What is the triplicate equivalent to Ozempic (semaglutide) dosing?

Triplicate Equivalent to Ozempic (Semaglutide) Dosing

The triplicate equivalent to Ozempic (semaglutide) dosing follows a gradual titration schedule starting at 0.25 mg subcutaneously once weekly for 4 weeks, followed by incremental increases every 4 weeks (0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, 1.7 mg) until reaching the maintenance dose of 2.4 mg once weekly. 1

Dosing Titration Schedule

• Week 1-4: 0.25 mg subcutaneously once weekly 1
• Week 5-8: 0.5 mg subcutaneously once weekly 1
• Week 9-12: 1.0 mg subcutaneously once weekly 1
• Week 13-16: 1.7 mg subcutaneously once weekly 1
• Week 17 onwards: 2.4 mg subcutaneously once weekly (maintenance dose) 1

Clinical Considerations for Dosing

• Gradual dose titration is essential to minimize gastrointestinal adverse effects, which are the most common side effects of semaglutide 2
• If a patient misses 2 consecutive doses, clinical judgment is needed for subsequent dosing - consider resuming at the same dose if well-tolerated previously, or lowering the dose 2
• If 3 or more consecutive doses are missed, consider restarting the titration schedule 2
• Some patients may achieve significant response at submaximal doses and could continue at that dose long-term 2

Practical Administration Tips

• Semaglutide can be administered at any time of day, with or without meals 1
• If a dose is missed and it has been less than 5 days since the missed dose, administer as soon as possible; if more than 5 days have passed, skip the missed dose 1
• Store in refrigerator (36°F to 46°F/2°C to 8°C); may be kept at room temperature for up to 28 days 1

Safety Considerations

• Gastrointestinal adverse effects are common (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation) but typically transient and mild-to-moderate in severity 3
• Semaglutide should not be used with other GLP-1 receptor agonists or dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors 2
• Use caution when combining with insulin or insulin secretagogues due to potential hypoglycemia risk; dose adjustments of these medications may be needed 2
• No dosage adjustment is required for patients with renal impairment 1

Comparative Efficacy

• Semaglutide has shown greater weight loss efficacy compared to liraglutide (8.0% weight loss at 56 weeks for liraglutide vs. 9.6% for semaglutide 2.4 mg) 2
• Tirzepatide has demonstrated greater weight loss compared to semaglutide in recent studies (mean difference of 5.1% greater weight loss with 15 mg tirzepatide compared to 2.4 mg semaglutide) 2

Cardiovascular Benefits

• Semaglutide has demonstrated cardiovascular benefits in patients with type 2 diabetes and in those with obesity without diabetes 2, 4
• The SELECT study showed that in participants with cardiovascular disease and BMI ≥27 without diabetes, semaglutide 2.4 mg reduced the composite incidence of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80) 2
• Population modeling suggests semaglutide 2.4 mg could prevent nearly 500,000 major adverse cardiovascular events in eligible patients over 10 years 5