Short answer: Semaglutide has a half-life of about 7 days (Ozempic (semaglutide) label) and reaches steady state after about 35 days (~5 weeks) of regular dosing. Levels peak about 2 days after an injection under the skin. On a weekly schedule the model builds up to about 2× a single dose, with a peak-to-trough swing of about 1.61:1.
The Ozempic label starts at 0.25 mg once weekly for 4 weeks, then increases to 0.5 mg once weekly. The chart holds 0.5 mg weekly from the first dose to show the build-up on its own. Source: Ozempic (semaglutide) label. Bioavailability 89% as in the app. Dashed line: 5 half-lives. Change the amount or schedule in the calculator.
Levels peak about 2 days after an injection under the skin.
With regular dosing at a fixed amount and interval, levels climb toward steady state by the same fraction every half-life, whatever the dose. At a half-life of about 7 days:
| Share of steady state | Half-lives | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 50% | 1 | 7 days |
| 75% | 2 | 14 days |
| 90% | 3.3 | 23 days (~3.3 weeks) |
| 97% (Dose Track's steady-state rule) | 5 | 35 days (~5 weeks) |
The longer the gap between doses compared with the half-life, the bigger the swing from peak to trough and the less the levels build up. These ratios do not depend on the amount.
| Interval | Peak : trough | Build-up vs one dose |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | 1.02 : 1 | 10.61× |
| Every other day | 1.07 : 1 | 5.57× |
| Twice weekly | 1.19 : 1 | 3.41× |
| Weekly | 1.61 : 1 | 2× |
| Every 2 weeks | 3.12 : 1 | 1.33× |
Build-up is the accumulation ratio 1 / (1 − e−k·τ), with k = ln 2 / half-life and τ the interval.
After the last dose, about half is gone every 7 days. After 5 half-lives, about 35 days (~5 weeks), roughly 97% has cleared in the model.
The FDA Ozempic label gives an elimination half-life of about 1 week and says peak concentration is reached 1 to 3 days after a dose.
The curve uses the half-life, time to peak, route and bioavailability built into the Dose Track app for semaglutide, and the same one-compartment model with first-order absorption. These are modeled estimates from published half-lives, drawn with the same one-compartment model as the Dose Track app. Real levels vary from person to person, and only a lab test measures them. This is not medical advice and not a dosing recommendation; dosing decisions belong with you and your prescriber.
Vial sizes and syringe math are in the Semaglutide guide.
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