Liraglutide
GLP-1 receptor agonist (Saxenda, Victoza)
Liraglutide is a once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist that lowers appetite and blood sugar. It is FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes (Victoza, 2010) and chronic weight management (Saxenda, 2014). In the main Saxenda trial, adults on 3 mg daily lost an average of 8.0% of body weight over 56 weeks, versus 2.6% on placebo.
Quick reference
How Liraglutide is dosed in practice
Saxenda (weight management), per the FDA label: 0.6 mg once a day for a week, then 1.2 mg, 1.8 mg and 2.4 mg for a week each, reaching the 3 mg maintenance dose in week 5.
Victoza (type 2 diabetes), per its label: 0.6 mg daily for a week, then 1.2 mg daily. If more blood-sugar control is needed after at least a week, it can go up to 1.8 mg, the maximum for Victoza.
Inject once a day at any time, with or without food. If a step causes too much nausea, prescribers often hold the dose for an extra week before going up. The Saxenda label also advises stopping if you haven't lost at least 4% of body weight after 16 weeks.
Where the numbers come from: the FDA labels and the SCALE and LEADER trials.
Work out the units to draw with the reconstitution calculator and how long a vial lasts with the vial duration calculator.
How Liraglutide works
Liraglutide is a GLP-1 analog with a fatty-acid side chain that extends its half-life from about 2 minutes for natural GLP-1 to about 13 hours, allowing once-daily dosing. When it was approved in 2010, it was the first once-daily GLP-1 drug in the US (exenatide, before it, was twice daily).
It works like semaglutide: less appetite via GLP-1 receptors in the brain, slower stomach emptying, glucose-dependent insulin release and better blood-sugar control. The shorter half-life means daily injections, but also that it clears faster if side effects appear.
Where it fits now: weekly semaglutide and tirzepatide produce more weight loss in trials, so most new patients start on those. Liraglutide is still used when coverage favors it, when a short-acting daily drug is preferred, and in younger patients — Saxenda is approved from age 12 and Victoza for type 2 diabetes from age 10.
In the DoseCraft framework, liraglutide addresses Insulin Resistance (better blood-sugar control) and Inflammation, at a lower magnitude than the weekly alternatives.
Safety + side-effect profile
Side effects mirror semaglutide and tirzepatide and are mainly digestive, mostly during titration. Because the half-life is short, side effects tend to settle within a day or two of lowering the dose.
Boxed warning: liraglutide caused thyroid C-cell tumors in rodents; whether it does in humans is unknown. Don't use it with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or with MEN 2. Other label warnings: pancreatitis, gallbladder problems, low blood sugar when combined with insulin or sulfonylureas, kidney problems from dehydration, increased heart rate, and (for Saxenda) monitoring for mood changes or suicidal thoughts. Not for use in pregnancy.
Critical interactions: never combine with semaglutide, tirzepatide or retatrutide — overlapping action, untested combination. Saxenda and Victoza contain the same drug, so never use both. With insulin or sulfonylureas, those doses may need lowering.
Lean mass: as with other weight-loss drugs, part of the weight lost is lean tissue; resistance training and enough protein are the standard advice.
- • Nausea (very common during titration; usually eases)
- • Diarrhea, constipation or vomiting
- • Reflux / heartburn (especially with large meals)
- • Low blood sugar in people using insulin or sulfonylureas (those doses may need lowering)
- • Less 'food noise' (intended effect)
Frequently asked
What is Liraglutide?
Liraglutide is a once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist, FDA-approved as Victoza (type 2 diabetes, 2010) and Saxenda (weight management, 2014). It was the first once-daily GLP-1 drug in the US; weekly semaglutide and tirzepatide have since become more common.
Liraglutide vs Semaglutide — when to use which?
Semaglutide is usually preferred for weight loss: it produced more weight loss in its own trials and in a head-to-head trial, and it's weekly. Liraglutide is still used when coverage favors it, for younger patients, or when a short-acting daily drug is preferred.
What is the standard Liraglutide titration?
Saxenda: 0.6 mg daily for a week → 1.2 mg → 1.8 mg → 2.4 mg (a week each) → 3.0 mg daily maintenance from week 5. Victoza: 0.6 mg daily for a week → 1.2 mg; can increase to 1.8 mg after at least a week if more blood-sugar control is needed. Weekly steps make liraglutide quicker to titrate than the weekly drugs' 4-week steps.
Can I switch from Liraglutide to Semaglutide?
Yes, under your prescriber. The labels don't set a switching schedule; your prescriber decides the timing and starting dose, often the usual semaglutide starting dose. Don't overlap the two. Some people get a short return of nausea after switching.
Does Liraglutide cause less weight loss than Semaglutide?
Yes. In SCALE, liraglutide 3 mg daily led to 8.0% average weight loss at 56 weeks; in STEP 1, semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly led to 14.9% at 68 weeks. In a head-to-head trial (STEP 8), semaglutide produced more than twice the weight loss of liraglutide. In SURMOUNT-1, tirzepatide 15 mg led to 20.9% at 72 weeks.
Is daily Liraglutide harder to stick with than weekly Semaglutide?
Daily injections are the main practical drawback. The upside is liraglutide's shorter half-life (about 13 hours), so levels fall sooner after lowering a dose than with weekly drugs. It still takes several days to mostly clear.
Are there long-term safety concerns?
Liraglutide has been on the market since 2010. In the LEADER trial in type 2 diabetes, it reduced major cardiovascular events by 13% versus placebo. Known risks include pancreatitis, gallbladder problems and the boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumors in rodents (avoid with a personal or family history of MTC or with MEN 2).
Related compounds
Often researched, stacked, or compared with Liraglutide.
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