No, I have not heard that they would provide anything like this. I would expect that they would not.
Interesting take, and given what we know about behavioral friction, likely true! Maulik also refused to ship packages that are too large. He’ll break them into two shipments.
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That is true. And in my own experience the only package that was seized in the last 5 years was a large one. I am certainly willing to pay the extra $30 as a little insurance that I will receive my package. My last order was an amazing 8 days in transit.
While that is a prudent thing to do, I’ve had small packages that were stopped also, and one large one. So, it is hit and mis. The good thing is the ratio of stopped ones is about 5% so in my mind I just see it as adding a 5% premium to already a very deep discounted price knowing that at some point, I’ll lose one or two boxes. Had about $3,500-4000 in 25 boxes come in fine from 11/25 to 02/26 and then had two small ones $110 each stopped in April.
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Is there really no service that will aggregate pricing from various suppliers of these medicines?
I am looking into the pricing of the recent Empagliflozin generics and the prices listed on IndiaMart are generally above those listed on Netmeds, 1MG etc. which are retail online pharmacy services directed domestic Indian citizens.
Additionally it is annoying that you then have to consider the shipping rate on top which you know will be a scam relative its true cost.
Anyway, if anyone knows of a cheap generic Empagliflozin supplier, let me know!
I did pricing comparison this last year - Rapamycin etc., Purchase Price Comparison Spreadsheet, and Issues Discussion
Have you tried these Sembolic 14 mg tablets yet? How do the tablets taste to you? The ones I received have a really weird after taste. I’m wondering if this is an “early batch” issue, or something common to all the semaglutide tablets…
Yes I’m on 14mg of Sembolic twice a week. Hit me like a truck, took until last week (about 5 weeks in) for the nausea to die down. I can’t say I’ve noticed too much about the taste as I swallow it straight away. However I have one 14mg Rybelsus tablet left that I was saving to do some comparison anyway so give me a week to “taste” both and I’ll let you know my conclusions.
While we’re on the topic I see two new oral brands have launched in India. “Semalix” which appears to also come from Torrent Pharmaceuticals (I’m not sure why they need two brands) and “Obeda” from Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories. Hopefully the competition will help to deflate the prices further. I’ll try to pick up some of both of them in my next batch in the name of science…
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Interesting… results are so different between people. I have zero nausea (or any noticeable side effects, really) at 14mg Semobolic. But weight loss is going well and feeling good.
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Do you take this daily?
Yes - every morning when I first wake up. I’ve been on it for about 3 weeks. I’ve lost about 13lbs. I train daily to make sure I’m not losing muscle. Once I get down to zero visceral fat, I’ll probably pause it.
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Is it (you think) the weight loss result of less appetite/food, or is it a result of exercising though I assume you must have been exercising even before starting it? Great results but 13lbs in 3 weeks sounds a lot especially if you are not way overweight which I think you’d mentioned somewhere that you weren’t.
Reason I ask is because I had lost about 30lbs about a year ago on Tirze/Reta (had another 10-15lbs to go and then became very sick from them) but gained back about 15, and I’ve tried exercise less food etc. to no avail, so I’m stuck with about 30lbs surplus that I’d love to get rid of. Can’t take injectables as they literally cripple me almost bedridden more so now that even at beginning when I started them. So, my body is not being used to GLP1’s (in injectable form at least, haven’t tried tablets yet).
Also, does it affect your ability to exercise as in loosing motivation, less energy etc…?
Plus was yours from Torrent? Thanks for any info you can provide.
I can chime in for myself on this. I don’t notice any lack of motivation to do other things. However food and alcohol seem much more boring and unrewarding. It’s strange because rather than eating → not getting as big a mental reward as before → therefore gradually eating less, the actual pattern seems to be just somehow “knowing” that the food will not be rewarding before eating it and not even wasting any time thinking about it. I was also getting quite bad nausea until recently even with just two 14mg tablets a week. I can’t see myself taking one every day.
I do notice less energy but that’s always been the case when I’ve cut before and isn’t because of the semaglutide itself.
