FDA prescribing information: Ozempic (SEMAGLUTIDE) - label effective 2026-07-30

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Abstract

[BOXED_WARNING] WARNING: RISK OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORS • In rodents, semaglutide causes dose-dependent and treatment-duration-dependent thyroid C-cell tumors at clinically relevant exposures. It is unknown whether OZEMPIC causes thyroid C-cell tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), in humans as human relevance of semaglutide-induced rodent thyroid C-cell tumors has not been determined [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ), Nonclinical Toxicology ( 13.1 )] . • OZEMPIC is contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of MTC or in patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2) [see Contraindications ( 4 )] . Counsel patients regarding the potential risk for MTC with the use of OZEMPIC and inform them of symptoms of thyroid tumors (e.g., a mass in the neck, dysphagia, dyspnea, persistent hoarseness). Routine monitoring of serum calcitonin or using thyroid ultrasound is of uncertain value for early detection of MTC in patients treated with OZEMPIC [see Contraindications ( 4 ), Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] . WARNING: RISK OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORS See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning. • In rodents, semaglutide causes thyroid C-cell tumors. It is unknown whether OZEMPIC causes thyroid C-cell tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), in humans as the human relevance of semaglutide-induced rodent thyroid C-cell tumors has not been determined ( 5.1 , 13.1 ). • OZEMPIC is contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of MTC or in patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). Counsel patients regarding the potential risk of MTC and symptoms of thyroid tumors ( 4 , 5.1 ). [WARNINGS_AND_CAUTIONS] 5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS • Acute Pancreatitis: Has been observed in patients treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists, including OZEMPIC. Discontinue if pancreatitis is suspected. ( 5.2 ) • Diabetic Retinopathy Complications: Has been reported in a clinical trial. Patients with a history of diabetic retinopathy should be monitored. ( 5.3 ) • Never share an OZEMPIC pen between patients , even if the needle is changed. ( 5.4 ) • Hypoglycemia: Concomitant use with an insulin secretagogue or insulin may increase the risk of hypoglycemia, including severe hypoglycemia. Reducing dose of insulin secretagogue or insulin may be necessary. ( 5.5 ) • Acute Kidney Injury Due to Volume Depletion: Monitor renal function in patients reporting adverse reactions that could lead to volume depletion. ( 5.6 ) • Severe Gastrointestinal Adverse Reactions : Use has been associated with gastrointestinal adverse reactions, sometimes severe. OZEMPIC is not recommended in patients with severe gastroparesis. ( 5.7 ) • Hypersensitivity Reactions: Serious hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., anaphylaxis and angioedema) have been reported. Discontinue OZEMPIC if suspected and promptly seek medical advice. ( 5.8 ) • Acute Gallbladder Disease: If cholelithiasis or cholecystitis are suspected, gallbladder studies are indicated. ( 5.9 ) • Pulmonary Aspiration During General Anesthesia or Deep Sedation: Has been reported in patients receiving GLP-1 receptor agonists undergoing elective surgeries or procedures. Instruct patients to inform healthcare providers of any planned surgeries or procedures. ( 5.10 ) 5.1 Risk of Thyroid C-Cell Tumors In mice and rats, semaglutide caused a dose-dependent and treatment-duration-dependent increase in the incidence of thyroid C-cell tumors (adenomas and carcinomas) after lifetime exposure at clinically relevant plasma exposures [see Nonclinical Toxicology ( 13.1 )] . It is unknown whether OZEMPIC causes thyroid C-cell tumors, including MTC, in humans as human relevance of semaglutide-induced rodent thyroid C-cell tumors has not been determined. Cases of MTC in patients treated with liraglutide, another GLP-1 receptor agonist, have been reported in the postmarketing period; the data in these reports are insufficient to establish or exclude a causal relationship between MTC and GLP-1 receptor agonist use in humans. OZEMPIC is contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of MTC or in patients with MEN 2. Counsel patients regarding the potential risk for MTC with the use of OZEMPIC and inform them of symptoms of thyroid tumors (e.g., a mass in the neck, dysphagia, dyspnea, persistent hoarseness). Routine monitoring of serum calcitonin or using thyroid ultrasound is of uncertain value for early detection of MTC in patients treated with OZEMPIC. Such monitoring may increase the risk of unnecessary procedures, due to the low-test specificity for serum calcitonin and a high background incidence of thyroid disease. Significantly elevated serum calcitonin value may indicate MTC and patients with MTC usually have calcitonin values >50 ng/L. If serum calcitonin is measured and found to be elevated, the patient should be further evaluated. Patients with thyroid nodules noted on physical examination or neck imaging should also be further evaluated. 5.2 Acute Pancreatitis Acute pancreatitis, including fatal and non-fatal hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis, has been observed in patients treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists, including OZEMPIC [see Adverse Reactions ( 6 )]. After initiation of OZEMPIC, observe patients carefully for signs and symptoms of acute pancreatitis, which may include persistent or severe abdominal pain (sometimes radiating to the back), and which may or may not be accompanied by nausea or vomiting. If pancreatitis is suspected, discontinue OZEMPIC and initiate appropriate management. 