Section 01
What it's used for
Type 2 Diabetes (Approved)
Liraglutide is FDA-approved to control blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, under the name Victoza. In the LEADER trial, it cut major cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke, cardiovascular death) by 13%, a heart-protective benefit.
▸Clinical wording
FDA-approved for glycemic control. LEADER trial demonstrated 13% MACE reduction and cardiovascular benefit.
Obesity Treatment (Approved)
Liraglutide is FDA-approved at 3.0 mg per day, under the name Saxenda, for long-term weight management. In the SCALE trials, people lost about 8% of body weight, with other improvements in metabolic health measures.
▸Clinical wording
FDA-approved at 3.0 mg/day for chronic weight management. SCALE trials showed 8% body weight loss with improvements in metabolic parameters.
Fatty Liver Disease (NASH)
In the LEAN trial, liraglutide led to resolution of NASH, a form of fatty liver disease involving inflammation and fat buildup, seen on liver biopsy in 39% of patients, compared with only 9% of those given placebo.
▸Clinical wording
The LEAN trial demonstrated histological resolution of NASH in 39% of patients vs 9% placebo.
Cardiovascular Protection
The LEADER trial established that liraglutide is safe for the heart and provides a modest cardiovascular benefit in people with type 2 diabetes, which supported expanding its approved uses beyond blood-sugar control alone.
▸Clinical wording
LEADER trial established cardiovascular safety and modest benefit, leading to expanded indications.
Section 02
Mechanism of Action
Insulin, appetite and slower digestion
- The peptide switches on a gut-hormone receptor so the pancreas releases insulin when blood sugar rises.
- It also quiets the opposing hormone glucagon and calms hunger signals in the brain's appetite centre.
- The stomach empties more slowly, which prolongs the feeling of fullness after eating.
- A fatty tail sticks it to blood protein, shielding it from breakdown and slowing its release.
▸Clinical wording
GLP-1 Receptor Agonism
Liraglutide activates the GLP-1 receptor on pancreatic beta cells, stimulating glucose-dependent insulin secretion through cAMP/PKA and Epac2 signaling. It simultaneously suppresses glucagon from alpha cells. Central GLP-1R activation in the hypothalamus suppresses appetite through POMC neuron activation and NPY/AgRP inhibition. Delayed gastric emptying contributes to postprandial satiety.
The palmitic acid sidechain enables non-covalent albumin binding (~99% bound), protecting against DPP-4 degradation and renal clearance while maintaining a slow-release depot effect from the injection site.
Section 03
Biological Pathways
- GLP-1R/cAMP/PKA/CREB insulin axisGLP-1 receptor activation on beta cells raises cAMP, engaging PKA and Epac2 for glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, while CREB drives insulin gene transcription; PI3K/Akt supports beta cell survival.
- Central melanocortin appetite suppressionCentral GLP-1 receptor activation in the hypothalamus suppresses appetite through melanocortin-system POMC neuron activation together with inhibition of NPY/AgRP neurons.
- Delayed gastric emptying and satietyLiraglutide slows gastric emptying, a peripheral action that works alongside the central appetite signal, contributing directly to postprandial satiety after meals.
- GH/IGF-1-independent lipolysisSeparately from its central appetite effects, liraglutide also contributes to weight loss through lipolytic pathways that act independently of the GH/IGF-1 axis.
