300 mg SNAC
• — Manufactured in a variety of dosage strengths; patients typically start at the lowest dosage strength and, as needed, increase dosage strengths over time
• SubQ — 0.25 milligrams (5 units / 0.05 mL) drawn with U-100 insulin syringe
• Oral — One tablet once daily on an empty stomach after at least 8 hours of fasting; wait 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other medicines
• Oral — One tablet once a day on an empty stomach after at least 8 hours of fasting; wait 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other medicines
• SubQ — 2.4 mg once weekly for weight reduction in patients with BMI ≥30 kg/m² (approved 2021)
• Oral — Once daily on an empty stomach after at least 8 hours of fasting; wait 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other medicines
• SubQ — 2.4 mg once weekly
• Oral — 7-14 mg semaglutide co-formulated with ~400 mg SNAC, oral
• SubQ — 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 0.1 mg once weekly
• SubQ — 1.7 mg, 2.4 mg once weekly
• SubQ — Start low, increase every 4 weeks up to 25 mg
• SubQ — Maximum dose of 2.4 mg
• SubQ — Once-weekly injection
• SubQ — 3 mg once daily for 30 days, then increase to 7 mg once daily. If blood glucose levels are still too high after another 30 days, provider may increase dose to 14 mg once daily.
• SubQ — 0.25 mg once weekly for the first 4 weeks, then increase to 0.5 mg once weekly. If blood glucose levels are still too high, dose may continue to increase every 4 weeks until reaching the effective amount (up to 2 mg once weekly).
• SubQ — Up to 120 mL water, fast for 30 min post-dose
• SubQ — Once-weekly
• SubQ — 25mg
• SubQ — 3mg to 14mg
• SubQ — 2.4 mg weekly
• SubQ — 25 mg once daily
• SubQ — Days 31 through 60
• SubQ — Days 61 through 90
• SubQ — Initiate 25 mg maintenance dosage
• SubQ — Filled prescription within 180 days of bariatric surgery
• SubQ — 0.5-100 mg (including ranges of 0.5-50 mg, 0.5-25mg, 1-25 mg, 5-50 mg, 0.5-10 mg, 0.5-5 mg)
• SubQ — 25mg daily
• SubQ — 0.1-50 mg
• SubQ — Up to 2.4 mg weekly
• SubQ — Up to 2 mg weekly
• SubQ — Up to 2.4 mg once weekly
• SubQ — Once weekly
• — Start at lowest dose, then increase gradually to match equivalent of previous compounded semaglutide dose
• — First dose of second drug administered seven days after discontinuation
• — First dose of second drug administered one day after discontinuation
• — Both are semaglutide, but their FDA-approved uses and recommended dosages differ
• Oral — Single dose of 10 mg semaglutide with 300 mg SNAC
• Oral — Once-daily oral tablet, started at a low dose and increased about every four weeks to a maximum of 25 mg; taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach with only 4 ounces of water, then wait 30 minutes before eating, drinking, or taking other medications; tablet must be swallowed whole
• SubQ — 0.5mg and 1mg
• SubQ — up to 2.4mg (maintenance)
• Oral — 25 mg once daily, with 12-week dose escalation
• SubQ — 2.4 mg once weekly subcutaneous injection, with reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity
• Oral — 0.1-50 mg GLP-1 agonist per composition
• SubQ — First dose administered seven days after discontinuation
• SubQ — First dose administered one day after discontinuation
• — Used in clinical trials for up to 104 weeks (2 years); intended for long-term use
• Oral — 25mg daily (oral), under FDA review
• Oral — 3mg initiation, advanced to 7mg, then 14mg maintenance
• SubQ — 1 mg injected once weekly
• — 2.4 mg weekly
• SubQ — 2.4 mg injection, used alongside a low-calorie diet and increased physical activity
• Oral — 3 mg, 7 mg, 14 mg titration
• Oral — 1.5 mg, escalate to 4 mg at day 31, escalate to 9 mg at day 61 if additional glycemic control required
• SubQ — At least three 0.25 mg doses spanning at least six months
• SubQ — 0.5mg and 1mg lower doses for type 2 diabetes
• SubQ — Switch to 1.7 mg Wegovy injection with dosage escalation schedule
• SubQ — 2.4 mg injection
• SubQ — At least three 0.25 mg doses spanning at least six months
• Oral — 50 mg daily, on an empty stomach with a water-only window
• SubQ — At least three 0.25 mg doses spanning at least six months
• Oral — Patients can switch between Rybelsus formulations after 30 days; can switch from Ozempic to Rybelsus 1 week after discontinuation
• Oral — No dose adjustment needed; same recommended dosage for patients with and without renal impairment
• SubQ — At least three 0.25 mg doses spanning at least six months (study definition)
• SubQ — 2.4 mg weekly
• SubQ — At least three 0.25 mg doses spanning at least six months
• Oral — 0.5-100 mg (e.g. 0.5-25 mg, 1-25 mg), administered every second day or more often, e.g. once or twice daily
• SubQ — $350 per month via TrumpRx under US pricing agreement
• Oral — $49 for the first month, $99 per month thereafter
• SubQ — 7.2 mg
• SubQ — 25 mg
• SubQ — 0.5 mg, 1 mg, or 2 mg
• SubQ — 4 mg or 9 mg
• SubQ — 25 mg and 50 mg vs 14 mg
• SubQ — 0.25 mg weekly (Weeks 1-4), 0.5 mg weekly (Weeks 5-8), 1.0 mg weekly (Week 9+)
• SubQ — 0.25 mg (Weeks 1-4) -> 0.5 mg (Weeks 5-8) -> 1.0 mg (Weeks 9-12) -> 1.7 mg (Weeks 13-16) -> 2.4 mg (Week 17+)
• SubQ — 1.5 mg (4 weeks) -> 4 mg (4 weeks) -> 9 mg (4 weeks) -> 25 mg (maintenance)
• SubQ — 1 mg titrated to 2 mg subcutaneous semaglutide
• SubQ — 2.4 mg cagrilintide / 2.4 mg semaglutide weekly, escalated in parallel over 16-20 weeks
• Oral — 0.5-100 mg (e.g. 0.5-50 mg, 1-25 mg, 5-50 mg) administered every second day or more often (e.g. once or twice daily), oral tablet
• SubQ — Aqueous injectable solution at pH between 5.0 and 6.0

