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Home/Compounds/Liraglutide
GLP-1 agonistFDA approvedRx required

Liraglutide

Also known as: Victoza · Saxenda
Brands: Victoza · Saxenda

GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for type 2 diabetes and weight management, predecessor to semaglutide.

A
Grade A
Multiple human RCTs
Human studies24
PubMed citations27
Typical dose600 mcg – 3 mg
Routesubcutaneous
Regulatory (US)FDA approved · Rx
Last verified2 months ago
TL;DR · 30-second summary
  • Average 5-8% weight loss in SCALE trials
  • Significant HbA1c reduction
  • Cardiovascular benefits demonstrated in LEADER trial
  • Daily dosing (vs weekly for semaglutide)

Mechanism of action

GLP-1 analog with 97% homology to native GLP-1. Acylated to bind albumin, extending half-life to ~13 hours. Stimulates insulin secretion, suppresses glucagon, delays gastric emptying.

Evidence summary

24
Human studies
27
PubMed citations
25
Clinical trials
A
Evidence grade

Extensive clinical trials (LEAD, SCALE programs) demonstrating efficacy for diabetes and weight loss. First GLP-1 approved for obesity (Saxenda).

Dosing protocols

Educational information only. Consult a licensed provider before using any peptide.
Dose range
600 mcg – 3 mg

Diabetes: 0.6mg daily, titrate to 1.2-1.8mg. Obesity: titrate to 3.0mg daily over 4 weeks.

Administration routes
subcutaneous

Side effects & safety

From the FDA label
Source
acute kidney injuryback painconstipationdecreased appetitedehydrationdiarrheadizzinessdyspepsiaheadachehypoglycemianauseapancreatitispruritusrashurticariavomiting

Terms pulled directly from the referenced source. We don't fabricate frequencies — when a label doesn't publish a percentage, we don't either.

Contraindications
  • Personal/family history of MTC
  • MEN2 syndrome
  • Pregnancy

Interactions

No documented drug interactions on file.

Regulatory status

United States
FDA approved

FDA approved for type 2 diabetes (Victoza) and weight management (Saxenda)

Compounding
Not permitted

Not available via 503A/503B compounding pharmacies.

Regulatory data last verified 4/17/2026

Clinical trials

NCT06903923Bone Metabolism in Adolescents Undergoing GLP-1 Receptor Agonist TherapyRecruiting · Phase 2 · Obesity in Children · n=120NCT07027969Efficacy of Cardiometabolic Risk Factor Control Through Metabolic Surgery on Management and Severity of Atrial Fibrillation: METSAFE Randomized Clinical TrialNot Yet Recruiting · Phase 4 · Atrial Fibrillation · n=100NCT07225829A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Proof of Concept Trial to Investigate the Efficacy and Safety of Intra-articular 4P004 in Subjects With Knee Synovitis and OsteoarthritisRecruiting · Phase 2 · Knee Osteoarthritis · n=129NCT05390892PRECIDENTD: PREvention of CardIovascular and DiabEtic kidNey Disease in Type 2 DiabetesRecruiting · Phase 4 · Type2Diabetes · n=6000NCT02773355Timely Detection of Treatment Emergent Serious and Non-serious Adverse Events for Saxenda® in Mexican PatientsCompleted · Obesity · n=27NCT07107334A Pilot Study to Estimate Early Clinical Efficacy Signals of a Glucagon-like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonist (GLP-1RA) Administration in Conjunction With Levonorgestrel Intrauterine Device (LNG-IUD) in Obese Patients With Endometrioid Intraepithelial NeoplasiaRecruiting · Phase 2 · Endometrioid Endometrial Adenocarcinoma · n=20NCT06171152Examining the Utility of GLP-1 Agonists as Neuroprotective Agents Through a Pilot Clinical Trial in High Risk Population With Neurocognitive Deficits and ObesitySuspended · Phase 1 · Multiple Sclerosis · n=30NCT05925959Preoperative Weight Loss for Open Abdominal Wall ReconstructionRecruiting · N/A · Abdominal Wall Hernia · n=258NCT07301437A Real-world Study of Liraglutide Alone and in Combination With Orlistat for Weight Loss in Overweight/Obese Patients.Not Yet Recruiting · Phase 4 · Overweight and Obese Adults · n=120NCT03878706The Effect of GLP-1 Agonist, SGLT2 Inhibitor and Their Combination on Endothelial Function, Arterial Stiffness and Left Ventricular Deformation in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes With High Cardiovascular RiskRecruiting · Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 · n=240NCT05965908Effect of Liraglutide on Different Parameters (Clinical , Metabolic and Hormonal) in Obese Women With Polycystic Ovary SyndromeCompleted · Phase 3 · Polycystic Ovary · n=150NCT05681299Effects of Administration of Growth Hormone, Without and With Liraglutide, on AgRP, Energy and Glucose Metabolism in Healthy and GH Deficient HumansRecruiting · Phase 4 · Healthy · n=40

