Liraglutide_Dosage, benefits & legal status
Also known as Victoza, Saxenda
A daily version of the Ozempic-style shot for weight loss and blood sugar.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
What is Liraglutide?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
What it's used for
A daily version of the same appetite-lowering approach as Ozempic-style drugs, used for weight loss and blood sugar. It is older and a bit milder than the weekly options.
How does Liraglutide work?
What it does in the body, and where.Liraglutide works on the same receptor as semaglutide. The difference is how long it lasts, which is why it is a daily injection rather than a weekly one.
- 01It docks at the GLP-1 receptorSame fullness signal, same slowed stomach emptying, same effect on blood sugar after eating.
- 02It clears from your body within a dayThe fatty-acid anchor that keeps it circulating is shorter than semaglutide's, so the effect fades and has to be renewed daily.
- 03Daily dosing changes the experience, not the mechanismSome people tolerate a smaller daily dose better than one large weekly one; others find the injection schedule harder to keep.
What else is it used for?
Each use below carries its own evidence level. Approved means regulators have cleared it for that purpose. Investigational means it is in trials. Early research means it is being studied and is not established.
- Controlling blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetesFDA-approved
- Lowering the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart-related death in adults with type 2 diabetes who already have heart diseaseFDA-approved
The published record
Papers and trials about Liraglutide
Searched: Liraglutide, Victoza, Saxenda.
340 papers tagged human · 174 not reviews or lab · 67 clinical trial publications
515 registered trials · 30 with posted results
Furthest stage reached: Approved in the US
Counted from Europe PMC indexing, not read by a person; a human tag can land on reviews, commentary or lab papers; clinical trial publications is the narrower count. 500 papers and 100 trials indexed in detail.
At a glance
Four things to know about Liraglutide
Evidence
FDA-approved
Category
Weight loss and metabolic
Common vial
5 mg
Half-life
About 13 hours
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.0.6 up to 3 mg per day (start low, increase slowly), daily. Not cycled FDA label
A daily drug taken continuously. Weight returned after withdrawal in the trials.
About 13 hoursFDA label
Same molecule and same figure for Saxenda, which is liraglutide at a higher dose for weight management.
Source: Victoza label section 12.3
You can compare this against the whole library to see where it sits.
How do I dose and price it?
Enter your vial and your dose. Pick a mix. We show the draw and the cost.The vial holds a fixed amount of drug. Adding more water does not make more drug, it just spreads it thinner, so you draw a bigger number on the syringe for the same dose.
Choose your mix
Measuring the water1 mL = one full 100-unit syringe.
Liraglutide starts at $51.00 across 3 vendors, typically $10.20 – $20.33 per mg.
3 listings, last read Oct 24, 2026. Shipping and card fees are not included.
How do you store it?
Before mixing, and after.Fridge before first use. Room temperature is fine once in use.
Sealed pens live in the fridge. Once you start a pen it can stay at room temperature for the in-use window on the label (often about 4 to 6 weeks depending on the product). Keep it out of light, do not freeze it, and toss it if it has been frozen or left hot.
What are the side effects and cautions?
Known cautions and warnings for this compound.Solubility, computed: 29% charged residues, 39% hydrophobic. Water usually sufficient.
A first-pass rule from peptide manufacturers' guidance. It does not account for disulfide bridges, salt form or how the powder was dried, and it predicts what should be easy rather than what will happen in your vial.
Who should avoid it
- A personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, or the genetic condition MEN 2
- Pregnancy, or trying to become pregnant
- A history of pancreatitis
Stop and get help
- Severe stomach pain that spreads to your back
- A lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, or trouble swallowing
- Signs of an allergic reaction
Common effects
- Nausea and vomiting, especially early on
- Diarrhea and constipation
- Headache
- Injection-site reactions
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is Liraglutide approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.Yes. Liraglutide is FDA approved and available on prescription in the United States.
- Approval statusFDA-approved
- RouteUnder the skin (subcutaneous)
- Checked22 July 2026
- DoseFrom the drug label. The manufacturer tested this range and a regulator reviewed it.
- Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
- Sources
What has happened recently
In January 2026 the FDA asked that the warning about suicidal thoughts and behavior be removed from the obesity versions of this drug family after a review found no increased risk. Labels were updated in February 2026.
You can compare this against the whole library, or read how to check a seller.
What else is like Liraglutide?
Others in GLP-1 agonists, side by side.If you're weighing Liraglutide, it's worth reading NA-931, MariTide (maridebart cafraglutide), and UBT251 in the same class.
A daily version of the Ozempic-style shot for weight loss and blood sugar.
- Dose
- 0.6 up to 3 mg per day (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- Daily
An experimental daily obesity capsule that has also become one of the most-faked names in the supply chain.
- Dose
- Up to 150 mg once daily in the phase 2 trial
- How often
- Daily
An experimental once-a-month obesity shot.
- Dose
- 140 up to 420 mg per month (trial doses)
- How often
- Monthly
A weekly triple agonist of the GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptors from China's United Laboratories, licensed to Novo Nordisk. In a 24-week phase 2, weight fell 13.6% to 19.7% against 2.0% on placebo.
- Dose
- 2 to 6 mg per week (phase 2 trial)
- How often
- Once weekly
Compared with
In STEP 8, semaglutide produced more weight loss than liraglutide; liraglutide offers generic availability and daily dosing.
Read comparison →One receptor, then two, then three, and the numbers climb with them. Only two of the three steps have a head to head behind them.
Read comparison →Guides for this compound
- How to Reconstitute a Peptide
Mix peptide powder with bacteriostatic water, step by step.
- How to Read an Insulin Syringe
Read the units, convert to millilitres, and draw the exact dose.
- mcg vs mg: The Peptide Dosing Mistake to Avoid
Your vial says mg and your protocol says mcg. Here is the conversion and how to check it.
- Semaglutide vs Tirzepatide vs Retatrutide
One receptor, two, or three. Mechanism, trial weight loss, side effects, and real cost.
Sources
- FDA prescribing information, Victoza(2023)Current FDA label.
- Pharmacy Times, cardiovascular indication approval(2017)LEADER trial supported approval for cardiovascular risk reduction.
Beyond these, 600 records are indexed. Browse the records