# Semaglutide Oral (Rybelsus)

*Also known as: Rybelsus, Oral Sema*

Oral semaglutide with very low bioavailability; taken fasting.

## Overview

Oral semaglutide (Rybelsus) is the oral formulation of the GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide, used for type 2 diabetes and in development for obesity, distinguished from the once-weekly injectable by its daily dosing and demanding absorption conditions. Co-formulated with the absorption enhancer SNAC, semaglutide crosses the gastric mucosa intact, but the strategy yields very low bioavailability near 1%, which is why the oral dose is far higher than the injectable to achieve comparable exposure. The compound has a roughly 13-hour half-life but achieves sustained steady-state GLP-1 receptor activation through its large dosing and accumulation, with peak within roughly 90 minutes of a fasting dose. Effects include improved glycemic control and weight loss, while the main practical constraints are the strict fasting dosing requirement, the need to wait before eating or drinking, and the gastrointestinal adverse effects of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea common to the GLP-1 class.

## Pharmacokinetics

- **Model tier:** advanced
- **Half-life:** 0.5 days (12.96 hours)
- **Cmax:** 232.38 nmol/L
- **Tmax:** 0.1 days
- **Bioavailability:** 1%

## Dosing

- **Default dose:** 7 mg
- **Typical range:** 3–14 mg
- **Units:** nmol/L

## Source

- **Label:** EMA Rybelsus assessment
- **URL:** https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8505367/
- **Notes:** Multiplier applied to align with injectable levels.

**Tags:** weight-loss, metabolic

---

**Canonical URL:** https://anabolicdex.com/compounds/semaglutide-oral
**Plot:** https://anabolicdex.com/plot?compound=semaglutide-oral