ReviewCureus2025
Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Oral Versus Subcutaneous Semaglutide in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Review in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Effect of oral semaglutide on cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight and obese individuals with or without diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC pharmacology & toxicology · 2026 · on this mapPooled it
- Retrospective Comparative Study of Oral Versus Subcutaneous Semaglutide in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Semaglutide in the Real World: Attitudes of the Population.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, has emerged as an important therapeutic option for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), available in both oral and subcutaneous formulations. While subcutaneous semaglutide has been available since 2017, oral semaglutide (approved in 2019) represents the first oral GLP-1 receptor agonist. This meta-analysis compared the efficacy and safety of oral versus subcutaneous semaglutide in patients with T2DM. We conducted a systematic literature search across PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from inception to March 15, 2025. Four studies (one randomized controlled trial and three retrospective studies) with a total of 559 patients (257 receiving oral and 302 receiving subcutaneous semaglutide) met our inclusion criteria. The included studies were published from 2017 to 2024. All studies had a six-month follow-up duration. Outcomes included changes in HbA1c, body weight, and treatment discontinuation due to adverse effects. Pooled analysis indicated that subcutaneous semaglutide achieved significantly greater reductions in HbA1c compared to oral semaglutide (SMD: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.04 to 0.38) with low heterogeneity (I-square: 22%). For body weight reduction, subcutaneous semaglutide showed greater effectiveness, though the difference was not statistically significant (SMD: 0.12, 95% CI: -0.27 to 0.52) with high heterogeneity (I-square: 81%). Notably, patients receiving oral semaglutide had a significantly higher risk of treatment discontinuation due to side effects (RR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.13 to 2.83) with no heterogeneity (I-square: 0%). While both formulations demonstrated clinical benefits, subcutaneous semaglutide appears to offer superior glycemic control with fewer treatment-limiting adverse effects. These findings likely reflect the differences in bioavailability and pharmacokinetics between the two formulations. However, the choice between formulations should consider individual patient factors, including treatment adherence, preference for injection versus oral administration, and specific comorbidities. Future studies should investigate whether modified dosing protocols could improve the tolerability of oral semaglutide while maintaining efficacy.
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