What is semaglutide?
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist — a peptide that binds the receptor for glucagon-like peptide-1, an incretin hormone involved in glucose-dependent insulin secretion and gastric emptying. It is the molecule that Novo Nordisk markets under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy.
That last sentence is a statement of fact about the molecule, and it is worth being precise about what it does not mean. This vial is not Ozempic, not Wegovy, and not a generic of either. It is research-grade semaglutide supplied for laboratory research use only.
Prescription medicine and research-grade material are not the same thing
This distinction matters more for semaglutide than for almost any other peptide, so it's worth stating plainly.
Approved semaglutide is a prescription medicine. It carries a DIN, it comes with a Health Canada-approved product monograph, it is dispensed by a pharmacist against a prescription, and it is manufactured under GMP with regulatory oversight of every lot. Semaglutide in that form is authorised in Canada, and generic versions have been approved here as well.
Research-grade semaglutide — what this vial is — is none of that. It has no DIN, no monograph, no prescribing information, and no regulatory review. It is sold for laboratory research and it is not a substitute for a prescription product, not a cheaper route to the same thing, and not something to self-administer.
If you are looking for semaglutide as a medicine, the route is a licensed prescriber and a pharmacy. That is not what this page is for.
What's in this vial
| Spec | Detail |
|---|
| Contents | 5 mg semaglutide, lyophilised (freeze-dried) powder |
| Form | Sealed single vial, sterile stoppered |
| Purity | ≥98% by HPLC |
| Ships | Canada-wide, priced in CAD |
| Not included | Bacteriostatic water, syringes — ordered separately |
Reconstituting a 5 mg vial
Adding 2 mL of bacteriostatic water to the 5 mg vial gives:
5 mg ÷ 2 mL = 2.5 mg/mL = 2500 mcg per mL
Semaglutide is handled in much smaller amounts than a repair peptide like BPC-157, so the syringe volumes are correspondingly small. On a U-100 insulin syringe (100 units = 1 mL):
| Amount | Volume | U-100 syringe |
|---|
| 0.25 mg | 0.10 mL | 10 units |
| 0.5 mg | 0.20 mL | 20 units |
| 1 mg | 0.40 mL | 40 units |
At these volumes the arithmetic is unforgiving — a tenfold slip is two syringe marks apart. Work every calculation through the dosage calculator rather than by eye, and read the dosing-math guide if unit conversion isn't second nature yet.
How many doses is a 5 mg vial?
Reconstituted with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water, a 5 mg vial contains:
- 20 aliquots at 0.25 mg
- 10 aliquots at 0.5 mg
- 5 aliquots at 1 mg
The reconstituted solution keeps roughly 30 days refrigerated, which in practice binds before the vial empties at the smaller amounts.
Storage and handling
The lyophilised vial is the stable form — refrigerate at 2–8 °C, and note that it ships dry precisely because the powder tolerates ambient transit. Once reconstituted, refrigerate at 2–8 °C and use within about 30 days.
Bacteriostatic water contains 0.9% benzyl alcohol and permits multiple draws; sterile water has no preservative and is single-use. Don't freeze reconstituted solution, keep vials out of light, and discard anything cloudy or containing particulate. Full detail is in the storage guide and the reconstitution walkthrough.
Is semaglutide legal in Canada?
Semaglutide as a medicine is legal and approved — Health Canada has authorised it, and it is dispensed on prescription.
Research-grade semaglutide occupies a different position. It has no marketing authorisation, and it may be sold and shipped domestically for laboratory research use only. It may not be marketed, supplied, or represented as a therapeutic product for human use, and nothing on this page does so. We ship within Canada only.
Semaglutide and anti-doping
Athletes subject to anti-doping rules should verify semaglutide's status against the current WADA Prohibited List before use, and talk to their anti-doping officer rather than relying on a vendor's page — including this one. Prohibited-list categories are revised annually.
Note that this is a materially different question from the one that applies to retatrutide, which has no regulatory approval anywhere and therefore falls inside WADA's S0 (non-approved substances) category.
Semaglutide, tirzepatide, or retatrutide?
The three sit on a spectrum of receptor breadth, and that is the variable a research protocol usually cares about:
- Semaglutide — single agonist, GLP-1 only.
- Tirzepatide — dual agonist, GLP-1 and GIP.
- Retatrutide — triple agonist, GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon.
Side-by-side breakdowns: tirzepatide vs semaglutide and retatrutide vs semaglutide. For the compound in full, see the semaglutide hub.
Frequently asked questions
Is research-grade semaglutide the same as Ozempic?
No. Ozempic is an approved prescription medicine with a DIN, a Health Canada-approved product monograph, and regulatory oversight of every lot. Research-grade semaglutide has none of those things and is supplied for laboratory research use only. They are different categories of product, not two versions of the same one.
How do you reconstitute a 5 mg semaglutide vial?
Add bacteriostatic water slowly down the vial wall and let the lyophilised cake dissolve without shaking. With 2 mL of bacteriostatic water, a 5 mg vial gives 2.5 mg/mL — so 0.25 mg is 0.1 mL, or 10 units on a U-100 insulin syringe.
How many doses are in a 5 mg semaglutide vial?
Reconstituted with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water, a 5 mg vial yields about 20 aliquots at 0.25 mg, 10 at 0.5 mg, or 5 at 1 mg. The reconstituted solution keeps roughly 30 days refrigerated.
Is semaglutide legal in Canada?
Semaglutide is approved by Health Canada as a prescription medicine and is legal in that form. Research-grade semaglutide has no marketing authorisation and may be sold domestically for research use only — it cannot be supplied or represented as a therapeutic product.
How should semaglutide be stored?
Keep the lyophilised vial refrigerated at 2–8 °C. Once reconstituted, refrigerate and use within about 30 days, keep it out of light, and do not freeze it. Discard any solution that turns cloudy or shows particulate.
Do you ship semaglutide across Canada?
Yes — Canada-wide, priced in CAD, with a flat $25 shipping rate. We do not ship to the United States or internationally.
