Research background · Updated November 1, 2026
Semaglutide Research: Publications, Study Types and Background
Short answer
Semaglutide is listed as gLP-1 receptor agonist peptide. As of November 1, 2026, PubMed indexes 5,816 records matching Semaglutide, the earliest from 1994; 3,474 were published in 2021–2025 and 1,729 are reviews. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 822 registered studies matching the compound.
- PubMed records
- 5,816
- Earliest record
- 1994
- Published 2021–2025
- 3,474
- Reviews
- 1,729
- Animal-only studies
- 277
- Registered studies
- 822
Publications per year, 2006–2025
4,249 records in 2016–2025 against 15 in 2006–2015; the busiest year was 2025, with 1,674.
See the numbers
| Year | PubMed records |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 4 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 7 |
| 2016 | 18 |
| 2017 | 76 |
| 2018 | 116 |
| 2019 | 117 |
| 2020 | 155 |
| 2021 | 232 |
| 2022 | 328 |
| 2023 | 509 |
| 2024 | 1,024 |
| 2025 | 1,674 |
Study types
| All PubMed records | 5,816 |
|---|---|
| Reviews | 1,72930% |
| Animal studies (no human subjects indexed) | 2775% |
| Indexed as clinical trials | 3446% |
| Registered on ClinicalTrials.gov | 822 |
Categories overlap and follow PubMed’s own indexing; recent records may not be indexed yet.
Primary research directions
What 4 of the most-cited and most recent Semaglutide papers report, in their own authors’ terms. Each line links the paper it came from.
Glucose-dependent insulin secretion
This review of GLP-1 receptor agonists, the class semaglutide belongs to, states that they improve glycemic control by enhancing insulin secretion and reducing glucagon release, and act centrally on brain regions that control appetite.
ReviewMoiz A 2025The American journal of medicinePMID 39892489
Hypothalamic and brainstem satiety circuits
In rodents, semaglutide reduced food intake and body weight without lowering energy expenditure; it reached the brainstem, septal nucleus and hypothalamus through circumventricular organs without crossing the blood-brain barrier, and activated c-Fos in ten brain areas.
AnimalsGabery S 2020JCI insightPMID 32213703
Gastric emptying and appetite
In a 20-week placebo-controlled trial in 72 adults with obesity, semaglutide reduced hunger and ad libitum energy intake by 35% and found no evidence of delayed gastric emptying at week 20, as measured indirectly by paracetamol absorption.
HumansFriedrichsen M 2021Diabetes, obesity & metabolismPMID 33269530
Cardiovascular outcomes
In 17,604 adults with cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity but without diabetes, a major cardiovascular event occurred in 6.5% of the semaglutide group against 8.0% with placebo over about 40 months, and adverse events led to discontinuation in 16.6% against 8.2%.
HumansLincoff AM 2023The New England journal of medicinePMID 37952131
Most-studied topics
The Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) PubMed indexers most often marked as a main topic, across 400 of the 5,816 records. They describe what the literature is about, not what Semaglutide does.
- Glucagon-Like Peptides209 papers
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2120 papers
- Hypoglycemic Agents93 papers
- Obesity53 papers
- Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists27 papers
- Weight Loss26 papers
- Cardiovascular Diseases18 papers
- Anti-Obesity Agents17 papers
Key papers
Earliest indexed record
Author not listed (1994). .
PMID 38349989Most-cited paper · 735 citations
Knudsen LB (2019). Frontiers in endocrinology.
PMID 31031702Most-cited #2 · 621 citations
Gabery S (2020). JCI insight.
PMID 32213703Most-cited #3 · 548 citations
Blundell J (2017). Diabetes, obesity & metabolism.
PMID 28266779
Citation counts from NIH iCite, among the 400 records sampled. Titles are left out; open each record on PubMed to read it.
Identity
| Synonyms and codes | VLP-1 (SM) |
|---|---|
| Description | GLP-1 receptor agonist peptide |
| Supplied form | Lyophilized powder |
As published by Vanta Labs, with its sources, on the Semaglutide page.
How these numbers were counted
- PubMed search, run November 1, 2026:
semaglutide[tiab]re-run it. Study types add PubMed’s own filters (review, clinical trial, animals not humans). - Topics: MeSH major-topic headings counted across up to 400 of the matching records; headings for study set-up (species, sex, age) are left out.
- Citations: NIH iCite citation counts for the same records.
- ClinicalTrials.gov search:
semaglutidere-run it. Any phase, any status.
This page reports what has been published and what papers say they found, with each source linked. It gives no dosing or usage information, and nothing here is a reason to use Semaglutide outside a laboratory.
Wholesale supply
Semaglutide for research, documented lot by lot.
5mg, 10mg, 20mg, 30mg vials, with a published report printing 99.419% HPLC purity. Every wholesale lot comes with its certificate of analysis, and your quote names the lot. Pricing on inquiry.
Semaglutide research questions
How much research has been published on Semaglutide?
PubMed indexes 5,816 records matching Semaglutide (searched November 1, 2026), including 1,729 reviews and 344 records indexed as clinical trials. 3,474 were published in the five years 2021–2025.
When was Semaglutide first described in the literature?
The earliest PubMed record matching Semaglutide is from 1994 (first author not listed, , PMID 38349989).
What topics does the Semaglutide literature cover?
The subject headings PubMed indexers most often marked as a main topic of Semaglutide papers are Glucagon-Like Peptides, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Hypoglycemic Agents, Obesity. These describe what the literature is about. Findings from individual papers, with their sources, are summarized on this page.
Is Semaglutide sold for human use?
No. Vanta Foundry supplies it for laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary use, and not a drug, food, cosmetic or dietary supplement.
Where can I buy Semaglutide wholesale for research?
From the Vanta Foundry wholesale catalog: add it to your list, choose sizes and the number of vials, and send it on WhatsApp or by email. Every wholesale lot comes with a certificate of analysis.
Research materials supplied by Vanta Foundry are for laboratory research use only. They are not for human or veterinary use and are not drugs, foods, cosmetics or dietary supplements. Websites and payment processing are business services for research-supply brands.
All compounds: research peptide publication statistics.