Liraglutide for Weight Loss: How It Works, Side Effects, & More

If you’re looking into weight loss drugs, liraglutide has no doubt popped up. It’s a diabetes and weight loss medication sold under the brand names Victoza® and Saxenda®.

Read on for everything you need to know about liraglutide for weight loss, including how it works, how effective it is, and the side effects you need to know about.

Liraglutide is a GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonist. This class of medications includes Ozempic® and Wegovy®, among others.

It’s a daily injection that can help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar (glucose) and folks with excess weight and obesity lose weight.

Liraglutide is the active ingredient in a few medications:

• Victoza

• Saxenda

• Compounded liraglutide

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of those three liraglutide drugs.

Victoza

Victoza is a diabetes drug. It’s approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for:

• Adults and children 10 years and up with type 2 diabetes to help with blood sugar control

• Adults with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (like a heart attack or stroke)

Though it’s a diabetes drug, Victoza is also prescribed off-label for weight loss. This is when a drug is prescribed for something it doesn’t have FDA approval for.  

With Victoza, you’ll take a 1.2-milligram (mg) or 1.8-milligram daily dose of liraglutide.

Saxenda 

Saxenda is a weight loss drug. It’s approved by the FDA for:

• People with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more

• People with a BMI of 27 or more with a weight-related condition, like type 2 diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), or dyslipidemia (like high cholesterol)

• Children 12 and over with a body weight above 60 kilograms (132 pounds) and a BMI of at least 30

With Saxenda, you’d take a 3-milligram daily dose of liraglutide for weight loss.

Compounded Liraglutide

Compounded liraglutide contains the same active ingredient as Victoza and Saxenda, but it isn’t FDA-approved for diabetes or weight loss.

You may find it’s more affordable and available than brand-name versions. Victoza and Saxenda injections are currently in shortage and can cost over a thousand dollars each month.

Compounding pharmacies can make compounded liraglutide to help address the shortage. Doses can vary depending on patients’ needs.

As mentioned, liraglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist. GLP-1 drugs mimic the action of the GLP-1 hormone, which is made in the gut. In simple terms, this hormone triggers the release of insulin, which then lowers blood sugar levels.

GLP-1 drugs also slow gastric emptying (the speed food leaves your stomach). This reduces spikes in blood sugar and makes you feel fuller.

They also target areas of the brain involved in hunger. And some research suggests liraglutide can reduce food noise (ongoing mental chatter about food).

So, liraglutide can lead to:

• Reduced appetite

• More fullness

• Fewer cravings

• Less food noise

All this can help you stick to nutritious foods and portion sizes, which can promote weight loss.

Besides lowering blood sugar and promoting weight loss, GLP-1s can:

• Lower blood pressure

• Improve blood lipid disorder (cholesterol)

• Reduce fatty liver

GLP-1 receptor agonist meds might also reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in some cases.

Studies show that liraglutide can be an effective weight loss treatment. Here’s what we know.

First up, a 2016 review looked at five randomized, placebo-controlled trials of liraglutide for weight management. These trials included liraglutide at 1.2-milligram doses up to 3-milligram doses.

When used alongside diet and exercise adjustments, liraglutide consistently resulted in weight loss of about 8.8 to 13 pounds. In the trials, more participants taking liraglutide lost at least five to 10 percent of their weight compared to those taking a placebo.

The review concluded that liraglutide was effective for weight loss and weight maintenance for people with obesity, including those with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and sleep apnea.

Higher doses of liraglutide may be more effective than lower doses. A 2022 study found that four months of liraglutide treatment and lifestyle changes lead to losing roughly:

• 16 pounds on 1.2 milligrams of liraglutide

• 17 pounds on 1.8 milligrams of liraglutide

• 20 pounds on 2.4 milligrams of liraglutide

• 18 pounds on 3 milligrams of liraglutide

If you have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and excess weight or obesity, liraglutide might help. A 2014 study included 84 women with excess weight or obesity and PCOS. They took metformin and 1.8 milligrams of liraglutide for at least four weeks and experienced an average weight loss of about 20 pounds.

Finally, a 2021 study funded by Novo Nordisk (the manufacturer of Victoza and Saxenda) found that combining liraglutide and exercise led to more weight loss than either treatment alone. Indeed, liraglutide is typically prescribed alongside diet changes and increased physical activity.

There’s not a ton of research comparing weight loss drugs against each other. But the data we have shows that liraglutide may be more effective than orlistat (a weight loss pill sold under the brand name Xenical®).

But it may not be as effective as semaglutide (the active ingredient in drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and compounded semaglutide).

A 2024 study on almost 3,400 people with obesity found that semaglutide was more effective than liraglutide. The average percentage of body weight change from baseline (starting weight) to one year was:

• 5.1 percent with semaglutide

• 2.2 percent with liraglutide

A 2022 study found the dose matters, though. It looked at 23 randomized controlled trials that included more than 11,500 participants taking four doses of liraglutide and semaglutide.

In terms of weight loss, here’s how the four treatments ranked for effectiveness:

• 2.4 milligrams of semaglutide (most effective)

• 3 milligrams of liraglutide

• 1 milligram of semaglutide

• 1.8 milligrams of liraglutide (least effective)

Of course, everyone’s different. So which one is best for you depends on your needs, goals, and how your body reacts to different drugs.

