Rybelsus

Rybelsus is a medicine used to control blood glucose (sugar) levels in adults whose type 2 diabetes is not controlled well enough. It can be used on its own when metformin (another medicine for diabetes) cannot be used, or in combination with other diabetes medicines. It should be used with an appropriate diet and physical exercise.

How is Rybelsus used?

Rybelsus is available as tablets (3, 7 and 14 mg) and can only be obtained with a prescription. The starting dose is 3 mg once daily. After one month, the dose should be increased to 7 mg once daily. If needed, the dose can be further increased up to a maximum of 14 mg once daily.

How does Rybelsus work?

Type 2 diabetes is a disease in which the body does not make enough insulin to control the level of glucose in the blood or when the body cannot use insulin effectively. The result is a high level of glucose in the blood.

The active substance in Rybelsus, semaglutide, is a ‘GLP-1 receptor agonist’. It acts in the same way as GLP-1 (a hormone produced in the gut) by increasing the amount of insulin that the pancreas releases in response to food. This helps with the control of blood glucose levels.