Semaglutide is a next-generation GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) analog developed by Novo Nordisk of Denmark. It is a long-acting formulation based on the liraglutide basic structure and is more effective in treating type 2 diabetes. Novo Nordisk has completed six Phase IIIa studies of semaglutide injection and submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a once-weekly injection on December 5, 2016, and also submitted a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Subsequently, semaglutide injection was approved by the FDA in 2017 for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes, and in June 2021, it was approved by the FDA for weight loss (brand name Wegovy®) for chronic weight management. Oral semaglutide tablets (brand name Rybelsus®) were approved in the United States in September 2019 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, becoming the world's first oral GLP-1 receptor agonist. On September 15, 2025, oral semaglutide tablets (Rybelsus®) were approved in the European Union, becoming the first and only oral GLP-1 RA that can reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke, based on the results of the SOUL clinical trial; this trial showed that in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease and/or chronic kidney disease, oral semaglutide tablets reduced the risk of MACE by 14%.