Semaglutide (Ozempic®)

Safety information from the label

This is not a complete list. Read the package insert and talk to your doctor and pharmacist.

From the Ozempic® label

• Ozempic label: the most common adverse reactions reported in 5% or more of patients are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and constipation.
• Severe gastrointestinal adverse reactions: use has been associated with gastrointestinal adverse reactions, sometimes severe. Ozempic is not recommended in patients with severe gastroparesis.
• Serious hypersensitivity reactions (for example anaphylaxis and angioedema) have been reported.
• Pulmonary aspiration during general anesthesia or deep sedation has been reported in patients receiving GLP-1 receptor agonists undergoing elective surgeries or procedures; patients should tell their healthcare providers about any planned surgery or procedure.
• Semaglutide delays gastric emptying and may affect absorption of oral medicines taken at the same time.

From the Wegovy® label (also semaglutide)

• Boxed warning: in rodents semaglutide causes thyroid C-cell tumors at clinically relevant exposures. It is unknown whether it causes thyroid C-cell tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), in humans.
• Contraindicated in people with a personal or family history of MTC, in patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2), and in people with a prior serious hypersensitivity reaction to semaglutide or any of the excipients.
• Acute pancreatitis, including fatal and non-fatal hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis, has been observed in patients treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists, including Wegovy. If pancreatitis is suspected, the label says to discontinue Wegovy.
• Patients taking insulin or an insulin secretagogue (for example a sulfonylurea) may have an increased risk of hypoglycemia, including severe hypoglycemia. The label says to consider reducing the dose of the insulin or insulin secretagogue when starting semaglutide.

How it is used

• Ozempic is given once weekly, on the same day each week, at any time of day, with or without meals, injected subcutaneously in the abdomen, thigh or upper arm, using a different injection site each week when injecting in the same body region. It should look clear and colorless before use.
• Ozempic comes as single-patient-use pens with multiple weekly doses (used with NovoFine Plus needles) or single-dose prefilled syringes. An Ozempic pen must never be shared between patients, even if the needle is changed.

Sources