Liraglutide is the bridge between the first-generation lizard-derived exenatide and the weekly analogues that followed. It was the first GLP-1 drug built from the human hormone, the first with a cardiovascular outcome benefit on its label, and, as Saxenda, the first GLP-1 approved for weight. It is still the only GLP-1 receptor agonist with a once-daily injection approved for weight management.
Mechanism and receptor profile
The Victoza and Saxenda labels describe liraglutide as an acylated human GLP-1 receptor agonist with 97% amino-acid sequence homology to endogenous human GLP-1(7-37). A fatty-acid chain lets it bind albumin, which slows absorption from the injection site and protects it from DPP-4, extending a hormone that lasts minutes into a drug that lasts a day. It acts only at the GLP-1 receptor. Nothing else on this site's list has a shorter dosing interval except exenatide (twice daily) and lixisenatide (daily, but short-acting).
FDA approvals, with dates
| Date | Product | What was approved | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Jan 2010 | Victoza | New molecular entity, glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes | NDA 022341, original |
| 23 Dec 2014 | Saxenda | Chronic weight management in adults with obesity, or overweight plus a weight-related condition; the first GLP-1 approved for weight | NDA 206321, original |
| 25 Aug 2017 | Victoza | Reduction of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (LEADER) | NDA 022341, S-027 |
| 17 Jun 2019 | Victoza | Pediatric patients aged 10 and older with type 2 diabetes | NDA 022341, S-031 |
| 4 Dec 2020 | Saxenda | Pediatric patients aged 12 and older with obesity and body weight above 60 kg | NDA 206321, S-012 |
DailyMed also lists liraglutide labels filed under the Victoza application by other labellers; Drugs@FDA remains the record of who holds which approval.
Dosing as the label states it
Both products are injected once daily, at any time of day, in the abdomen, thigh or upper arm.
| Victoza | Saxenda | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting dose | 0.6 mg daily for 1 week (not effective for glycemic control) | 0.6 mg daily for 1 week |
| Escalation | 1.2 mg daily; then 1.8 mg after at least 1 week if more glycemic control is needed | Increase by 0.6 mg each week: 1.2, 1.8, 2.4, then 3 mg |
| Maintenance and maximum | 1.2 or 1.8 mg daily | 3 mg daily; pediatric patients who cannot tolerate 3 mg may use 2.4 mg |
| Missed dose | Resume the once-daily schedule with the next dose | Resume with the next dose; if more than 3 days have passed, restart at 0.6 mg and re-escalate |
The Saxenda label tells adults with type 2 diabetes to monitor blood glucose before and during treatment, and to rotate injection sites within a region to reduce the risk of cutaneous amyloidosis.
Pivotal trials and their numbers
| Trial | Population and duration | Result | PubMed |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes | Adults with obesity or overweight, no diabetes, mean weight 106.2 kg; 56 weeks | Weight -8.4 kg on 3.0 mg vs -2.8 kg on placebo (difference -5.6 kg, 95% CI -6.0 to -5.1); 63.2% vs 27.1% lost 5% or more; 33.1% vs 10.6% lost more than 10% | 26132939 |
| LEADER | 9,340 adults with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk; median 3.8 years | Primary endpoint 13.0% vs 14.9%; hazard ratio 0.87 (0.78 to 0.97); cardiovascular death 4.7% vs 6.0% (0.78); death from any cause 8.2% vs 9.6% (0.85) | 27295427 |
| LEAD-3 Mono | Adults with type 2 diabetes, monotherapy against glimepiride; 52 weeks | HbA1c -0.84 (1.2 mg) and -1.14 (1.8 mg) points vs -0.51 with glimepiride; weight loss rather than gain and less hypoglycemia | 18819705 |
SCALE reported kilograms, not percent, in its abstract; 8.4 kg from a 106.2 kg mean baseline is 7.9%, which is the figure the comparison table uses with that derivation noted.
