The evidence for GLP-1 receptor agonists keeps growing, while access for low-income patients keeps narrowing.
|Articles|September 30, 2021
Daily Medication Pearl: Semaglutide (Rybelsus) for Type 2 Diabetes
Author(s)Saro Arakelians, PharmD
Semaglutide (Rybelsus) is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
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Clinical Pearl of the Day: Semaglutide (Rybelsus)
Indication: Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Insight:
- Dosing: Instruct patients to take semaglutide at least 30 minutes before the first food, beverage, or other oral medications of the day with no more than 4 ounces of plain water only. Waiting less than 30 minutes or taking with food, beverages (other than plain water), or other oral medications will lessen the effect of semaglutide.
- Dosage form: Tablets in 3 mg, 7 mg, and 14 mg doses.
- Adverse events: The most common adverse reactions, reported in ≥5% of patients treated with semaglutide are nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, decreased appetite, vomiting, and constipation.
- Drug interactions: Fororal medications, semaglutide delays gastric emptying. When co-administering oral medications instruct patients to closely follow semaglutide administration instructions.
- Mechanism of Action: As a GLP-1 analogue, Semaglutide has 94% sequence homology to human GLP-1. Semaglutide acts as a GLP-1 receptor agonist that selectively binds to and activates the GLP-1 receptor, the target for native GLP-1.
- Manufacturer: Novo Nordisk
Sources:
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