Frequently Asked Questions About RYBELSUS® (semaglutide) tablets
We’re here to answer your questions about RYBELSUS®
Considering RYBELSUS®
Rybelsus® is used along with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes.
There are many reasons that RYBELSUS® could be right for you. First and foremost, RYBELSUS® is used along with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar and A1C. So if you’re an adult whose A1C is no longer at goal, you should consider discussing a change in treatment with your healthcare professional.
Ask your healthcare professional if RYBELSUS® is right for you. Download a discussion guide to help get the conversation started.
RYBELSUS®, the first and only GLP-1 pill, is a prescription medicine taken once daily that is used along with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar and A1C in adults with type 2 diabetes.
In a 6-month study, the majority of people taking RYBELSUS® reached an A1C of less than 7%.
Results are from a 6-month medical study with 703 adults with type 2 diabetes that compared 7 mg RYBELSUS® and 14 mg RYBELSUS® with a sugar pill when both were added to diet and exercise. People who took a sugar pill had a 0.3% lowering of A1C, and 31% reached an A1C goal of <7%.
While not for weight loss, RYBELSUS® may help you lose some weight.
Yes. In a study, RYBELSUS® did not increase the risk of major cardiovascular (CV) events such as heart attack, stroke, or death.
In a cardiovascular safety study, 3183 adults with type 2 diabetes and a high risk of CV events were treated once daily with either 14 mg RYBELSUS® or a sugar pill in addition to their usual diabetes and CV medications.
RYBELSUS® works like your body’s naturally occurring GLP-1 to lower blood sugar in the following 3 ways:
1. Stimulates your pancreas to release more insulin when your blood sugar is high
2. Prevents your liver from making and releasing too much sugar
3. Slows down food leaving your stomach after eating
The main ingredient for RYBELSUS® is semaglutide, a man-made version of the human GLP-1 molecule, with some changes.
The RYBELSUS® Doctor Discussion Guide can help guide you through a conversation with your healthcare professional about whether RYBELSUS® is right for you.
Some healthcare professionals may offer telehealth services and virtual consultations to assess treatment options. Check with your healthcare professional to determine the availability of these services.
Savings & Support
You can look up your co-pay and see how much RYBELSUS® will cost you.
Yes! If eligible, you may PAY AS LITTLE AS $10 for a 1-, 2-, or 3-month prescription of RYBELSUS®.a
Check out these 3 ways to get the Savings Offer:
Textb READY to 21848.
Download a Savings Card online.
Call 1-833-ASK-A-CDE and ask for assistance with the Savings Offer.
Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET
aTo receive offer, 7 mg or 14 mg dose prescription must be for a 1-, 2-, or 3-month supply. For 3 mg dose, pay as little as $10 each month. Eligible, commercially insured patients only. Maximum savings of $300 per 1‑month supply, $600 per 2‑month supply, or $900 per 3‑month supply. Eligibility and other restrictions apply.
bMessage and data rates may apply. Check with your mobile service provider. Message frequency will be based on your selections. Text HELP to 21848 for help. Text STOP to 21848 to quit. See Terms and Conditions of Use.
Texta READY to 21848 to get support through text messages with RYBELSUS® Connect.
aMessage and data rates may apply. Check with your mobile service provider. Message frequency will be based on your selections. Text HELP to 21848 for help. Text STOP to 21848 to quit. See Terms and Conditions of Use.
Get medicine reminders
Receive helpful information
Receive motivational messages
Call a Diabetes Health Coach
Give us a call for one-on-one, live support from a Diabetes Health Coach—and to learn more about taking RYBELSUS®.
Call 1-833-ASK-A-CDE (1-833-275-2233)
Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET
You can speak with a Diabetes Health Coach by calling 1-833-ASK-A-CDE (1-833-275-2233). The Diabetes Health Coach will be happy to answer your questions about RYBELSUS®.
Taking RYBELSUS®
For RYBELSUS® to work as planned to lower blood sugar, store RYBELSUS® tablets at room temperature and keep them in the closed RYBELSUS® bottle until you are ready to take one.
Take on an empty stomach when you first wake up.
Take with no more than 4 ounces of plain water.
Wait 30 minutes before eating, drinking, or taking other oral medications.
Swallow tablet whole. Do not cut, crush, or chew.
If you miss a dose, the missed dose should be skipped, and the next dose should be taken the following day.
No. RYBELSUS® should be taken on an empty stomach when you first wake up.
Wait 30 minutes after taking RYBELSUS® before eating, drinking, or taking other oral medications.
Dosing and timing of your other medications may need to be adjusted.
You should talk with your healthcare professional about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
In order for RYBELSUS® to be properly absorbed into the body, the RYBELSUS® tablet needs to rest on the stomach lining undisturbed for at least 30 minutes.
