[Oral semaglutide, first oral GLP-1 receptor agonist (Rybelsus®)]

Oral semaglutide (Rybelsus®) is a co-formulation of semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1 RA) receptor agonist, with an absorption enhancer, sodium N- (8- [2- hydroxybenzoyl] amino) caprylate (SNAC), which facilitates the absorption of semaglutide across the gastric epithelium in a concentration dependent manner. The safety and efficacy of oral semaglutide were assessed in the PIONEER clinical trial programme, which included 9543 patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Across a range of different T2DM patients receiving different background medications, oral semaglutide provides more effective glycaemic control than common oral glucose-lowering therapies, associated with a clinically relevant reduction in body weight, including in patients with more advanced T2DM on insulin treatment. The tolerability profile for oral semaglutide was consistent with the other GLP-1 RAs. Cardiovascular (CV) safety of oral semaglutide was noninferior to placebo in CV high-risk patients. Available in three doses (3, 7 and 14 mg) to be gradually increased, Rybelsus® is currently reimbursed in Belgium after failure of antidiabetic treatment (including metformin; HbA1C superior to 7.5 % or 58 mmol/mol) in T2DM patients with a body mass index ? 30 kg/m².