Product attributes
Rybelsus 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. Rybelsus contains the active substance semaglutide.
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.
Rybelsus is effective at controlling blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes and can also help patients reduce their weight. The most common side effects with Rybelsus affect the digestive system; the side effects are generally manageable and similar to those with an authorised injectable form of semaglutide (Ozempic).
As with the injectable form, there is a risk that Rybelsus could worsen some patients’ diabetic retinopathy (damage to the retina in the eye). Patients with this condition will therefore be monitored carefully.
The European Medicines Agency concluded that Rybelsus’ benefits are greater than its risks and it can be authorised for use in the EU.