The good news about liraglutide side effects is they’re mostly mild and should go away on their own with time. But everyone’s tolerability is different.

The most common side effects of liraglutide include:

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Constipation

• Diarrhea

• Dyspepsia (indigestion)

• Abdominal pain

• Fatigue

• Headache

• Dizziness

• Injection site reactions

• Fever

• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)

• Gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and intestine)

These side effects happened in five percent or more of people taking Saxenda in clinical trials. Side effects of Victoza are mostly gastrointestinal side effects.

Serious adverse effects are rare, but they’re worth knowing about. They can include:

• Acute pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)

• Acute gallbladder disease

• Renal impairment (kidney problems for those with nausea who already have kidney issues)

• Hypersensitivity reactions

• Suicidal behavior and ideation

Victoza and Saxenda also come with black box warnings from the FDA. Liraglutide has been shown to cause thyroid C-cell tumors in mice and rats. It’s unknown whether it causes thyroid cancer or tumors in humans.

Still, you shouldn’t take liraglutide if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or if you have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).

You also shouldn’t take liraglutide drugs if you’re allergic to any ingredients in the medication.

One more warning: Let your prescribing healthcare provider know if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or want to try for a baby soon. It’s unclear whether liraglutide is safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding, so you generally shouldn’t take it if you’re in this season of life.

Liraglutide injections appear to be safe for most people the drug is suitable for.

A 2015 study — funded by Novo Nordisk — included more than 3,700 participants who didn’t have type 2 diabetes. They had a BMI of 30 or more or 27 or more with hypertension or dyslipidemia. About 2,500 were assigned liraglutide treatment, and roughly 1,200 took a placebo for 56 weeks — over a year! Both groups made lifestyle adjustments.

At the end of the 56 weeks, the liraglutide group lost an average of 18.5 pounds, while the placebo group lost an average of around six pounds. But what about safety?

Reported side effects were mostly mild or moderate nausea or diarrhea. Serious events happened in 6.2 percent of those taking liraglutide, compared to five percent of those on a placebo.

As with any drug, there are side effects and risks you should know about (scroll up for those). A medical provider can let you know if liraglutide is suitable for you, taking into account your current health and medical history.

Your prescribing healthcare provider will let you know how to use liraglutide for weight loss, but here’s a general idea of how things go.

As you know, liraglutide is a daily injection. Victoza and Saxenda come in prefilled injection pens. Compounded liraglutide may come in a vial with medication you load into a syringe.

Whichever type of liraglutide you’re using, you’ll start by inspecting the solution to make sure it’s clear, colorless, and free of floating particles.

If you’re good to go, you’ll inject it into your stomach, thigh, or upper arm. It’s a subcutaneous injection, meaning the medication goes into your skin — not a muscle or vein.

It’s recommended to rotate the injection site each day to reduce the risk of bruising or cutaneous amyloidosis, which can show up as lumps under the skin.

When to Take Liraglutide 

You can inject liraglutide at any time of day, with or without meals. To make it a habit, it’s useful to inject it at the same time each day.

If you miss a dose of liraglutide, let it go (cue Elsa). Skip the missed dose and inject your next dose at your next scheduled injection time. Don’t take two doses at once or increase your dose to catch up — this can increase your risk of side effects.

Your healthcare provider will determine your liraglutide dosage for weight loss. Most people start on a low dose that slowly increases. This reduces the odds of side effects.

With Victoza, your dosing schedule may be:

• 0.6 milligrams daily for one week

• 1.2 milligrams daily for one week (or longer)

• 1.8 milligrams daily if needed after at least a week on 1.2 milligrams

The liraglutide dose for weight loss looks a little different.

With Saxenda, your dosing schedule may be:

• 0.6 milligrams daily for one week

• 1.2 milligrams daily for one week 

• 1.8 milligrams daily for one week 

• 2.4 milligrams daily for one week 

• 3 milligrams daily for ongoing treatment

If you experience troubling side effects, your healthcare provider may recommend staying on the lower dose for an additional week before increasing it.

With compounded liraglutide, your provider will work with you to find the best dosing schedule to minimize side effects and maximize efficacy.

The world of weight loss drugs can get confusing, especially when there are multiple drugs (and even multiple liraglutide brand names) to keep track of.

Here’s a cheat sheet on liraglutide for weight loss:

• Liraglutide is a diabetes and weight loss drug. It’s approved for diabetes under the brand name Victoza and for weight loss under the brand name Saxenda, which uses a higher dose of liraglutide. You can also find compounded liraglutide, which isn’t FDA-approved but contains the same active ingredient.

• It can decrease appetite and increase fullness. For weight loss, liraglutide works by reducing appetite, cravings, and food noise while increasing feelings of fullness. This can make healthy eating much easier.

• It’s a daily injection. You inject liraglutide daily, unlike other GLP-1 drugs — such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro® — that you inject weekly.

Want to dive deeper? We compare liraglutide versus semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy) and liraglutide versus tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound®) in our blogs.

And if you want a personalized recommendation, take our free online weight loss assessment. A licensed healthcare provider will go over your answers and let you know if you’re a good candidate for weight loss medication.