Understanding few things about generic semaglutide options, especially the presentations/format

Following forms are available:

1. Pre-filled pens, which are use and throw, non-resuable.
2. Re-usable pens, which need a cartridge
3. Vials, which do not need a pen or cartridge.

Details about each type

1. Pre-filled pens, use-and-throw, non-reusable

1. The pre-filled pen contains 4 doses.
2. In most such pens, the dose size(i.e. 'mg' of semaglutide and 'ml' of injection solution volume) is fixed/already preset by the manufacturer and patient can cannot set/adjust it.
3. However, some brands do offer certain 'increments' to adjust the dose size.
4. For naming, the usual convention appears to be the brand name followed by 'mg' of each dose. Example: "Usema 1 mg" means the is loaded to deliver 1 mg in every dose, and pen will contain 4 doses.
5. Most manufacturers provide 4 doses in a pen, so that a pen suffices for a month. Pens with adjustable doses may last longer.
6. Once all the doses are used up, the pen must be discarded.

2. Re-usable pens, needing a cartridge

1. The pen does not have its own reservoir of the injection solution. It depends upon a cartridge for that.
2. Most of the presently marketed cartridges contain 3 ml of injection solution which holds 15 mg of semaglutide.
3. Manufacturers of cartridge recommend that you use the cartridges only with specified pens.
4. The pens have a dial on the top using which you can choose your dosaged between 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.7 and 2.4 mg.
5. Once the cartridge is used up, you can replace it with a new one while using the same pen.

3. Multi-dose vials

1. There are traditional vials with a rubber cork or stopper. However, given that needles used to inject ozempic are thinner, they are made from a softer material, like ones used in insulin injection vials.
2. You will need the traditional 1 ml insulin syringes
3. The calculation regarding upto what unit-mark to draw will depend upon insulin syringe type(Red 40 IU/ml or Orange 100 IU/ml) and concentration of the semaglutide injection solution.
4. Example 1 of calculation:
   • Assume that your vial contains 1.34 mg of semaglutide per ml. This figure is clearly specified on the vial label as well the packaging. In case one is not sure, they must refer to the label/packaging.
   • If your dose is 0.5 mg, then you will need 0.5/1.34=0.37 ml (approx) of solution. This means that you will have fill your 1 ml insulin syringe to 37%. On a U-40(Red cap) Insulin syringe, 40 x 0.37 = 14.8 or 15. So you will need to draw the injection solution upto the 15 Unit mark.
5. Example 2 of calculation:
   • Assume that your vial contains 2.68 mg of semaglutide per ml. This figure is clearly specified on the vial label as well the packaging. In case one is not sure, they must refer to the label/packaging.
   • If your dose is 1.7 mg, then you will need 1.7/2.68=0.63 ml (approx) of solution. This means that you will have fill your 1 ml insulin syringe to 63%. On a U-40(Red cap) Insulin syringe, 40 x 0.63 = 25.3 or 25. So you will need to draw the injection solution upto the 25 Unit mark.
6. Example 3 of calculation:
   • Assume that your vial contains 1.34 mg of semaglutide per ml. This figure is clearly specified on the vial label as well the packaging. In case one is not sure, they must refer to the label/packaging.
   • If your dose is 1 mg, then you will need 1/1.34=0.75 ml (approx) of solution. This means that you will have fill your 1 ml insulin syringe to 63%. On a U-100(Orange cap) Insulin syringe, 100 x 0.75 = 75. So you will need to draw the injection solution upto the 75 Unit mark.

Legal disclaimer: Kindly confirm and cross-check the above instructions with your treating doctor. We do not take any responsibility for the above advice.