Showing 12 of 25 indexed studies. View all on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Citations

PMID 40429740Fu L, Sugiyama M et al. · Effects of Combination Treatment with Leptin and Liraglutide on Glucose Metabolism in Insulin-Dependent Diabetic Mice.International journal of molecular sciences (2025)HumanPMID 41025593Camino-Salvador JM, Rodríguez-Cuadrado FJ et al. · Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and hair loss: An emerging clinical concern.Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV (2025)PMID 40206909Patel JP, Hardaswani D et al. · Comparative Effectiveness of Semaglutide, Liraglutide, Orlistat, and Phentermine for Weight Loss in Obese Individuals: A Systematic Review.Cureus (2025)PMID 38717042Gleason PP, Urick BY et al. · Real-world persistence and adherence to glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists among obese commercially insured adults without diabetes.Journal of managed care & specialty pharmacy (2024)HumanPMID 38677445Hölscher C · Glucagon-like peptide-1 class drugs show clear protective effects in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease clinical trials: A revolution in the making?Neuropharmacology (2024)HumanPMID 38241775Long B, Pelletier J et al. · GLP-1 agonists: A review for emergency clinicians.The American journal of emergency medicine (2024)HumanPMID 37821008Watanabe JH, Kwon J et al. · Trends in glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist use, 2014 to 2022.Journal of the American Pharmacists Association : JAPhA (2024)HumanPMID 39192527Dejgaard TF, Frandsen CS et al. · Liraglutide enhances insulin secretion and prolongs the remission period in adults with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes (the NewLira study): A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.Diabetes, obesity & metabolism (2024)HumanPMID 38742021Tamayo-Trujillo R, Ruiz-Pozo VA et al. · Molecular mechanisms of semaglutide and liraglutide as a therapeutic option for obesity.Frontiers in nutrition (2024)HumanPMID 34852347Jensterle M, Janež A · Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists in the Treatment of Obesity.Hormone research in paediatrics (2023)HumanPMID 35975210Williams DM, Staff M et al. · Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Analogues for the Treatment of Obesity.TouchREVIEWS in endocrinology (2022)HumanPMID 32962477Lin L, Xu X et al. · Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist liraglutide therapy for psoriasis patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized-controlled trial.The Journal of dermatological treatment (2022)HumanPMID 35894080Maselli D, Atieh J et al. · Effects of liraglutide on gastrointestinal functions and weight in obesity: A randomized clinical and pharmacogenomic trial.Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) (2022)HumanPMID 36510488Xie Z, Yang S et al. · Efficacy and Safety of Liraglutide and Semaglutide on Weight Loss in People with Obesity or Overweight: A Systematic Review.Clinical epidemiology (2022)PMID 33466127Park JS, Kwon J et al. · Clinical effectiveness of liraglutide on weight loss in South Koreans: First real-world retrospective data on Saxenda in Asia.Medicine (2021)HumanPMID 31790314Lin CH, Shao L et al. · An evaluation of liraglutide including its efficacy and safety for the treatment of obesity.Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy (2020)HumanPMID 30270723Yang T, Cutshall BT et al. · Combined Insulin and GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: Simplifying Treatment or Adding Obstacles?Journal of pharmacy practice (2020)HumanPMID 30020885Camkurt MA, Lavagnino L et al. · Liraglutide for psychiatric disorders: clinical evidence and challenges.Hormone molecular biology and clinical investigation (2019)HumanPMID 26597252Jacobsen LV, Flint A et al. · Liraglutide in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics.Clinical pharmacokinetics (2017)HumanPMID 26497479Nuffer WA, Trujillo JM · Liraglutide: A New Option for the Treatment of Obesity.Pharmacotherapy (2016)Human

Showing 20 of 27 papers. View all on PubMed →