Does semaglutide expire? Yes. The usable window depends on the exact format: an Ozempic multi-dose pen has a 56-day clock after first use, an unrefrigerated Wegovy single-dose pen has a 28-day limit, and a compounded vial must be discarded at the pharmacy-assigned beyond-use date (BUD). Refrigeration does not override any of those dates.
This article is about those format-specific clocks. For refrigerator placement, travel, and other general handling questions, see how to store peptides.
Does semaglutide expire differently by format?
It does. A manufacturer's expiration date is supported by stability testing on one finished product in its specified container. A BUD is assigned to a compounded preparation. The two dates are not interchangeable, and neither can be borrowed from another semaglutide product.
| Format | Refrigerated window | Time outside refrigeration or after first use | Discard rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ozempic multi-dose pen | Unused: through the printed expiration date at 36°F–46°F (2°C–8°C) | After first use: 56 days, either refrigerated or at 59°F–86°F (15°C–30°C) | Discard 56 days after first use, even if medication remains |
| Wegovy single-dose pen | Through the printed expiration date at 36°F–46°F (2°C–8°C) | Before cap removal: up to 28 days at 46°F–86°F (8°C–30°C) | Discard after 28 days out of refrigeration, after use, or after freezing or excessive heat |
| Compounded semaglutide vial | Follow the pharmacy label | Follow the pharmacy label | Do not use after the printed BUD; ask the dispensing pharmacy about any temperature excursion |
The June 2026 Ozempic prescribing information gives the 56-day rule and says unused pens kept refrigerated may be used through the printed expiration date. The June 2026 Wegovy prescribing information gives the 28-day room-temperature window for its single-dose pens. That clock applies before the cap is removed; each pen is discarded after one use.
A compounded vial has a beyond-use date
A compounded vial does not inherit Ozempic's 56 days or Wegovy's 28 days. Its concentration, inactive ingredients, container, preparation method, and supporting test data may all differ. The USP <797> FAQs explain that BUDs must account for physicochemical stability, sterility, endotoxins, container-closure integrity, and particulate matter. In practice, that date is commonly measured in days or weeks rather than years, although the actual window belongs to the specific pharmacy preparation.
The BUD should be printed on the dispensed label. It is the stop date, not a suggestion and not a countdown that restarts when the vial goes back into the refrigerator. USP defines the BUD as the date after which a compounded sterile preparation must not be used and says refrigeration cannot extend the original assigned date.
Compounded semaglutide is a distinct finished preparation. Promise semaglutide is dispensed as a compounded medication, which is different from an FDA-approved product: the formulation offered here is not FDA-approved. A licensed provider may still prescribe a compounded formulation; that decision is between the patient and the provider.
One GLP-1 product's clock cannot set another's
Storage rules belong to the finished product, not to the drug class. Tirzepatide is another weekly injectable used in metabolic care, but its labeled or pharmacy-assigned dates cannot answer how long a semaglutide vial remains usable. The same is true in reverse. The product name, dispensing label, container, and pharmacy instructions have to match the medication in hand.
What expired semaglutide means
Crossing a date does not make semaglutide transform at midnight. It means the medication is outside the period for which its strength, quality, and purity are supported. For a sterile compounded vial, sterility is also no longer assured. The FDA's expiration-date guidance says a degraded drug may have lower strength than intended and may form compounds that cause unintended effects. That uncertainty is why medication should not be used past its date.
Semaglutide is a peptide, and its stability depends on more than the name on the vial. A 2025 laboratory study found that temperature, pH, and buffer strength changed semaglutide stability (Malgave et al., Journal of Peptide Science). A separate 2025 solution-state stress study identified multiple degradation products and likewise found pH important to thermal degradation (Malgave et al., European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics). These were formulation studies, not tests of a patient's dispensed vial, so they support following its label rather than calculating a new shelf life at home.
Appearance and temperature can shorten the answer
A clear, colorless appearance is necessary but cannot prove that a product is still potent or sterile. Cloudiness, visible particles, a color change, a damaged container, or a questionable seal are reasons not to use it even when the date has not passed. Both current brand labels require a clear, colorless, particle-free solution.
Freezing and excessive heat are separate stop signals. The current Ozempic and Wegovy labels say not to use a pen that has frozen; Wegovy's label also calls for disposal after exposure above 86°F (30°C). A refrigerator outage, medication left in a hot car, or an unknown shipping excursion needs a product-specific answer from the dispensing pharmacy or manufacturer. Cooling it again does not erase the exposure.
The label and pharmacy settle the question
Three details make the call: the exact product, the printed date, and what happened to its temperature. When any one is unclear, the dispensing pharmacy can check the lot, formulation, and recorded shipping conditions. A vial that looks normal is not evidence for extending its BUD, and leftover medication is not a reason to cross it.
At Promise, a licensed provider reviews every request and prescribes only when semaglutide is clinically appropriate; not everyone qualifies. The semaglutide program keeps prescribing and dispensing inside that accountable clinical route.