Section 04
Dosage Information
His-Ala-Glu-Gly-Thr-Phe-Thr-Ser-Asp-Val-Ser-Ser-Tyr-Leu-Glu-Gly-Gln-Ala-Ala-Lys(γ-Glu-palmitoyl)-Glu-Phe-Ile-Ala-Trp-Leu-Val-Arg-Gly-Arg| Route / system | Context | Range studied | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subcutaneous — diabetes label | FDA label, type 2 diabetes (Victoza), ages 10 and up | 0.6 mg once daily for a week, then 1.2 mg for at least another week, then a 1.8 mg ceiling — about 20–26 µg/kg a day there | 0.6 mg is a tolerability step the label says does not control glucose. The 1.8 mg ceiling follows the indication, not response; weight loss has its own label. |
| Subcutaneous — obesity label | FDA label, obesity (Saxenda), adults | 3 mg once daily, reached in fixed weekly steps — 0.6, 1.2, 1.8, 2.4, then 3 mg in week 5 — about 33–43 µg/kg a day at maintenance | Entry needed a BMI ≥30, or ≥27 with a weight-related illness, plus a reduced-calorie diet. If an adult cannot take 3 mg, the label says stop, not settle lower. |
| Subcutaneous — obesity label, children | FDA label, obesity, children 12 and over (Saxenda) | The same 3 mg a day, but the weekly steps may run up to 8 weeks and 2.4 mg is an accepted fallback; body weight must be above 60 kg | The only place the label allows maintenance below 3 mg, and only under 18. Below 60 kg the milligrams are not scaled down — those patients are excluded. |
| Subcutaneous — Alzheimer's trial | Phase 2b, mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease | 1.8 mg once daily for 52 weeks, reached from 0.6 mg over 4 weeks; 204 participants randomised 1:1 | A diabetes dose moved whole into another disease. Brain glucose uptake, the main measure, was missed (p = 0.14); one cognitive sub-score of many favoured it. |
Results
Syringe Fill Level (100u syringe)
Set positive values for: Recommended dose per kg.
Research Use Only. This information is for educational and research purposes only. Not intended for medical advice or self-medication.
Section 05
Protocols
No protocols featuring this peptide yet. Browse All Protocols
Section 06
Stability & Storage
Storing the product
Liraglutide pens (Victoza, Saxenda) are kept at 2–8 °C before first use. They are protected from light and from freezing.
After opening
Once a pen is first used, it can be kept at room temperature, up to 30 °C, or refrigerated, for up to 30 days. It stays protected from light and from freezing.
Section 07
Side Effects & Precautions
Reported effects of liraglutide range from common gastrointestinal reactions to rare but serious risks and interactions with other diabetes medicines.
Common GI side effects
Nausea (20-40%), vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation are the most common gastrointestinal side effects. They typically diminish over 4-8 weeks.
Injection site reactions
Injection site reactions occur in 2% of cases.
Pancreatitis and thyroid tumor warning
Pancreatitis risk is rare (<0.5%). A boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumors is based on rodent data.
Gallbladder events
Gallbladder events are associated with rapid weight loss.
Hypoglycemia with other diabetes drugs
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) risk increases with concurrent use of a sulfonylurea or insulin.
Section 08
Regulatory Status
It is not currently restricted by the World Anti-Doping Agency, despite the claim, repeated in older summaries, that it falls under WADA's S2 category.
FDA / United States
Approved for two indications
Victoza (1.2–1.8 mg) was approved in January 2010 to improve glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes; Saxenda (3 mg) followed on December 23, 2014, for chronic weight management in adults with obesity, or overweight plus a weight-related condition.
EMA / European Union
Approved under both brands
Victoza received an EU-wide marketing authorisation on June 30, 2009; Saxenda followed on March 23, 2015, with its authorisation later extended to adolescents aged 12 to 17 with obesity.
Generic competition
Available since 2024
Teva launched a generic Victoza in June 2024 and Hikma's version followed that December; Teva's generic Saxenda, cleared on August 28, 2025, was the first generic GLP-1 medicine approved specifically for weight loss.
WADA
Not on the Prohibited List
Liraglutide appears in neither the S2 (peptide hormones) nor the S4 (hormone and metabolic modulators) section of the 2026 Prohibited List, and it is absent from the 2026 Monitoring Program, which tracks only semaglutide and tirzepatide markers.
Regulatory status, generic availability and anti-doping rules change over time and differ by country — confirm the current position with your own regulator, or with your national anti-doping organisation, before relying on this summary.