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One further point, I’m actually more reluctant to eat high volume fiber heavy food now. I’ve significantly reduced the amount of vegetables I eat and favour more easy to digest processed food.
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I just received both my packages for my order …success!
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That’s an interesting observation since I felt the opposite from injectables. I actually would crave carbs and not care for protein or fats.
Ok so I’ve tested licking both Rybelsus and Sembolic and I can say for sure that while they both have an unpleasant burning taste on the tongue, it’s dramatically stronger with Sembolic to the point of taking 10 minutes or so to dissipate. So obviously the implementations are slightly different. Whether this has any consequences beyond this I do not know.
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I got this response from Claude on the strange taste of the Sembolic pills, it sounds like a manufacturing issue (they just started making these tablets, so not a huge surprise):
Most Likely Causes
1. Residual Solvents from Solid-Phase Peptide Synthesis (SPPS) — Most Probable
Novo Nordisk manufactures the semaglutide API using recombinant biosynthesis. Generic manufacturers, including Torrent, almost certainly use Fmoc-based solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS), a fundamentally different process that requires multiple harsh organic solvents:
- TFA (trifluoroacetic acid) — used in the final cleavage/deprotection step. Has an extremely distinctive, persistent acidic-chemical taste and aftertaste. Even trace quantities above ICH limits (Class 3, ≤50 mg/day) are detectable on the palate and linger. This is arguably the single most likely culprit.
- Piperidine — used for Fmoc deprotection. Strong, distinctive chemical/aminic taste.
- DMF (dimethylformamide), DCM (dichloromethane), acetonitrile — all SPPS workhorses with characteristic chemical flavors.
A brand-new peptide synthesis line in its first commercial run is precisely the context where residual solvent profiles haven’t been fully optimized and validated. Early batches frequently deviate.
2. SNAC (Salcaprozate Sodium) Quality or Sourcing Issue
SNAC is present in enormous quantities relative to the API — the ratio in the Rybelsus formulation is roughly 100:1 by weight (300 mg SNAC to 3 mg semaglutide). Historical data from early heparin oral formulations using SNAC documented bitter taste and poor compliance as a known problem, which is why taste masking via tablet coating is critical.
If Torrent is using a different SNAC supplier, a different purity grade, or the tablet coating is inconsistent (thin, incomplete, or micro-cracked), the inherent bitterness of SNAC will dominate the taste profile — producing exactly a “chemical” lingering aftertaste.
3. Synthesis Impurities and Coupling Reagent Residues
SPPS uses coupling reagents (HATU, HBTU, DIC) and generates byproducts including:
- Truncated/deletion peptide sequences
- Racemized amino acid residues
- Residual HOBt (hydroxybenzotriazole) or related activators
These can contribute unfamiliar taste profiles not present in the biosynthetically-derived API.
4. Tablet Coating Defect (Batch-Specific)
A compromised coating allows direct oral mucosal contact with the drug/excipient core before swallowing — releasing both SNAC and any API impurities to taste receptors simultaneously. This would explain why the taste is prominent and lingering.
Implications
Safety: The most serious concern is ICH Class 1 or 2 residual solvents exceeding guideline limits. DCM and DMF (Class 2) have defined daily exposure limits (6 mg/day and 8.8 mg/day respectively). TFA is Class 3 but still has a 50 mg/day limit. Exceeding these in early production batches is possible and potentially hepatotoxic or nephrotoxic with repeated exposure.
Efficacy: If taste aberration reflects API degradation rather than solvent residue, oxidized or hydrolyzed semaglutide has reduced GLP-1 receptor affinity. Therapeutic effect would be compromised — you’d see attenuated glycemic control or weight loss response.
Where did you buy the Retatrutide pills? I think I’ll toss the Semoblics and try another vendor. I really don’t like the taste and think it may not be healthy, if its left-over reagents…
Sorry I meant to say Rybelsus! I will correct my post.
If you’re gonna order some Rybelsus tablets maybe try to get at least 1 strip each of the other two brands that have just come on the market “Semalix” and “Obeda”. It’s possible they don’t have the issue.
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