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Research library, Lipidated GLP-1 analogue (31 residues)

Semaglutide: chemistry, literature and regulatory status

Written by the Peptency editorial teamLast reviewed 4 studies checked in PubMed on 5 October 2026

Research-use information. This page summarises published literature and regulator records. It is not guidance for use, not medical advice, and not a statement that any material is suitable for use in people or animals.

What is Semaglutide?

Semaglutide is a 31-residue analogue of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) carrying a C18 fatty diacid chain. It acts as a GLP-1 receptor agonist. This page covers chemistry, receptor pharmacology and regulatory status only. The research material is not the authorised medicine.

See the Semaglutide research materialLook up a certificate of analysis by lot number

What are the chemical facts for Semaglutide?

Name
Semaglutide
Also written
NN9535
Sequence
31-residue lipidated GLP-1 analogue (C18 diacid)
Length
31 residues (as described)
Molecular formula
C187H291N45O59
Average molecular weight
4114 g/mol
CAS number
910463-68-2 (confirmed in PubChem)
PubChem
CID 56843331

Chemistry checked against PubChem on 2026-10-05. Where the formula can be computed from the listed sequence, it was, and the two routes agree.

How does the literature describe the mechanism of Semaglutide?

  • A historical review charts efforts to extend the half-life of GLP-1 and the development of long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonists, including semaglutide.[1]
  • A study of absorption, metabolism and excretion compared radiolabelled semaglutide in healthy human subjects with rat and monkey data.[4]
  • The GLP-1 receptor has been resolved structurally by X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy; see the incretin receptor page.[3],[2]

Receptor and pathway background: Incretin and glucagon receptors.

What has published research on Semaglutide looked at?

4 studies are cited for Semaglutide. Each is labelled by design below, and each entry says what the paper measured.

  • 2 structural biology
  • 1 review
  • 1 human study

PubMed returns 210 records for the search terms published on the method page (40 of them with a review publication type, 41 with a clinical-trial publication type), checked 5 October 2026. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 778 registered studies whose intervention matches the name (167 interventional), checked 5 October 2026.

  • Large numbers of clinical papers exist for semaglutide. Their titles and endpoints state clinical outcomes, so this hub lists only chemistry, pharmacology and analytical papers.

Studies are listed by what they measured. Papers whose titles state an amount or schedule, or describe a clinical outcome of an approved medicine, are not listed. This is a wording rule, not a quality filter; see the method page.

What is the regulatory status of Semaglutide?

FDA

6 applications listed (Prescription, Discontinued, None (Tentative Approval))

Drugs@FDA lists 6 applications naming this active ingredient: NDA215256, NDA218316, NDA213051, NDA209637, NDA213182, ANDA220314. Marketing status as listed: Prescription, Discontinued, None (Tentative Approval). Checked 2026-10-05.

Drugs@FDA via openFDA

EMA

5 authorised

EMA medicines database (checked 5 October 2026): 5 centrally authorised medicines (EMEA/H/C/005422, EMEA/H/C/004174, EMEA/H/C/004953, EMEA/H/C/006426, EMEA/H/C/006279). Centrally authorised procedures only.

EMA medicines data

MHRA

Product documents found (271)

MHRA Products returns 271 SmPC, PIL or PAR documents for the exact name. Checked 2026-10-05.

MHRA Products

WADA

Not named

The WADA 2026 Prohibited List, in force 1 January 2026 does not name this substance. The list names substances by example, so this is not a statement that it is permitted in sport.

WADA Prohibited List 2026

Medicinal products containing semaglutide are authorised by the US FDA, the European Commission and the MHRA. The EMA and the Heads of Medicines Agencies warned on 3 September 2025 about illegal medicines marketed as GLP-1 receptor agonists, naming semaglutide, liraglutide and tirzepatide.

A regulator record is information about a database entry. It is not advice and not a statement that any use is lawful or unlawful in any country. How regulators approach research peptides.

Data dates: regulatory records 2026-10-05; WADA list 2026-10-05.

Which studies are cited for Semaglutide?

  1. [1] Knudsen LB, Lau J. The Discovery and Development of Liraglutide and Semaglutide. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2019;10:155.

    Historical review of the discovery and development of liraglutide and semaglutide.

    ReviewPMID 31031702DOI 10.3389/fendo.2019.00155

  2. [2] Liang YL, Khoshouei M, Glukhova A, Furness SGB, Zhao P, Clydesdale L, et al.. Phase-plate cryo-EM structure of a biased agonist-bound human GLP-1 receptor-Gs complex. Nature. 2018;555:121-125.

    Cryo-EM structure of the human GLP-1 receptor and Gs complex with the biased peptide agonist exendin-P5.

    Structural biologyPMID 29466332DOI 10.1038/nature25773

  3. [3] Jazayeri A, Rappas M, Brown AJH, Kean J, Errey JC, Robertson NJ, et al.. Crystal structure of the GLP-1 receptor bound to a peptide agonist. Nature. 2017;546:254-258.

    Crystal structure of the full-length GLP-1 receptor bound to a truncated peptide agonist.

    Structural biologyPMID 28562585DOI 10.1038/nature22800

    PubMed lists a correction notice for this paper (PMID 28700581).

  4. [4] Jensen L, Helleberg H, Roffel A, van Lier JJ, Bjørnsdottir I, Pedersen PJ, et al.. Absorption, metabolism and excretion of the GLP-1 analogue semaglutide in humans and nonclinical species. Eur J Pharm Sci. 2017;104:31-41.

    Absorption, metabolism and excretion of radiolabelled semaglutide in healthy human subjects, compared with rat and monkey data.

    Human studyPMID 28323117DOI 10.1016/j.ejps.2017.03.020

Data dates: citations read from PubMed 2026-10-05.

Where else in the research library is Semaglutide covered?

ComparisonSemaglutide and Tirzepatide

Chemistry, targets and records side by side.

Related compoundRetatrutide

Lipidated triple GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptor agonist (39 residues)

See the Semaglutide research materialLook up a certificate of analysis by lot number

Who wrote this page and how is it checked?

Peptency editorial team, last reviewed 5 October 2026. Citations are read back from PubMed, chemistry is checked against PubChem, and regulator records are read from each regulator's own database on the dates shown. The method page lists every source, search term and rule. Corrections are welcome through the contact details on the About page.