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Liraglutide is a medicine given as an injection under the skin once a day. Like semaglutide, it copies the natural gut hormone GLP-1, which tells the brain enough food has been eaten, so hunger and food cravings go down. For weight management in the EU it is sold as Saxenda, used together with a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity.
Active ingredient: liraglutide. Dosages: 0.6 – 3 mg / day.

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What it is

Victoza contains the active ingredient liraglutide. It has been authorised for use in the EU since 23 March 2015. Victoza is centrally authorised and its EU authorisation remains in force — it contains the same active substance as Saxenda but is authorised for type 2 diabetes rather than weight management, and at lower doses. The Spanish medicines agency currently records all Victoza presentations as authorised but not marketed, so availability varies by country.

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What it’s used for

Type 2 diabetes that is not sufficiently controlled in adults, adolescents and children aged 10 and over, alongside diet and exercise — either on its own when metformin is unsuitable, or combined with other diabetes medicines.

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How it works

Liraglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist. It activates GLP-1 receptors on neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus and brainstem — regions that integrate signals of energy balance and appetite. The downstream effect is increased release of anorexigenic (appetite-suppressing) neuropeptides and reduced release of orexigenic (appetite-stimulating) signals, which together lower hunger and food intake. It also slows gastric emptying, which contributes to earlier satiety. Liraglutide prompts insulin secretion only when blood glucose is raised, so it carries a low risk of hypoglycaemia in people without diabetes.

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What the studies reported

The SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes trial (N Engl J Med 2015;373(1):11-22; ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01272219) is the evidence behind liraglutide 3.0 mg for weight management. The trial was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group design conducted at 191 sites in 27 countries. A total of 3,731 participants without type 2 diabetes were assigned in a 2:1 ratio to liraglutide 3.0 mg (n=2,487) or placebo (n=1,244), with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity in both groups. The coprimary end points were the change in body weight and the proportions of participants losing at least 5% and more than 10% of initial body weight, at 56 weeks. Participants with prediabetes at screening continued on a 160-week extension to assess whether liraglutide delayed the onset of type 2 diabetes — the 56-week primary result therefore covers weight only. Key exclusion criteria included type 1 or type 2 diabetes, medications affecting body weight, previous bariatric surgery, a history of pancreatitis, major depressive or other severe psychiatric disorders, and a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN 2). The trial did not follow weight after treatment stopped, so no data are available on longer-term maintenance when liraglutide is discontinued.

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What has been reported

Figures below are from the SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes trial, comparing liraglutide 3.0 mg with placebo.
Acute gallstone events were reported by 2.3% on liraglutide 3.0 mg versus 0.9% on placebo across the EMA weight-management trial pool, mainly gallstones (1.5% versus 0.5%).
Independently confirmed in 7 people (0.2%) on liraglutide 3.0 mg versus 1 person (under 0.1%) on placebo across the EMA weight-management trial pool.

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Dosing

1

Week 1

0.6 mg daily starting dose.
2

Following weeks

Step up through 1.2 mg, 1.8 mg and 2.4 mg as tolerated.
3

Maintenance

3 mg daily when appropriate.
4

Ongoing

Follow-up through the account chat.

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Who it is for

Adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more plus a weight-related illness.

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Contraindications explained by mechanism

Liraglutide is contraindicated in people with a personal or family history of MTC or MEN 2 because GLP-1 receptor agonism can stimulate C-cell proliferation in the thyroid, and preclinical studies in rodents showed an increased incidence of C-cell tumours. Although the clinical relevance in humans remains uncertain, the EMA SmPC lists this as a contraindication. It is also contraindicated during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and in people with severe renal impairment (eGFR below 30 mL/min/1.73 m²) because liraglutide is eliminated via the renal route — accumulation in reduced clearance states has not been studied. In hepatic impairment, no dose adjustment is needed for mild to moderate impairment, but data in severe impairment (Child-Pugh C) are absent, so liraglutide is not recommended in that group.

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How Hi-Doctor handles it

A doctor may prescribe liraglutide if BMI and history match the indications, with required follow-up. Medication is paid separately at a pharmacy; see pricing for what the consultation fee covers.

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Sources

  • EMA EPAR — Saxenda (liraglutide)
  • EMA public assessment report — Saxenda (EMA/143005/2015)
  • SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes — N Engl J Med 2015;373(1):11-22
  • ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT01272219 (SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes)

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Start a consultation

Weight-loss consultation

Answer the weight-loss questionnaire and a registered doctor reviews it. They decide whether treatment is appropriate, which one, and at what dose — and declining is a normal outcome. See what it costs and how the review works.
This page is reference information, not medical advice and not a prescription. Whether a medicine is appropriate for you is decided by a registered doctor after reviewing your consultation.