Ozempic for Type 1 Diabetes: Evidence, Eligibility, Coverage
Ozempic is not FDA approved for type 1 diabetes. It is approved for type 2 diabetes, heart risk and kidney disease in type 2 diabetes.
- For type 1 diabetes
- Not an approved use
- Active ingredient
- semaglutide
- How it is taken
- weekly injection
Ozempic, in short
Its half-life is about 1 week: after 7 d, half is gone, and after five half-lives (35 d), about 3% is left.
In the SUSTAIN 1 trial of 30 weeks, people with type 2 diabetes lost 4.7 kg, while those on placebo lost 1.2 kg.
In US dollars, the monthly prices shown are the list price and self-pay offers, as posted on the maker's price page.
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), healthsystemtracker.org, prnewswire.com 1 2.
Who qualifies?
| Source | Who qualifies |
|---|---|
| FDA label | Used along with diet and exercise, this medicine lowers blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. |
| FDA label | This medicine lowers the risk of heart-related death, heart attack, or stroke for adults with type 2 diabetes who also have heart disease. |
| FDA label | This medicine lowers the chance of worsening kidney disease in adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. It also lowers the chance of kidney failure and of heart-related death. |
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed).
For type 1 diabetes, what differs?
| What changes | What the label says |
|---|---|
| Low Blood Sugar When Used With Insulin Secretagogues or Insulin | Combining it with insulin or a sulfonylurea makes low blood sugar more likely, and those doses may need lowering. |
| Taken with insulin or sulfonylureas | Low blood sugar is more likely if you take this medicine with insulin or a sulfonylurea, including glipizide or glimepiride. Your doctor may reduce the doses of these medicines. |
FDA labels: FDA label at DailyMed
Label warnings: FDA label at DailyMed
Coverage for type 1 diabetes
- Ozempic Coupon
- Ozempic Cost
- Ozempic Cost Without Insurance
- Ozempic Cost With Insurance
- Is Ozempic Covered by Insurance? Criteria, Copay, Appeal
- Does Medicare Cover Ozempic? Part D Rules and the GLP-1 Bridge
- Ozempic Patient Assistance
- Cheapest Way to Get Ozempic
- Does Medicaid Cover Ozempic? Criteria, Copay, How to Appeal
Alternatives for type 1 diabetes
| Medicine | For type 1 diabetes | How it is taken |
|---|---|---|
| Ozempic | Not an approved use | weekly injection |
 Wegovy | Not an approved use | weekly injection or daily tablet |
 Rybelsus | Not an approved use | daily tablet |
 Mounjaro | Not an approved use | weekly injection |
 Zepbound | Not an approved use | weekly injection |
 Foundayo | Not an approved use | daily tablet |
 Trulicity | Not an approved use | weekly injection |
 Saxenda | Not an approved use | daily injection |
 Victoza | Not an approved use | daily injection |
| Byetta | Not an approved use | twice-daily injection |
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed).
Questions to ask your prescriber
- Since the label does not mention type 1 diabetes, why would you prescribe this?
- How will we manage low blood sugar alongside my insulin?
- Does my plan cover an off-label use?
Read the full prescribing details for Ozempic on DailyMed.