Doses of Oral Semaglutide as High as 50 mg Daily Are Safe and Effective

The oral formulation of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) inhibitor semaglutide is approved by the U.S. FDA at doses as high as 14 mg daily for treating patients with type 2 diabetes. But unlike the subcutaneous form, the oral form is not approved for treating obesity in patients without diabetes. In two recent manufacturer-sponsored trials, researchers examined higher doses of oral semaglutide for diabetes and obesity.

In one study, researchers randomized 1600 patients with glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA_1c) of 8.0% to 10.5% and body-mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m² (mean BMI, 34 kg/m²) to receive oral semaglutide — 14 mg, 25 mg, or 50 mg daily — in addition to their previous oral antidiabetic medications; patients who used insulin were excluded. …