Rybelsus (Oral Semaglutide): Uses, Doses, Side Effects, Cost
Rybelsus is a daily tablet of semaglutide made by Novo Nordisk, first FDA approved in 2019, for type 2 diabetes and heart risk. List price is $1,027.51 per 30 tablets before insurance. Nausea is the most common side effect in its label: 20% vs 6% on placebo.
- Active ingredient
- semaglutide
- Manufacturer
- Novo Nordisk
- How it is taken
- daily tablet
- First FDA approval
- 2019
- List price
- $1,027.51 per 30 tablets
- Most common side effect
- Nausea 20% vs 6% on placebo
- FDA shortage
- Resolved February 21, 2025
Rybelsus in brief
Its half-life runs about 1 week: after 7 d, half is gone, and five half-lives (35 d) leave about 3% behind.
PIONEER 1 ran 26 weeks in type 2 diabetes: weight loss was 3.7 kg, against 1.4 kg on placebo.
In US dollars, the monthly price points cover the list price plus self-pay offers, with each figure taken from the maker's price page.
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), healthsystemtracker.org, Novo Nordisk pricing, Novo Nordisk.
Rybelsus uses and forms
Uses, forms and warnings for Rybelsus, taken from the FDA label. The dose you take is set by your prescriber and the label.
| What the label says | |
|---|---|
| Approved use | Along with diet and exercise, it lowers blood sugar for adults with type 2 diabetes. |
| Approved use | For high-risk adults with type 2 diabetes, it cuts the chance of a heart attack, stroke or heart-related death. |
| Forms | Tablet |
| Strengths on the label | 3 mg, 7 mg and 14 mg are listed, along with Ozempic tablets of 1.5 mg, 4 mg and 9 mg |
| Boxed warning | Boxed warning: it caused thyroid C-cell tumors in rodents, and whether it does the same in people is not known. Do not use it if you or a family member have had medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), or if you have MEN 2. |
| Storage | Keep it in the original bottle at room temperature, where it stays away from moisture. |
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed).
Rybelsus side effects
For each side effect, the label's trials give how often it appeared next to placebo (a dummy treatment). The people studied were adults with type 2 diabetes.
| Side effect | Rybelsus 7 mg | Rybelsus 14 mg | Placebo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nausea | 11% | 20% | 6% |
| Abdominal Pain | 10% | 11% | 4% |
| Diarrhea | 9% | 10% | 4% |
| Decreased appetite | 6% | 9% | 1% |
| Vomiting | 6% | 8% | 3% |
| Constipation | 6% | 5% | 2% |
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed).
Warnings listed on the label: Hypersensitivity Reactions, Acute Gallbladder Disease, Severe Gastrointestinal Adverse Reactions, Risk of Thyroid C-Cell Tumors, Acute Pancreatitis, Diabetic Retinopathy Complications, Hypoglycemia with Concomitant Use of Insulin Secretagogues or Insulin, Acute Kidney Injury Due to Volume Depletion.
The label warnings come from: FDA label (DailyMed).
Rybelsus interactions
| Taken with | What the label says |
|---|---|
| Insulin or sulfonylureas | Combining it with a sulfonylurea (such as glipizide or glimepiride) or insulin raises the chance of low blood sugar, and your doctor may lower those doses. |
| Oral medicines | Stomach emptying slows down, which can affect how other pills get absorbed. |
| Levothyroxine | In one study, semaglutide tablets raised levothyroxine levels, so thyroid levels may need checking. |
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed).
Check a GLP-1 interaction
Rybelsus cost and coverage
| How you pay | Price |
|---|---|
| List price before insurance | $1,027.51 per 30 tablets |
| RYBELSUS Savings Offer (insured) | for a fill of 1, 2 or 3 months, starting at $25 |
Prices were checked in November 2026 using Novo Nordisk pricing and rybelsus.com.
- Rybelsus Coupon and Savings Card
- Rybelsus Cost
- Rybelsus Cost With Insurance
- Rybelsus at Walmart
- Does Medicare Cover Rybelsus? Criteria, Copay, How to Appeal
- Is Rybelsus Covered by Insurance? Criteria, Copay, Appeal
- Cheapest Way to Get Rybelsus
- Rybelsus at CVS
- Rybelsus at Walgreens
- Does Medicaid Cover Rybelsus? Criteria, Copay, How to Appeal
Alternatives to Rybelsus
| Medicine | Ingredient | How it is taken | Shared use | Trial weight loss | Self-pay from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Ozempic | semaglutide | weekly injection | heart risk and type 2 diabetes | Not listed | $199 per month |
 Wegovy | semaglutide | weekly injection or daily tablet | heart risk | 14.9% | $149 per month |
 Mounjaro | tirzepatide | weekly injection | heart risk and type 2 diabetes | Not listed | Not listed |
 Trulicity | dulaglutide | weekly injection | heart risk and type 2 diabetes | Not listed | Not listed |
 Victoza | liraglutide | daily injection | heart risk and type 2 diabetes | Not listed | Not listed |
| Byetta | exenatide | twice-daily injection | type 2 diabetes | Not listed | Not listed |
Sources: TrumpRx, FDA label (DailyMed).
The Rybelsus label and studies
Read Rybelsus prescribing information on DailyMed in full.
Every Rybelsus page
Safety and side effects
Interactions
Who it is meant for
Comparison with other drugs
Cost and savings, plus coverage
- Cheapest Way to Get Rybelsus
- Does Medicaid Cover Rybelsus? Criteria, Copay, How to Appeal
- Does Medicare Cover Rybelsus? Criteria, Copay, How to Appeal
- Is Rybelsus Covered by Insurance? Criteria, Copay, Appeal
- Rybelsus at CVS
- Rybelsus at Walgreens
- Rybelsus at Walmart
- Rybelsus Cost
- Rybelsus Cost With Insurance
- Rybelsus Coupon and Savings Card