Insulin

• SubQ — Once a week, on the same day each week
• SubQ — Once a day
• SubQ — Adjusted according to the individual patient’s blood glucose levels
• SubQ — 0.3 to 1.0 international units (IU) per kilogram body weight per day
• SubQ — 0.5 to 1.0 units per kilogram body weight per day
• SubQ — Once a week, on the same day each week. Dose adjusted based on blood glucose levels.
• SubQ — Individualized dose, injected once or twice a day
• SubQ — Individualized dose, injected once or twice a day at mealtimes
• SubQ — Individualized based on blood glucose testing
• SubQ — 0.5 to 1.0 units per kilogram body weight per day
• SubQ — 0.5 to 1.0 units per kilogram body weight per day
• SubQ — 0.3 to 1.0 international units (IU) per kilogram body weight per day
• Topical — 100 per 30 days
• SubQ — 100ml
• SubQ — Single-dose (Phase 1 PK/Safety study)
• SubQ — Single subcutaneous dose
• SubQ — Varies (Long-term treatment)
• SubQ — 0.25–0.5 units per kilogram of body weight
• — daily
• SubQ — $25 for a single 10 mL vial and $35 for 2 to 4 vials in a month
• SubQ — $35 per 30-day supply
• SubQ — $35 per month supply
• SubQ — $25-per-vial list price
• SubQ — $25 per vial

Semaglutide

Insulin