Semaglutide vs Dulaglutide Dosing Compared

Last updated: June 2026

Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and dulaglutide (Trulicity) are both once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonists, but they run on separate dose scales: semaglutide titrates 0.25 → 0.5 → 1 → 2 mg weekly for diabetes (up to 2.4 mg for weight management), while dulaglutide titrates 0.75 → 1.5 → 3 → 4.5 mg weekly. The milligram numbers are not interchangeable, and only one of these drugs ever needs a syringe-unit calculation.

Have a compounded semaglutide vial and a target dose? Convert it to exact mL and U-100 units in seconds.

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TL;DR — key takeaways

Different number lines. Semaglutide tops out at 2 mg (diabetes) or 2.4 mg (weight); dulaglutide tops out at 4.5 mg. A higher dulaglutide number does not mean a stronger drug — the molecules use different ranges.
Different starting points. Semaglutide starts at a sub-therapeutic 0.25 mg purely for tolerance; dulaglutide starts at 0.75 mg, which is already an effective maintenance dose.
Same rhythm. Both labels hold each rung for at least 4 weeks before stepping up, to let gastrointestinal side effects settle.
Only semaglutide is drawn manually. Dulaglutide ships as fixed single-dose pens (no measuring). Compounded semaglutide vials are drawn by hand, which is the only place a units calculation appears.
Approved uses differ. Semaglutide is approved for both type 2 diabetes and chronic weight management; dulaglutide is approved for type 2 diabetes only.

Why the two dose scales look so different

Both drugs are single GLP-1 receptor agonists: they mimic the glucagon-like peptide-1 hormone to trigger glucose-dependent insulin release, slow gastric emptying, and reduce appetite. They differ in how the molecule is built. Dulaglutide fuses a GLP-1 analogue to a fragment of human IgG4 antibody, which keeps it in circulation for roughly five days. Semaglutide uses a fatty-acid chain that binds albumin, giving it a slightly longer half-life of about seven days. Both are long enough for once-weekly dosing and reach steady state after four to five weeks — the same window over which the dose is being stepped up.

Because each molecule has its own potency and approved dose range, you cannot assume "1 mg of one equals 1 mg of the other." The head-to-head SUSTAIN 7 trial put this to the test, comparing semaglutide 0.5 mg against dulaglutide 0.75 mg and semaglutide 1 mg against dulaglutide 1.5 mg: at both pairings, semaglutide produced larger reductions in HbA1c and body weight. That is exactly why the raw milligram numbers tell you nothing about relative strength.

Side-by-side: dosing at a glance

Property	Semaglutide	Dulaglutide
Brand names	Ozempic, Wegovy	Trulicity
Class	GLP-1 receptor agonist	GLP-1 receptor agonist
Starting dose	0.25 mg / week	0.75 mg / week
Is the start dose therapeutic?	No (tolerance only)	Yes
Min step interval	4 weeks	4 weeks
Diabetes max	2 mg / week	4.5 mg / week
Weight-management max	2.4 mg / week	Not approved
Titration steps	0.25, 0.5, 1, 2 (2.4)	0.75, 1.5, 3, 4.5
Delivery	Pen or compounded vial	Fixed single-dose pen
Approx. half-life	~7 days	~5 days

Figures reflect the FDA-approved Ozempic, Wegovy, and Trulicity labels. Compounded semaglutide vials are drawn manually and require you to work out the volume yourself; prescribed protocols vary, so follow your prescriber's instructions.

The titration timeline, visualised

Both drugs climb the same four-week staircase, but on different vertical scales — and they start from very different first rungs.

Notice the first rungs: semaglutide opens below the orange line because 0.25 mg is a run-in dose that does little on its own, whereas dulaglutide's 0.75 mg start already lands in effective territory.

