Researchers at Adelaide University report that salcaprozate sodium (SNAC)—an absorption enhancer used in oral semaglutide tablets—was associated with changes in gut bacteria and inflammation markers in an animal study conducted over 21 days. The authors said the findings do not demonstrate harm in humans but argue that longer-term research is needed as oral options for obesity treatment expand.
Scientists at Adelaide University reported new findings on salcaprozate sodium (SNAC), an absorption enhancer used to help semaglutide work in tablet form. Semaglutide is the active ingredient in injectable brands including Wegovy and Ozempic, and in oral formulations it relies on SNAC to help it survive the stomach environment and enter the bloodstream.
In what the researchers described as the first in vivo study to systematically examine repeated exposure to SNAC, the team used an animal model over a 21-day period and observed several changes. These included a decline in beneficial gut bacteria involved in breaking down dietary fibre, reduced levels of short-chain fatty acids that support the gut lining and help regulate inflammation, and increased levels of inflammatory markers in the blood.
The researchers also reported greater liver weight, which they said could indicate low-grade inflammation, a smaller cecum (a part of the intestine involved in fibre breakdown by gut bacteria), and reduced levels of a brain-derived protein the summary described as being associated with cognitive impairment.
The study’s authors stressed that the results come from animal research and should not be interpreted as evidence of harm in people. “Importantly, our findings do not prove that SNAC causes harm in humans,” said Senior Research Fellow Dr. Paul Joyce. Lead author Amin Ariaee, a PhD candidate, said the findings suggest SNAC exposure was “associated with shifts in potentially harmful gut bacteria, elevated inflammatory markers and depletion of proteins linked to cognitive impairment,” adding that the results “warrant further investigation.”
The researchers noted that the United States approved a tablet version of Wegovy in late 2025, raising the prospect of broader, daily exposure to SNAC if more patients opt for oral treatments.
The findings were published in the Journal of Controlled Release (2026; 392: 114711) under the title “Gut microbiota perturbation and systemic inflammation are associated with salcaprozate sodium (SNAC)-enabled oral semaglutide delivery.”