RYBELSUS® is safe and effective when used as indicated for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes to lower blood sugar, along with diet and exercise. Talk to your healthcare professional about RYBELSUS®.
See the Prescribing Information and Medication Guide. For medical advice about side effects, talk with your healthcare professional if you have questions regarding your treatment plan.
RYBELSUS® may not work as planned to lower blood sugar if it’s not taken as directed every day. Talk with your healthcare professional if you have any questions about taking RYBELSUS®.
When taken as directed, RYBELSUS®, along with diet and exercise, may help improve your blood sugar. However, it's important to know that A1C goals vary from person to person. Make sure to talk to your healthcare professional so you can find out what goal is right for you.
Also, keep in mind that you may experience some side effects while taking RYBELSUS®.
The most common side effects of RYBELSUS® may include nausea, stomach (abdominal) pain, diarrhea, decreased appetite, vomiting, and constipation. Make sure to talk with your healthcare professional if you have any questions about side effects.
Speak with your healthcare professional if you experience nausea or have any questions about side effects.
Here are some general nausea tips that may be helpful:
Eat bland, low-fat foods, like crackers, toast, and rice
Eat foods that contain water, like soups and gelatin
Avoid fried, greasy, or sweet foods
Avoid lying down after you eat
Go outdoors for fresh air
Slowly eat smaller, more frequent meals
Drink clear or ice-cold drinks
It is not known if RYBELSUS® will harm your unborn baby. Women should stop taking RYBELSUS® 2 months before they plan to become pregnant. Talk to your healthcare professional about the best way to control your blood sugar if you plan to become pregnant or while you are pregnant.
Please contact your healthcare professional if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant, or if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed, while taking RYBELSUS®.
It is not known if RYBELSUS® passes into breast milk. Breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment with RYBELSUS®. You should talk to your healthcare professional about the best way to control your blood sugar while you are breastfeeding.
Please contact your healthcare professional if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.
The beginning dose is 3 mg for the first 30 days to help your body get used to the medicine.
Your healthcare professional will then prescribe a 7 mg dose to help lower blood sugar.
If more blood sugar control is needed after at least 30 days on the 7 mg dose, your healthcare professional may prescribe the 14 mg dose.
Store RYBELSUS® at room temperature (68 °F to 77 °F). Keep your RYBELSUS® tablets in the closed RYBELSUS® bottle until you are ready to take one. Storing the tablets in another container or changing their form before you are ready to take them can reduce how well RYBELSUS® works.
Store tablets in the closed RYBELSUS® bottle until you are ready to take one.
Do not use a pill organizer or other container to store RYBELSUS® tablets.
Store in a dry place away from moisture.
RYBELSUS® comes in a child-resistant bottle. Keep out of reach of children.
RYBELSUS® comes in a child-resistant bottle with a blue cap. The bottle lists the name RYBELSUS® and the dosage, which can be 3 mg, 7 mg, or 14 mg.
3 mg dose
7 mg dose
14 mg dose
Active ingredient: semaglutide (pronounced sem-a-gloo-tide)
Inactive ingredients:
- magnesium stearate (pronounced mag-nee-zee-uhm stee-uh-reyt)
- microcrystalline cellulose (pronounced my-kroh-kris-tl-in sel-yuh-lohs)
- povidone (pronounced po-vi-done)
- salcaprozate sodium (pronounced sal-kap-roe-zate sow-dee-uhm)
Everyone has a different wake-up routine. Here's a tip to help you remember to take RYBELSUS® when you first wake up: Keep your RYBELSUS® bottle and a small glass of plain water on your nightstand.
When you wake up, take your medicine with a sip of plain water (no more than 4 ounces), and then wait 30 minutes before eating, drinking, or taking any other oral medications. After 30 minutes, you can eat, drink, or take other oral medications, vitamins, or supplements.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body does not make enough insulin or doesn’t respond to insulin properly. To understand type 2 diabetes, you need to know what insulin is and why your body needs it.
GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, is a natural hormone that helps your body keep blood sugar in balance. GLP-1 treatments work like this naturally occurring hormone. Until FDA approval of RYBELSUS®, GLP-1 treatments had only been available in an injectable form. RYBELSUS® is the first and only GLP-1 in a pill.
See our helpful pieces of information and tips that are available to help you stay active, eat healthy, reduce stress, and more, as you manage your type 2 diabetes.
RYBELSUS®, along with diet and exercise, can help lower A1C for adults with type 2 diabetes.
Get your A1C DOWN with RYBELSUS®
Pay as little as $10 for up to a 3-month RYBELSUS® prescriptiona
Support to help you start and stay on RYBELSUS®
