Evidence Grade A — Regulatory approved. 5402 published studies. 509 registered clinical trials.
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Liraglutide is a once-daily injectable GLP-1 medication sold as Victoza for type 2 diabetes and as Saxenda for weight management. It was one of the first GLP-1 treatments to prove that this drug class can reduce heart attacks and strokes in people with diabetes — a landmark finding from the LEADER trial. While newer GLP-1 medications now deliver significantly more weight loss, liraglutide has over a decade of real-world safety data.
Liraglutide is also known by these brand and alternate names:
5,402 published studies: 3273 human, 797 animal, 349 in-vitro, 1518 reviews
Liraglutide is marketed as Victoza for type 2 diabetes (approved 2010) and Saxenda for weight management (approved 2014). The LEADER trial, involving over 9,300 patients followed for nearly four years, established that liraglutide reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events by 13% — a landmark finding that helped establish GLP-1 treatments as a class with heart benefits. Saxenda is also approved for adolescents aged 12 and older.
While historically significant, liraglutide has been substantially surpassed by newer agents. In a direct comparison, semaglutide achieved 15.8% weight loss compared to liraglutide's 6.4%. Liraglutide remains relevant as a lower-intensity option and as a benchmark against which newer treatments are measured. It has over a decade of real-world safety data, making it one of the best-understood medications in this class.
Like semaglutide, liraglutide works by mimicking GLP-1, the natural hormone that helps control blood sugar and appetite after eating. It stimulates insulin release when blood sugar is elevated, suppresses the hormone that raises blood sugar, slows stomach emptying, and reduces appetite through the brain. The key difference from newer treatments like semaglutide is that liraglutide's molecular design gives it a shorter duration of action, requiring daily rather than weekly injections.
The LEADER trial, following over 9,300 patients for nearly four years, established that liraglutide reduces major cardiovascular events by 13%. This was a pivotal moment that helped redefine GLP-1 treatments as more than just blood sugar medications. Saxenda's approval for weight management and subsequently for adolescents aged 12 and older expanded the drug's reach beyond diabetes. However, liraglutide has been significantly surpassed in efficacy. In a direct comparison trial, semaglutide produced 15.8% weight loss versus liraglutide's 6.4%. Tirzepatide has shown even larger effects. The daily injection requirement also compares unfavourably to semaglutide's weekly dosing. Liraglutide carries the class-wide thyroid tumour boxed warning (based on animal studies) and risks including pancreatitis and gallbladder disease. It remains relevant as a lower-intensity option, as a benchmark for clinical research, and for its uniquely extensive long-term safety data.
PeptideTrace tracks 509 registered clinical trials for Liraglutide sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov.
Metabolic Surgery for Atrial Fibrillation Elimination
TP04HN106 in the Treatment of Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
RWS of of Liraglutide Alone and in Combination With Orlistat for Weight Loss in Overweight/Obese Patients.
A Study to Estimate Early Clinical Efficacy Signals of GLP-1 Agonist Administration in Conjunction With Levonorgestrel Intrauterine Device in Obese Patients With Endometrioid Intraepithelial Neoplasia
The Evira Study: Additional Support During Obesity Treatment
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Liraglutide is an acylated human GLP-1 analogue with 97% homology to native GLP-1. It differs by a Lys34 substitution (replacing Arg34) and a C16 palmitic acid chain attached at Lys26 via a glutamic acid spacer. Its molecular weight is 3,751 Da, and the acylation provides a half-life of approximately 13 hours, enabling once-daily subcutaneous dosing.
Liraglutide activates the GLP-1 receptor via the same Gs/cAMP/PKA pathway as native GLP-1, producing glucose-dependent insulin secretion, glucagon suppression, delayed gastric emptying, and central appetite suppression. The C16 palmitic acid chain promotes self-association at the injection site and non-covalent albumin binding in the circulation, slowing absorption and renal clearance. Unlike semaglutide's C18 diacid chain, the shorter C16 chain results in lower albumin binding affinity, contributing to liraglutide's shorter half-life and need for daily dosing.
Liraglutide is marketed as Victoza (type 2 diabetes, approved January 25, 2010) and Saxenda (chronic weight management, approved December 23, 2014). In the SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes trial (N=3,731), liraglutide 3.0 mg achieved 8.0% mean weight loss versus 2.6% with placebo over 56 weeks, with 63.2% of patients losing ≥5% body weight versus 27.1%. The LEADER trial (N=9,340; median follow-up 3.8 years) demonstrated cardiovascular superiority with a 13% reduction in 3-point MACE (HR 0.87; 95% CI 0.78–0.97; P=0.01) and a secondary renal composite benefit (HR 0.78). In a head-to-head comparison (STEP 8), semaglutide 2.4 mg was substantially more effective for weight loss (15.8% vs 6.4%).
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Semaglutide is one of the most extensively studied peptide medications available today, with clinical trial data spanning over 50,000 patients. It is sold as Ozempic for type 2 diabetes (approved 2017), Rybelsus as an oral tablet for diabetes (approved 2019), and Wegovy for weight management (approved 2021). Wegovy has since received additional approvals for reducing heart attack and stroke risk, for use in adolescents aged 12 and older, and for liver disease related to obesity. In clinical trials, patients taking Wegovy lost an average of 14.9% of their body weight over 68 weeks, and the SELECT trial demonstrated a 20% reduction in major cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke. Research is now exploring its potential in early Alzheimer's disease. The main side effects are gastrointestinal, particularly nausea, and a key limitation is that most weight tends to return after stopping treatment.
Bimagrumab is in Phase II/III development (not yet approved). A Phase II trial (75 patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity) showed 20.5% fat mass reduction with 3.6% lean mass increase — essentially reshaping body composition without net appetite suppression. The BELIEVE Phase IIb trial (507 patients) showed that bimagrumab plus semaglutide achieved 22% weight loss with the weight lost being 88% fat — significantly better body composition than semaglutide alone. Bimagrumab is not a peptide. Its strategic significance is as a combination partner to address the muscle loss problem inherent in weight loss with current obesity drugs. Eli Lilly's acquisition positions it alongside tirzepatide.
Pemvidutide is in Phase II/III development (not yet approved). In the MOMENTUM Phase II trial (391 patients, 48 weeks), the 2.4 mg dose achieved 15.6% weight loss. Body composition analysis showed 78% of weight lost was fat mass, with only 22% lean mass — a favourable ratio. A Phase IIb MASH trial (212 patients) showed MASH resolution in up to 75% of patients at the highest dose. Pemvidutide's balanced receptor profile and no-titration dosing regimen represent potential practical advantages. The high rate of MASH resolution in Phase II positions it as a candidate for liver disease indications alongside obesity.
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