What is Rybelsus? Rybelsus is a brand-name prescription medication that's FDA-approved to treat type 2 diabetes. The drug helps control blood sugar in adults when used with diet and exercise. Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which your blood sugar level becomes too high due to problems with a hormone called insulin.

Initial supply of Rybelsus® will come from manufacturing facilities in Denmark; however, future supply for Rybelsus® will come from manufacturing facilities in the U.S. In 2015, Novo Nordisk made a strategic investment to build a new manufacturing facility in Clayton, NC to prepare for the future demand for Rybelsus®.

Each tablet of RYBELSUS contains 3 mg, 7 mg or 14 mg of semaglutide and the following inactive ingredients: magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone and salcaprozate sodium (SNAC). Semaglutide is a GLP-1 analogue with 94% sequence homology to human GLP-1.

It's a hormone that helps lower your blood sugar levels. Rybelsus is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist. GLP-1 is a protein that's found naturally in your body. It has a role in helping to control your blood sugar levels.

Rybelsus isn't typically recommended as a first-choice treatment option. But it may be added to other medications - like metformin - for additional blood sugar-lowering effects. If you need to add a GLP-1 agonist to your regimen, Rybelsus is the only oral option.

Warnings: This medication can cause a certain type of thyroid tumor (thyroid C-cell tumors) in rats. It is unknown if this medication can cause similar tumors in humans. Talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks of treatment with this medication.

Rybelsus is a potent medication that is both innovative and effective. The high price is due to the extensive research and development process, manufacturing and distribution costs, and, most importantly, the drug's effectiveness in managing blood sugar levels and weight in type 2 diabetes patients.

Rybelsus isn't typically recommended as a first-choice treatment option. But it may be added to other medications - like metformin - for additional blood sugar-lowering effects. If you need to add a GLP-1 agonist to your regimen, Rybelsus is the only oral option.

Warnings: This medication can cause a certain type of thyroid tumor (thyroid C-cell tumors) in rats. It is unknown if this medication can cause similar tumors in humans. Talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks of treatment with this medication.

Rybelsus has a boxed warning for the risk of thyroid cancer. A boxed warning is a serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It alerts doctors and patients about side effects that may be harmful. In animal studies, semaglutide (the active drug in Rybelsus) caused thyroid tumors in mice and rats.

Both medications are effective for lowering blood sugar levels. Metformin is often the first-choice medication for this use. Rybelsus usually isn't a first-choice option, but it may be added to metformin or other medications.

Acute kidney injury warning: There have been postmarketing reports of acute kidney injury and worsening of chronic renal failure, which may sometimes require hemodialysis, in patients treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists, including semaglutide.