Section 09
Research Studies
- [1]Potent Derivatives of Glucagon-like Peptide-1 with Pharmacokinetic Properties Suitable for Once Daily AdministrationKnudsen LB, Nielsen PF, Huusfeldt PO, et al. · Journal of Medicinal Chemistry · 2000
- [2]The Discovery and Development of Liraglutide and SemaglutideKnudsen LB, Lau J · Frontiers in Endocrinology · 2019
- [3]One week's treatment with the long-acting glucagon-like peptide 1 derivative liraglutide (NN2211) markedly improves 24-h glycemia and alpha- and beta-cell function and reduces endogenous glucose release in patients with type 2 diabetesDegn KB, Juhl CB, Sturis J, et al. · Diabetes · 2004
- [4]The arcuate nucleus mediates GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide-dependent weight lossSecher A, Jelsing J, Baquero AF, et al. · Journal of Clinical Investigation · 2014
- [5]Effects of the once-daily GLP-1 analog liraglutide on gastric emptying, glycemic parameters, appetite and energy metabolism in obese, non-diabetic adultsvan Can J, Sloth B, Jensen CB, et al. · International Journal of Obesity · 2014
- [6]Liraglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Type 2 DiabetesMarso SP, Daniels GH, Brown-Frandsen K, et al. · New England Journal of Medicine · 2016
- [7]A Randomized, Controlled Trial of 3.0 mg of Liraglutide in Weight ManagementPi-Sunyer X, Astrup A, Fujioka K, et al. · New England Journal of Medicine · 2015
- [8]Liraglutide safety and efficacy in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (LEAN): a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled phase 2 studyArmstrong MJ, Gaunt P, Aithal GP, et al. · The Lancet · 2016
Section 10
Frequently Asked Questions
No — liraglutide and semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) are related but distinct GLP-1 receptor agonist molecules, each independently engineered and approved. Liraglutide carries a fatty acid chain that binds albumin and gives it a half-life of about 13 hours, which is why it's dosed once daily as Victoza (diabetes) or Saxenda (weight management) rather than weekly.
In the pivotal SCALE obesity trials, the 3 mg dose of liraglutide (Saxenda) produced about 8% body weight reduction. That dose is reached gradually — the label schedule steps up weekly from 0.6 mg to 3 mg over about five weeks — so meaningful weight loss builds over the following months of treatment at the full dose, not within the titration period itself.
This isn't addressed in the trial data reviewed here — none of the pivotal Victoza or Saxenda trials followed patients after they stopped the drug to measure what happened to blood sugar or weight afterward. What's documented is what liraglutide does while being used: suppress appetite centrally, slow gastric emptying, and support insulin release; there's no published measurement in this record of how those effects unwind after discontinuation.
The most common effects are gastrointestinal — nausea in 20 to 40%, along with vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation, generally easing over 4 to 8 weeks. Rarer risks include pancreatitis (under 0.5%) and gallbladder events, the latter linked to rapid weight loss. The boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumours comes from rodent studies; whether that risk translates to humans has not been established, and it's the reason the drug carries that specific warning rather than a confirmed human finding.
This isn't addressed in the record reviewed here — the overview, approved indications and trial data available do not include any pregnancy safety information for liraglutide. The pivotal Victoza, Saxenda, LEADER and SCALE trials were conducted outside pregnancy, so no data from them speaks to this question either.
Liraglutide pens (Victoza, Saxenda) are kept refrigerated at 2–8 °C before first use, protected from light and freezing. Once a pen is in use, it can be kept at room temperature, up to 30 °C, or in the fridge, for up to 30 days, still shielded from light and freezing.
Yes, in two directions with different results. In the LEAN trial for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, 1.8 mg daily produced histological resolution of NASH in 39% of patients versus 9% on placebo. In a phase 2b Alzheimer's trial using the same 1.8 mg diabetes dose over 52 weeks in 204 people, the main measure — brain glucose uptake — was not significantly affected (p=0.14), though one of several cognitive sub-scores favoured the drug.