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Metabolic & weight

Liraglutide

Also called Saxenda, Victoza, NN2211

Liraglutide is an older, once-daily GLP-1 medicine. It is approved for type 2 diabetes (Victoza) and for weight management in adults and teens 12 and up (Saxenda). It usually produces smaller weight loss than newer weekly drugs.

FDA-approvedApproved by the FDA for at least one use after large human trials.

All printable flashcards

Drawn from its published sequence: 31 residues, one bead each. The gold tail marks the fatty-acid chain.

Overview

Liraglutide is an older, once-daily GLP-1 medicine. It is approved for type 2 diabetes (Victoza) and for weight management in adults and teens 12 and up (Saxenda). It usually produces smaller weight loss than newer weekly drugs.

How it works

Established: activates the GLP-1 receptor, increasing glucose-dependent insulin release, lowering glucagon, slowing stomach emptying, and reducing appetite. The fatty-acid chain binds albumin and extends its action to allow once-daily dosing.

What research shows

  • Saxenda label Study 1 (SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes; human RCT, 56 weeks): mean weight change −7.4% vs −3.0% with placebo; 62.3% lost at least 5% vs 34.4%.
  • Label Study 2 (adults with type 2 diabetes, 56 weeks): −5.4% vs −1.7% with placebo.
  • Label Study 3 (weight maintenance after ≥5% run-in loss): −4.9% vs +0.3% with placebo.
  • Pediatric RCT (ages 12–17, 56 weeks): BMI SDS change −0.23 vs 0.00 with placebo.

Doses studied in people

Study or labelDose usedSource
FDA label, Saxenda: escalation0.6 mg daily week 1, then weekly increases to 1.2, 1.8, 2.4 mg, reaching 3 mg daily from week 5, subcutaneous1
FDA label, Saxenda: maintenance3 mg once daily (adults); pediatric 3 mg daily, may reduce to 2.4 mg if not tolerated. Stop in adults if <4% weight loss at 16 weeks.1
SCALE trials (label Studies 1–3)3 mg once daily, subcutaneous, 56 weeks1

Doses are from the FDA Saxenda label; Victoza for diabetes uses a lower maximum (1.8 mg daily).

Read this first: these are the amounts given to participants in published studies or written on official prescribing labels, reported for reference. They are not recommendations. Trial doses were chosen for specific patients under medical supervision, and a dose that is safe in one person can be harmful in another.

Weekly protocol

How the schedule looks week by week. Each chart says where it comes from: a prescribing label, a clinical trial, or a protocol commonly reported online.

Saxenda label titration

Prescribing label

One week

D1D2D3D4D5D6D7

Once daily · Subcutaneous injection

Dose by week

0.6 mgwk 1
1.2 mgwk 2
1.8 mgwk 3
2.4 mgwk 4
3 mgMaintenance · wk 5+
Course
Ongoing; adults stop if less than 4% weight loss at 16 weeks
Note
Lower doses are for titration only. Children 12+ who do not tolerate 3 mg may stay on 2.4 mg daily.
Source
SAXENDA prescribing information (FDA, revised 02/2026)

Reference only, not a recommendation. Label and trial schedules were set for specific patients under medical supervision. Use the calculator only to understand the arithmetic.

Safety

  • Boxed warning (label): thyroid C-cell tumors in rats and mice; human relevance unknown. Contraindicated with personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2.
  • Most common side effect is nausea (39.3% vs 13.8% placebo), plus diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, injection site reactions, headache, and low blood sugar in people with diabetes (label).
  • Label warnings: pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, increased heart rate, kidney injury from dehydration, allergic reactions, and aspiration under anesthesia.

Report side effects of any drug or product to the FDA through MedWatch. For a possible poisoning in the US, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

Storage and stability

Per label: pens refrigerated before first use; after first use may be kept at room temperature or refrigerated for a limited time.

General lab handling, not instructions for personal use. See Storage and stability.

History

Developed by Novo Nordisk. Approved for type 2 diabetes as Victoza (2010). Approved for chronic weight management as Saxenda on December 23, 2014, and for adolescents ages 12–17 on December 4, 2020. Saxenda label revised 2/2026.

Common questions

Is liraglutide FDA-approved?

Yes. It is approved as Victoza for type 2 diabetes (2010) and as Saxenda for weight management in adults (2014) and teens 12 to 17 (2020) 12.

What does the research show?

In the main Saxenda trial, people lost an average of 7.4% of body weight over 56 weeks vs 3.0% on placebo 1. In adults with type 2 diabetes, weight loss was 5.4% vs 1.7% on placebo 1.

What doses are on the label?

The Saxenda label starts at 0.6 mg daily and raises it each week to 3 mg once daily from week 5 1. The label advises adults to stop if they have lost less than 4% by week 16, and Victoza for diabetes uses a lower 1.8 mg maximum 1.

What are the side effects?

Nausea is the most common, at 39.3% vs 13.8% on placebo, along with diarrhea, constipation and vomiting 1. The label has a boxed warning about thyroid tumors in rodents and also warns of pancreatitis, gallbladder disease and a faster heart rate 1.

How is it stored?

Per the label, pens are refrigerated before first use and may then be kept at room temperature or refrigerated for a limited time 1.

Is liraglutide banned in sport?

No. GLP-1 drugs are not on WADA's Prohibited List, and that is unchanged for 2027 3.

Related compounds

Metabolic & weightFDA-approvedFlashcard

Semaglutide

Wegovy · Ozempic

Semaglutide is a long-acting copy of the gut hormone GLP-1.

Metabolic & weightFDA-approvedFlashcard

Tirzepatide

Zepbound · Mounjaro

Tirzepatide is a weekly shot that acts on two gut-hormone receptors, GIP and GLP-1, at once.

Sources

  1. Saxenda (liraglutide) Prescribing Information, revised 2/2026 (Drugs.com mirror of FDA label) FDA label
  2. Saxenda FDA Approval History (Drugs.com) Regulatory
  3. WADA publishes 2027 Prohibited List (World Rugby summary) Regulatory

Last reviewed 2026-10-25 · How we research · Found an error? See our corrections policy.