5.3 Diabetic Retinopathy Complications In a 2-year trial involving patients with type 2 diabetes and high cardiovascular [ADVERSE_REACTIONS] 6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following serious adverse reactions are described below or elsewhere in the prescribing information: • Risk of Thyroid C-cell Tumors [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] • Acute Pancreatitis [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2) ] • Diabetic Retinopathy Complications [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] • Hypoglycemia with Concomitant Use of Insulin Secretagogues or Insulin [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] • Acute Kidney Injury Due to Volume Depletion [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 )] • Severe Gastrointestinal Adverse Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.7 )] • Hypersensitivity Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.8 )] • Acute Gallbladder Disease [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.9 )] • Pulmonary Aspiration During General Anesthesia or Deep Sedation [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.10 )] The most common adverse reactions reported in ≥5% of patients treated with OZEMPIC are: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and constipation. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Novo Nordisk Inc., at 1-888-693-6742 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or http://www.fda.gov/medwatch 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. Pool of Placebo-Controlled Trials The data in Table 1 are derived from 2 placebo-controlled trials (1 monotherapy trial and 1 trial in combination with basal insulin) in patients with type 2 diabetes [see Clinical Studies ( 14 )] . These data reflect exposure of 521 patients to OZEMPIC and a mean duration of exposure to OZEMPIC of 32.9 weeks. Across the treatment arms, the mean age of patients was 56 years, 3.4% were 75 years or older and 55% were male. In these trials 71% were White, 7% were Black or African American, and 19% were Asian; 21% identified as Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. At baseline, patients had type 2 diabetes for an average of 8.8 years and had a mean HbA 1c of 8.2%. At baseline, 8.9% of the population reported retinopathy. Baseline estimated renal function was normal (eGFR ≥90 mL/min/1.73m 2 ) in 57.2%, mildly impaired (eGFR 60 to 90 mL/min/1.73m 2 ) in 35.9% and moderately impaired (eGFR 30 to 60 mL/min/1.73m 2 ) in 6.9% of patients. Pool of Placebo- and Active-Controlled Trials The occurrence of adverse reactions was also evaluated in a larger pool of patients with type 2 diabetes participating in 7 placebo- and active-controlled glycemic control trials [see Clinical Studies ( 14 )] including two trials in Japanese patients evaluating the use of OZEMPIC as monotherapy and add-on therapy to oral medications or insulin. In this pool, a total of 3150 patients with type 2 diabetes were treated with OZEMPIC for a mean duration of 44.9 weeks. Across the treatment arms, the mean age of patients was 57 years, 3.2% were 75 years or older and 57% were male. In these trials, 60% were White, 6% were Black or African American, and 31% were Asian; 16% identified as Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. At baseline, patients had type 2 diabetes for an average of 8.2 years and had a mean HbA 1c of 8.2%. At baseline, 7.8% of the population reported retinopathy. Baseline estimated renal function was normal (eGFR ≥90 mL/min/1.73m 2 ) in 63.1%, mildly impaired (eGFR 60 to 90 mL/min/1.73m 2 ) in 34.3%, and moderately impaired (eGFR 30 to 60 mL/min/1.73m 2 ) in 2.5% of the patients. Common Adverse Reactions Table 1 shows common adverse reactions, excluding hypoglycemia, associated with the use of OZEMPIC in the pool of placebo-controlled trials. These adverse reactions occurred more commonly on OZEMPIC than on placebo and occurred in at least 5% of patients treated with OZEMPIC. Table 1. Adverse Reactions in Placebo-Controlled Trials Reported in ≥5% of OZEMPIC-Treated Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Adverse React [DRUG_INTERACTIONS] 7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Oral Medications : OZEMPIC delays gastric emptying. May impact absorption of concomitantly administered oral medications. Use with caution. ( 7.2 ) 7.1 Concomitant Use with an Insulin Secretagogue (e.g., Sulfonylurea) or with Insulin OZEMPIC stimulates insulin release in the presence of elevated blood glucose concentrations. Patients receiving OZEMPIC in combination with an insulin secretagogue (e.g., sulfonylurea) or insulin may have an increased risk of hypoglycemia, including severe hypoglycemia. When initiating OZEMPIC, consider reducing the dose of concomitantly administered insulin secretagogue (such as sulfonylureas) or insulin to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 ), Adverse Reactions ( 6 )] . 7.2 Oral Medications OZEMPIC causes a delay of gastric emptying, and thereby has the potential to impact the absorption of concomitantly administered oral medications. In clinical pharmacology trials, semaglutide did not affect the absorption of orally administered medications to any clinically relevant degree [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . Nonetheless, caution should be exercised when oral medications are concomitantly administered with OZEMPIC. 7.1 Concomitant Use with an Insulin Secretagogue (e.g., Sulfonylurea) or with Insulin OZEMPIC stimulates insulin release in the presence of elevated blood glucose concentrations. Patients receiving OZEMPIC in combination with an insulin secretagogue (e.g., sulfonylurea) or insulin may have an increased risk of hypoglycemia, including severe hypoglycemia. When initiating OZEMPIC, consider reducing the dose of concomitantly administered insulin secretagogue (such as sulfonylureas) or insulin to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 ), Adverse Reactions ( 6 )] . 7.2 Oral Medications OZEMPIC causes a delay of gastric emptying, and thereby has the potential to impact the absorption of concomitantly administered oral medications. In clinical pharmacology trials, semaglutide did not affect the absorption of orally administered medications to any clinically relevant degree [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . Nonetheless, caution should be exercised when oral medications are concomitantly administered with OZEMPIC. [CONTRAINDICATIONS] 4 CONTRAINDICATIONS OZEMPIC is contraindicated in patients with: • A personal or family history of MTC or in patients with MEN 2 [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] . • A serious hypersensitivity reaction to semaglutide or to any of the excipients in OZEMPIC. Serious hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylaxis and angioedema have been reported with OZEMPIC [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.8 )] . • Personal or family history of MTC or in patients with MEN 2. ( 4 ) • Serious hypersensitivity reaction to semaglutide or any of the excipients in OZEMPIC. ( 4 )

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