Why only one of these needs a units calculation

Dulaglutide is sold exclusively as fixed single-dose pens, each holding 0.5 mL of solution at one preset strength. You dial nothing and measure nothing — a 1.5 mg pen delivers 1.5 mg, full stop. Brand semaglutide pens work the same way. The unit-counting problem only appears with compounded semaglutide vials, where you draw a milligram dose by hand from a vial of a given concentration.

The conversion is always the same: find the concentration (mg/mL), divide your dose by it to get mL, then multiply by 100, because a U-100 insulin syringe holds 100 units per 1 mL.

Worked example 1 — semaglutide start dose

Compounded vial at 2.5 mg/mL, prescribed dose 0.25 mg/week.

0.25 mg ÷ 2.5 mg/mL = 0.1 mL. 0.1 mL × 100 units/mL = 10 units.

Draw 10 units on a U-100 syringe.

Worked example 2 — semaglutide 1 mg

Vial at 5 mg/mL, prescribed dose 1 mg/week.

1 mg ÷ 5 mg/mL = 0.2 mL. 0.2 mL × 100 units/mL = 20 units.

Draw 20 units on a U-100 syringe.

Worked example 3 — same dose, stronger vial

The same 1 mg dose from a 10 mg/mL vial: 1 ÷ 10 = 0.1 mL × 100 = 10 units.

Double the concentration, half the units — for the identical milligram dose. This is why "how many units" has no single answer without the vial strength.

Worked example 4 — dulaglutide needs no maths

A Trulicity 1.5 mg pen holds 0.5 mL of pre-measured solution. There is no concentration to divide by and no syringe to fill: you press the pen and it delivers the full 1.5 mg.

Fixed pen = zero unit conversion.

Dose-to-units reference chart (compounded semaglutide)

Common weekly semaglutide doses as units on a U-100 syringe at two typical compounded concentrations. Dulaglutide is omitted because it is never drawn by hand. Always confirm against your own vial label.

Semaglutide dose	At 2.5 mg/mL	At 5 mg/mL
0.25 mg (start)	10 units	5 units
0.5 mg	20 units	10 units
1 mg	40 units	20 units
2 mg (diabetes max)	80 units	40 units
2.4 mg (weight max)	96 units	48 units

At 2.5 mg/mL the 2.4 mg dose needs almost a full 1 mL syringe (96 units); a stronger vial keeps the draw small. If your volume approaches the top of the barrel, ask your pharmacy about a higher concentration.

How this is calculated

Every unit figure here rests on two facts only: a U-100 syringe holds 100 units per mL, and concentration is dose divided by volume. There is no drug-specific constant — the arithmetic is identical for semaglutide or any other vialled peptide, which is also why a fixed-dose pen like dulaglutide needs no calculation at all. The calculators on this site automate exactly this and let you check the result against the chart above. None of this is medical advice; it is the maths behind a dose your prescriber has set.

Frequently asked questions

Is dulaglutide stronger than semaglutide because 4.5 mg is bigger than 2 mg?

No. The two molecules sit on different milligram scales, so the numbers are not comparable. In the head-to-head SUSTAIN 7 trial, semaglutide actually lowered HbA1c and body weight more than dulaglutide at the matched dose pairings.

Can I use dulaglutide for weight loss?

Dulaglutide (Trulicity) is approved for type 2 diabetes only, not for chronic weight management. Semaglutide is approved for both, as Ozempic (diabetes) and Wegovy (weight). Any off-label use is a decision for your prescriber.

Why does semaglutide start so much lower than dulaglutide?

Semaglutide's 0.25 mg starting dose is a run-in dose meant only to build gastrointestinal tolerance, not to treat. Dulaglutide's 0.75 mg start is already an effective maintenance dose, so its first rung does real work.

How many units do I draw for dulaglutide?

None — dulaglutide comes only in fixed single-dose pens that deliver a preset milligram amount. Unit conversions apply only to compounded semaglutide vials, where you measure the dose yourself.

Sources

This guide is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always follow your prescriber’s specific instructions and consult a qualified clinician before changing any protocol.