Ozempic vs Wegovy vs Compounded Semaglutide:
Dose Equivalencies.

Ozempic, Wegovy, and compounded semaglutide contain the same active molecule: semaglutide, a long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist with a ~7-day half-life. The drug in your syringe is pharmacologically identical regardless of which bottle it came from. What differs is packaging, approved indication, and dose ladder.

This matters for tracking. From a pharmacokinetic standpoint — the math the tracker does — all three are the same compound. From a practical standpoint, the dose numbers can confuse people switching between formulations.

Ozempic — diabetes formulation

Ozempic is Novo Nordisk's semaglutide, FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes. Comes in pre-filled pens. Standard dose ladder:

• 0.25 mg weekly × 4 weeks (starter; not therapeutic)
• 0.5 mg weekly × 4 weeks
• 1.0 mg weekly (long-term maintenance for diabetes)
• 2.0 mg weekly (max; less common)

Wegovy — obesity formulation

Wegovy is the same molecule, FDA-approved for chronic weight management. Comes in single-use injectors. Standard dose ladder:

• 0.25 mg weekly × 4 weeks
• 0.5 mg weekly × 4 weeks
• 1.0 mg weekly × 4 weeks
• 1.7 mg weekly × 4 weeks
• 2.4 mg weekly (maintenance)

The Wegovy ladder is designed for weight loss, which typically needs higher semaglutide doses than diabetes management. 2.4 mg/week on Wegovy is the obesity-indication maintenance dose used in the STEP trials.

Compounded semaglutide

Compounded semaglutide is prepared by a licensed compounding pharmacy under FDA guidance when the FDA-approved products are on shortage (as they were through much of 2023–2025). The active peptide is semaglutide. The formulation may differ in concentration and preservative.

Dose-wise, compounded semaglutide is typically prescribed in the same weekly milligram ranges as Wegovy. A prescription for 2 mg/week compounded semaglutide and 2.4 mg/week Wegovy deliver very similar active levels — the absolute numbers are in the same ballpark.

Important caveats:

• Compounded products are not FDA-approved as final formulations. Quality depends on the pharmacy.
• Concentration per mL varies between pharmacies. A "1 unit" draw can mean very different mg depending on what's labeled on the vial.
• Compounded formulations occasionally include additional ingredients — follow your pharmacy's labeling and record what you're actually injecting.

The pharmacokinetics are identical across all three

If you inject 1 mg of semaglutide — whether from an Ozempic pen, a Wegovy injector, or a compounded vial — the molecule in your body and its kinetic profile are the same:

• Half-life: ~7 days (5–8 days observed across individuals)
• Absorption: Sub-Q, rises over a few hours
• Steady state: ~4–5 weeks on weekly dosing
• Stack ratio at steady state: ~3.0× the weekly dose

That means 1.0 mg/week Ozempic, 1.0 mg/week Wegovy, and 1.0 mg/week compounded semaglutide all produce approximately 3.0 mg of active semaglutide at steady state. The dose you inject is what matters — the brand doesn't.

Switching between formulations

People switch for supply reasons (pens out of stock), insurance reasons (Wegovy covered, Ozempic off-label for weight), cost reasons (compounded often cheaper), or dose-ladder reasons (Wegovy goes higher).

When switching, the practical rule: match the weekly mg, not the formulation. A user on 1.7 mg/week Wegovy can switch to 1.7 mg/week of compounded semaglutide and maintain the same active level. Protokol Lab models this correctly — the tracker sees "semaglutide, 1.7 mg weekly" regardless of the source bottle.

Why the tracker treats them identically

In Protokol Lab's built-in compound library, all three show up as one entry: Semaglutide. The half-life, kinetic shape, and dose-to-active-level math are the same. You log the mg per injection — not the pen count, not the brand.

If your compounded semaglutide includes additional ingredients, add each as a separate custom compound. The tracker stacks their curves independently, and you see two overlaid active-level lines rather than one muddled number.

Rybelsus — the one actual difference

Rybelsus is oral semaglutide. Same peptide, different delivery. Bioavailability is much lower (~1%), so the dose numbers look different — 14 mg daily roughly equates to ~1 mg weekly sub-Q in total exposure. If you're on Rybelsus, use the Rybelsus preset in the tracker, not the injectable Semaglutide preset.

What actually matters for your tracking

• Record the mg per injection, not the pen count or the brand.
• Use the Semaglutide preset regardless of bottle.
• If your compounded mix includes other peptides, log each as its own compound.
• Watch active level climb to steady state over the first ~4–5 weeks of any dose change.