Adverse reactions from the label
| Adverse reaction | Placebo % | Saxenda % |
|---|---|---|
| Nausea | 13.8 | 39.3 |
| Diarrhea | 9.9 | 20.9 |
| Constipation | 8.5 | 19.4 |
| Vomiting | 3.9 | 15.7 |
| Injection site reaction | 10.5 | 13.9 |
| Headache | 12.6 | 13.6 |
| Hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetes | 6.6 | 12.6 |
| Dyspepsia | 2.7 | 9.6 |
| Fatigue | 4.6 | 7.5 |
| Dizziness | 5 | 6.9 |
| Abdominal pain | 3.1 | 5.4 |
| Increased lipase | 2.2 | 5.3 |
The Victoza pool (placebo n=661; 1.2 mg n=645; 1.8 mg n=1,024) reports nausea 5%, 18%, 20%; diarrhea 4%, 10%, 12%; headache 7%, 11%, 10%; vomiting 2%, 6%, 9%; decreased appetite 1%, 10%, 9%; constipation 1%, 5%, 5%.
Boxed warning and other warnings
The class boxed warning, worded for liraglutide: dose-dependent and duration-dependent thyroid C-cell tumors in both sexes of rats and mice; human relevance unknown; contraindicated with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2. Section 5 covers pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, hypoglycemia, kidney injury, hypersensitivity, and, for Saxenda, heart-rate increase. Saxenda's separate warning on suicidal behaviour and ideation was removed in the February 2026 label revision; mood changes are still worth reporting to a prescriber. Neither product should be combined with other liraglutide-containing products.
Status and manufacturer
Approved and marketed by Novo Nordisk under both brands.
Where next
Weekly agents replaced daily ones for most new prescriptions; the semaglutide and dulaglutide entries show the two routes that development took. The approval timeline puts 2010 and 2014 in sequence with everything since.
Questions people ask
Why is Saxenda dosed at 3 mg when Victoza stops at 1.8 mg?
They are the same liraglutide in the same pen concentration, but the weight-management program tested a higher dose than the diabetes program did. The Saxenda label escalates by 0.6 mg each week from 0.6 mg to 3 mg; the Victoza label stops at 1.8 mg because that is the highest dose studied for glycemic control.
How does liraglutide's weight loss compare with the weekly drugs?
Smaller. SCALE reported a mean 8.4 kg loss (about 7.9% of a 106 kg baseline) at 56 weeks; STEP 1 reported 14.9% for semaglutide 2.4 mg at 68 weeks and SURMOUNT-1 reported 20.9% for tirzepatide 15 mg at 72 weeks. Those are three different trials, so treat the gap as an order of magnitude rather than a measured difference.
Sources
- Drugs@FDA: NDA 022341 Victoza (approval 2010-01-25; supplements 27 and 31) Accessed September 4, 2026.
- Drugs@FDA: NDA 206321 Saxenda (approval 2014-12-23; supplement 12) Accessed September 4, 2026.
- Victoza prescribing information, Novo Nordisk, DailyMed set id 5a9ef4ea-c76a-4d34-a604-27c5b505f5a4 Accessed September 4, 2026.
- Saxenda prescribing information, Novo Nordisk, DailyMed set id 3946d389-0926-4f77-a708-0acb8153b143 Accessed September 4, 2026.
- Pi-Sunyer X et al. A randomized, controlled trial of 3.0 mg of liraglutide in weight management (SCALE). N Engl J Med 2015. PubMed 26132939 Accessed September 4, 2026.
- Marso SP et al. Liraglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes (LEADER). N Engl J Med 2016. PubMed 27295427 Accessed September 4, 2026.
- Garber A et al. Liraglutide versus glimepiride monotherapy for type 2 diabetes (LEAD-3 Mono). Lancet 2009. PubMed 18819705 Accessed September 4, 2026.
Canonical URL: https://formblendsglp1s.com/agents/liraglutide. Written by the FormBlends editorial team. This page is educational and is not medical advice; see the medical disclaimer.