> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hi-doctor.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Victoza (liraglutide) — trial evidence and side effects
> Victoza is liraglutide, authorised in the EU for weight management since March 2015 under the name Saxenda. Trial data, side-effect rates and dosing.
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**.
## 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.
## 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.
## How it works
It copies the gut hormone GLP-1, which increases the feeling of fullness and reduces hunger and food cravings.
## 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. Everyone in the trial also received lifestyle counselling, people with type 2 diabetes were excluded, and the primary result covers 56 weeks only.
## What has been reported
Figures below are from the SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes trial, comparing liraglutide 3.0 mg with placebo.
| Reaction | Liraglutide 3.0 mg | Placebo |
| ------------------------------ | ------------------ | ------- |
| Nausea | 40.2% | 14.7% |
| Diarrhoea | 20.9% | 9.3% |
| Constipation | 20.0% | 8.7% |
| Vomiting | 16.3% | 4.1% |
| Serious adverse events overall | 6.2% | 5.0% |
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.
## Dosing
0.6 mg daily starting dose.
Step up through 1.2 mg, 1.8 mg and 2.4 mg as tolerated.
3 mg daily when appropriate.
Follow-up through the account chat.
## Who it is for
Adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more plus a weight-related illness.
## 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](/essentials/pricing) for what the consultation fee covers.
## 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)
## Related reading
* [Semaglutide (Ozempic) — indication and dosing](/library/medicines/ozempic)
* [Metabolic syndrome](/library/conditions/metabolic-syndrome)
* [Safety and eligibility](/essentials/safety)
## Start a 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](/essentials/pricing)
and [how the review works](/essentials/how-it-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.