Liraglutide
A once-daily GLP-1 injection, approved for weight management as Saxenda in 2014. Two 56-week trials measured how much weight it took off, and how much of a diet's loss it helped keep off.
- U.S. status
- FDA-approved
- Saxenda (liraglutide) injection, NDA 206321, approved December 23, 2014 for chronic weight management.
- FDA source, read September 2026.
- Evidence cited here
- Weight: Large trials1 randomized trial of 1,000 or more people cited here for weight.
- Forms sold
- Injection
1. What Liraglutide is
Liraglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, a lab-made version of a gut hormone released after meals. At 3.0 mg a day it is approved for chronic weight management as Saxenda, a once-daily injection. The same molecule is also sold as Victoza, a diabetes product.
Since December 2024 the FDA has approved generic liraglutide injections from several manufacturers. A compounded liraglutide is different: a pharmacy makes it for one prescription, it is not FDA-approved, and the FDA does not review it before it is dispensed.
2. How it works
Liraglutide binds the GLP-1 receptor, the one the body's own hormone uses after eating. It slows how fast the stomach empties and acts on appetite signals in the brain, so people tend to eat less.
It was modified to outlast the natural hormone, though not by enough for weekly dosing, so it is injected once a day. The dose is raised in steps to 3.0 mg, the dose both trials below tested.
3. What the studies measured
SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes randomized 3,731 adults without type 2 diabetes to 3.0 mg a day or placebo for 56 weeks, with lifestyle counseling in both groups. Mean weight loss was 8.4 kg on liraglutide and 2.8 kg on placebo.
In that trial, 63.2% on liraglutide lost at least 5% of their body weight, against 27.1% on placebo. Nausea and diarrhea, mostly mild or moderate, were the most frequent side effects. Serious adverse events occurred in 6.2% on liraglutide and 5.0% on placebo.
SCALE Maintenance started after a low-calorie diet. The 422 adults who had lost at least 5% on the diet were randomized to liraglutide 3.0 mg or placebo for 56 weeks. They lost a further 6.2% on liraglutide and 0.2% on placebo, and 81.4% against 48.9% kept the diet's 5% off.
4. What they did not measure
Both trials used Saxenda at the labeled dose. Neither tested a compounded preparation, so their results describe the approved product, not what a compounding pharmacy makes.
Neither trial compared liraglutide with semaglutide or tirzepatide, and neither followed people after they stopped the drug. Both measured weight and risk factors, not heart attacks or strokes.
The studies behind this page
The evidence label above is computed from these papers: their design and how many people they enrolled.
- Randomized trial
3,731 people
Counts toward: Weight
Mean weight loss of 8.4 kg on liraglutide against 2.8 kg on placebo; at least 5% lost by 63.2% against 27.1%.
Adults without type 2 diabetes and a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with dyslipidemia or hypertension; liraglutide 3.0 mg daily or placebo for 56 weeks.
Pi-Sunyer X, Astrup A, Fujioka K, Greenway F, Halpern A, Krempf M, et al. (2015). A Randomized, Controlled Trial of 3.0 mg of Liraglutide in Weight Management. N Engl J Med. PMID 26132939
- Randomized trial
422 people
Counts toward: Weight
A further 6.2% weight loss on liraglutide against 0.2% on placebo; 81.4% against 48.9% maintained the run-in loss of at least 5%.
Adults with obesity or overweight who lost at least 5% on a low-calorie diet run-in; liraglutide 3.0 mg daily or placebo for 56 weeks.
Wadden TA, Hollander P, Klein S, Niswender K, Woo V, Hale PM, et al. (2013). Weight maintenance and additional weight loss with liraglutide after low-calorie-diet-induced weight loss: the SCALE Maintenance randomized study. Int J Obes (Lond). PMID 23812094
Read further
Liraglutide
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a generic version of liraglutide?
- Yes. Since December 2024 the FDA has approved generic liraglutide injections from several manufacturers. A generic is FDA-approved; a compounded liraglutide made by a pharmacy is not.
- How much weight did people lose on liraglutide?
- In the 56-week SCALE trial of 3,731 adults, the liraglutide group lost a mean of 8.4 kg against 2.8 kg on placebo, and 63.2% lost at least 5% of their body weight.