Abstract
Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are a well-established class of glucose-lowering drugs. GLP-1 RAs can be classified according to their structure, duration of action and mode of administration. This review describes the basic and clinical pharmacology of orally administered semaglutide. It highlights the PIONEER clinical trial programme results, and reviews the efficacy, safety and tolerability.