Medication · US & Canada
Ozempic, explained
By Joshua Nichvolodoff · Fact-checked against sources November 2, 2026 · Next review due May 1, 2027
Clinical review: not yet reviewed by a clinician. How review works · Editorial policy
Ozempic is Novo Nordisk's once-weekly semaglutide injection for adults with type 2 diabetes. It is not authorized for weight management in the US or Canada — Wegovy is the semaglutide brand for that[1][2].
Status in the US and Canada
| Item | United States | Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Blood-sugar control | Yes | Yes |
| Lower risk of major heart events | Yes, with established heart disease | Yes |
| Lower kidney risks in chronic kidney disease | Yes | Yes |
| Weight management | No | No |
What the US label says it is for
The US label lists three uses in adults with type 2 diabetes: as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve blood-sugar control; to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, non-fatal heart attack or non-fatal stroke) in people with established cardiovascular disease; and to reduce the risk of sustained decline in kidney function, end-stage kidney disease and cardiovascular death in people with chronic kidney disease[1].
The pen
Ozempic is given once a week under the skin from a prefilled pen; US pens contain 2, 4 or 8 mg and deliver set doses[1]. How and when to change dose is set by your prescriber, following the label. The "Ozempic tablets" sold in the US are a different product — see oral semaglutide[5].
The trials behind it
Heart and kidney outcome trials, with results for both groups, design limits and funding.
Study: SUSTAIN-6[6]
Does weekly semaglutide change the risk of heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death in people with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk?
- Who was in it
- 3,297 adults with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk, on standard care
- What they got
- Semaglutide 0.5 mg or 1 mg injection once a week
- Compared with
- Placebo
- How long
- 104 weeks
- What happened
- Heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death: 6.6% on semaglutide vs 8.9% on placebo. Diabetic eye (retinopathy) complications were more common with semaglutide.
- Relative effect
- Hazard ratio 0.74 for the combined heart outcome
- Limits
- Designed to show safety (non-inferiority); the benefit was not the pre-planned test
- Relatively small and short for a heart-outcomes trial
- Funded by
- Novo Nordisk
Summary by Joshua Nichvolodoff, from the published paper — not written by the study's authors. Clinical review: not yet reviewed by a clinician.
Study: FLOW[3]
Does semaglutide 1 mg protect the kidneys in people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease?
- Who was in it
- 3,533 adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease
- What they got
- Semaglutide 1 mg injection once a week
- Compared with
- Placebo
- How long
- Median 3.4 years (stopped early because of benefit)
- What happened
- Major kidney disease events: 331 people on semaglutide vs 410 on placebo.
- Relative effect
- Hazard ratio 0.76 (95% CI 0.66–0.88) for major kidney events
- Limits
- Stopped early, which can overstate an effect
- Only people with type 2 diabetes
- Funded by
- Novo Nordisk
Summary by Joshua Nichvolodoff, from the published paper — not written by the study's authors. Clinical review: not yet reviewed by a clinician.
Generic Ozempic in Canada
Canada authorized generic semaglutide referencing Ozempic from April 28, 2026[4]. See generic Ozempic cost in Canada and Ozempic cost in the US.
General information, not medical advice. Which product and dose is right for you is a decision for you and your prescriber. Light Years earns nothing from any product named here.
Log each dose and see when the next one is due, on your device. Open my tracker or browse the other guides.
Sources
- OZEMPIC (semaglutide) injection — prescribing information. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDALabel), June 1, 2026. https://nctr-crs.fda.gov/fdalabel/services/spl/set-ids/adec4fd2-6858-4c99-91d4-531f5f2a2d79/spl-doc. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
- Ozempic (semaglutide injection) product monograph. Health Canada Drug Product Database / Novo Nordisk Canada, April 14, 2026. https://pdf.hres.ca/dpd_pm/00084255.PDF. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
- Effects of semaglutide on chronic kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes (FLOW). New England Journal of Medicine, July 11, 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38785209/ · DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa2403347 · PMID 38785209. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
- Canada becomes the first G7 country to approve a generic version of semaglutide. Health Canada, April 28, 2026. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2026/04/canada-becomes-the-first-g7-country-to-approve-a-generic-version-of-semaglutide.html. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
- RYBELSUS and OZEMPIC (semaglutide) tablets — prescribing information. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDALabel), January 2026. https://nctr-crs.fda.gov/fdalabel/services/spl/set-ids/27f15fac-7d98-4114-a2ec-92494a91da98/spl-doc. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
- Semaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes (SUSTAIN-6). New England Journal of Medicine, November 10, 2016. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27633186/ · DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa1607141 · PMID 27633186. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
Figures marked “as reported” are historical: they show what the source said on that date, not today's price or rule.
Changes to this page
- — First published.
Substantive corrections are also logged at corrections.