What Is Ozempic Made of? A Guide to Ozempic’s Ingredients and How It’s Made
Key takeaways:
Ozempic is an injectable medication for Type 2 diabetes. It contains the active ingredient semaglutide, a peptide that’s made to look and act similar to a naturally-occuring gut hormone in humans.
Ozempic contains a small amount of a preservative called phenol. Since an Ozempic pen is used more than once, this helps prevent bacteria and other germs from growing in the medication while the pen is in use.
Ozempic is made using recombinant DNA technology. This process involves using DNA, yeast cells, and complex manufacturing processes.
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Table of contents
Medications are made up of a combination of different ingredients — each carefully chosen to serve a specific purpose. Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, is responsible for the medication’s benefits in your body.
Besides semaglutide, Ozempic has a short list of ingredients. They all work together to help keep the medication stable, lessen pain from the injection, and stop germs from growing in it. But the process to make Ozempic isn’t as simple. It involves DNA, yeast cells, and complex manufacturing processes.
What is the active ingredient in Ozempic?
Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Ozempic, an injectable medication for Type 2 diabetes. It’s also the active ingredient in Wegovy and Rybelsus. Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1 agonist). It works by mimicking the effects of GLP-1, a gut hormone inside your body that helps regulate digestion and blood glucose (sugar) levels.
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Semaglutide is considered a peptide, or a chain of amino acids (protein building blocks). Its structure is made to look highly similar to human GLP-1. This allows semaglutide to bind to many of the same targets in the body, such as in the pancreas, liver, and gut.
What other ingredients make up Ozempic?
In addition to semaglutide, Ozempic also contains several inactive ingredients. These ingredients are added to help with stability, lessen injection pain, and more.
Ozempic’s ingredients include:
Semaglutide (active ingredient)
Disodium phosphate dihydrate (buffer to keep Ozempic potent)
Propylene glycol (isotonic agent to lessen pain and reduce clogging)
Phenol (preservative to prevent germs from growing)
Water (injection vehicle)
Hydrochloric acid or sodium bicarbonate (to adjust acidity)
Good to know: If you receive compounded semaglutide, the ingredients may be different. It may even contain a different form of semaglutide. These products are not the same as Ozempic. They may also contain additional ingredients that aren’t found in real Ozempic.
Does Ozempic contain preservatives?
Yes. Ozempic contains a small amount of a preservative called phenol. Phenol is used as a preservative in a few different vaccines. You can also find it in mouthwashes and throat lozenges.
Ozempic comes as a multi-dose injection pen, which is why it contains a preservative. Since you’re using the same pen more than once, the preservative helps prevent bacteria and other germs from growing in the medication. This is important because injecting contaminated Ozempic can be dangerous.
Wegovy (semaglutide), a higher-dose version of semaglutide, does not contain a preservative. This is because each Wegovy pen is only used one time before it’s thrown away. This is also the case with a similar medication called Mounjaro (tirzepatide).
Does Ozempic contain lizard venom?
No. But venom from a poisonous lizard called the Gila monster opened the door for medications like Ozempic to be developed. This is because it contains exendin-4, a peptide that’s similar to GLP-1 in humans.
After exendin-4 was discovered, the first GLP-1 agonist — exenatide (Byetta, Bydureon) — was created. Exenatide is a synthetic version of exendin-4. Since then, other GLP-1 agonists have been developed, including Ozempic. But these medications are made to look more like human GLP-1 instead of exendin-4.
Can any ingredients in Ozempic cause an allergic reaction?
Yes. It’s possible to have an allergic reaction to any of the ingredients in Ozempic. While rare, this can also include severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis).
If you have a history of allergic reactions to any medications, foods, or other substances, make sure your healthcare team is aware. You shouldn’t take Ozempic if you’ve had an allergic reaction to any of its ingredients in the past.
How is Ozempic made?
Unlike most medications, Ozempic isn’t made by mixing chemicals together. Instead, it’s made using recombinant DNA technology. It involves taking DNA segments carrying instructions for a peptide and using living cells to make copies. In the case of Ozempic, the peptides are then extracted, modified, and purified.
This allows scientists to make desired changes to the GLP-1 molecule, such as making it last longer in the body. Human GLP-1 only lasts for a few minutes in the body, so it’s not practical for medical use. But Ozempic, on the other hand, can stay in your system for about 5 weeks.
The bottom line
Ozempic (semaglutide) is an injectable medication for Type 2 diabetes. Its active ingredient, semaglutide, is made using recombinant DNA technology. Other Ozempic ingredients include a buffer, an agent to lessen pain and prevent clogging, and water. It also contains a small amount of a preservative.
If you’re allergic to any of Ozempic’s ingredients, you shouldn’t use Ozempic. Make sure your healthcare team has a full list of your allergies before you start the medication.
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References
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Moeller, E. H., et al. (2021). GLP-1 compositions and uses thereof. U.S. Patent No. 10888605B2. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
National Institute on Aging. (2012). Exendin-4: From lizard to laboratory...and beyond.
Novo Nordisk. (2023). Ozempic- semaglutide injection [package insert].
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Pedersen, T. B., et al. (2012). Propylene glycol-containing peptide formulations which are optimal for production and for use in injection devices. U.S. Patent No. 8114833B2. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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Wetterstrand, K. A. (2023). Recombinant DNA technology. National Human Genome Research Institute.
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