Liraglutide

What it means

Liraglutide has a half-life of about 13 hours, so it is injected once a day instead of once a week. It came before semaglutide and tirzepatide and helped prove that GLP-1 medicines could support weight loss.

Saxenda's label starts at 0.6 mg a day and raises the dose by 0.6 mg each week up to 3 mg. The label also says to stop Saxenda if a patient has not lost at least 4% of body weight after 16 weeks of treatment, since they are unlikely to benefit.

Average weight loss in liraglutide trials was smaller than in the later semaglutide and tirzepatide trials. Generic versions of liraglutide have become available in the US, which can change the cost picture. Daily dosing also means more injections to plan around.

Why it matters

Liraglutide is often a lower-cost or covered option, so it shows up in cost and comparison tools.