Liraglutide (Saxenda, Victoza)

Liraglutide is a once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist and a peptide drug: the same molecule marketed as Saxenda for weight management and as Victoza for type 2 diabetes. It is approved by the US FDA and the European Medicines Agency and registered with Vietnam's Drug Administration (DAV), so this page reports established label doses and the pivotal trials, not a personal protocol.

Last updated: September 2026

What is Liraglutide (Saxenda, Victoza)?

Liraglutide is an acylated human GLP-1 receptor agonist and a peptide drug, engineered to be 97 percent homologous to human GLP-1, with a molecular weight of 3751.2 Daltons (FDA labels; PubChem CID 16134956) and classified under WHO ATC code A10BJ02 (WHO ATC/DDD Index). It is the same molecule sold under two brand names, and it sits alongside the other GLP-1 compounds in our peptide library.

Unlike the research peptides on much of this site, liraglutide is a fully approved prescription medicine. The US FDA approved it as Victoza for type 2 diabetes in 2010 and as Saxenda for chronic weight management in 2014, the European Medicines Agency has authorised both, and generic liraglutide is now approved in the United States (FDA labels; EMA; openFDA). For the newer once-weekly GLP-1 options, see our GLP-1 and semaglutide guide.

In Vietnam liraglutide is registered with the Drug Administration of Vietnam and dispensed only on a doctor's prescription. In March 2025 the endocrinology and diabetes department of Bạch Mai Hospital told Báo Lào Cai that liraglutide (Saxenda) was then the only GLP-1 drug licensed for circulation in Vietnam, with semaglutide sold online still unlicensed. Vietnamese state media also warn about a grey market of unlicensed "hand-carried" pens sold on social media (DAV registry; Báo Lào Cai; VnExpress; Báo Sài Gòn Giải Phóng).

How It Works

GLP-1 receptor agonism: liraglutide binds and activates the GLP-1 receptor, raising intracellular cyclic AMP and prompting glucose-dependent insulin release, so insulin secretion subsides as blood glucose approaches normal (Victoza US prescribing information).

Glucagon and gastric emptying: it lowers glucagon secretion in a glucose-dependent way and slows gastric emptying, which the label ties to its effect on blood glucose (Victoza US prescribing information).

Appetite and calorie intake: the Saxenda label states liraglutide lowers body weight through decreased calorie intake and does not increase 24-hour energy expenditure, and in animal studies the drug reaches appetite-regulating brain regions including the hypothalamus (Saxenda US prescribing information).

Built to last in the body: with 97 percent homology to human GLP-1, an added C-16 fatty acid and glutamic acid spacer, and resistance to the DPP-4 enzyme, liraglutide has a plasma half-life of about 13 hours, which is why it is dosed once daily (Victoza US prescribing information).

Benefits

Chronic weight management with Saxenda: in SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes, liraglutide 3.0 mg produced a mean loss of 8.4 kg versus 2.8 kg on placebo at 56 weeks, with 63.2 percent losing at least 5 percent of body weight (trial dose and result, not a recommendation, PMID 26132939)
Weight loss in type 2 diabetes: 6.0 percent (6.4 kg) with liraglutide 3.0 mg versus 2.0 percent on placebo at 56 weeks in SCALE Diabetes (trial dose and result, not a recommendation, PMID 26284720)
Glycemic control in type 2 diabetes: Victoza 1.8 mg lowered HbA1c by roughly 1.0 to 1.5 percent across the LEAD registration trials, including 1.14 percent as monotherapy in LEAD-3 (trial dose and result, not a recommendation, PMID 18819705)
Reduced major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes and high cardiovascular risk: 13.0 percent versus 14.9 percent on placebo, hazard ratio 0.87, in the LEADER trial (trial result, PMID 27295427)
Delayed onset of type 2 diabetes in adults with prediabetes: over 160 weeks the hazard ratio for diabetes onset was 0.21 with liraglutide 3.0 mg versus placebo (trial dose and result, not a recommendation, PMID 28237263)
Greater HbA1c lowering than twice-daily exenatide: liraglutide 1.8 mg cut HbA1c 1.12 percent versus 0.79 percent in LEAD-6 (trial dose and result, not a recommendation, PMID 19515413)
Glycemic control in children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes: HbA1c fell an estimated 1.06 percentage points more than placebo at 26 weeks in the Ellipse trial (trial result, PMID 31034184)
Weight management in children 6 to under 12 with obesity: the percentage change in BMI differed from placebo by an estimated 7.4 percentage points at 56 weeks in SCALE Kids (trial result, PMID 39258838)

Dosing Described in Research and Labels

Phase	Dose	Frequency	Duration
Victoza, type 2 diabetes (FDA label)	0.6 mg for 1 week, then 1.2 mg, then up to 1.8 mg (FDA label dosage, not a recommendation)	Subcutaneous once daily, abdomen, thigh or upper arm	The label states 0.6 mg is for titration only and is not effective for glycemic control in adults (Victoza US prescribing information)
Saxenda, chronic weight management, adults (FDA label)	0.6, 1.2, 1.8, 2.4 then 3 mg over 5 weeks (FDA label dosage, not a recommendation)	Subcutaneous once daily, abdomen, thigh or upper arm	Maintenance 3 mg daily; label directs stopping if under 4 percent of baseline weight is lost by week 16 (Saxenda US prescribing information)
Saxenda, adolescents 12 years and older (FDA label)	Escalated to 3 mg, or 2.4 mg if 3 mg is not tolerated (FDA label dosage, not a recommendation)	Subcutaneous once daily; escalation may take up to 8 weeks	Label directs stopping if BMI has not fallen at least 1 percent after 12 weeks on the maintenance dose (Saxenda US prescribing information)
Trial: SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes, adults without diabetes	3.0 mg (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 26132939)	Subcutaneous once daily, escalated from 0.6 mg, with lifestyle counseling	56 weeks, n=3731 randomized 2:1 to liraglutide or placebo (PMID 26132939)
Trial: SCALE Diabetes, adults with type 2 diabetes	3.0 mg and 1.8 mg arms (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 26284720)	Subcutaneous once daily on a 500 kcal per day deficit diet	56 weeks, n=846 randomized 2:1:1 (PMID 26284720)
Trial: phase 2 dose-ranging that set the 3 mg dose, adults with obesity	1.2, 1.8, 2.4 or 3.0 mg (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 19853906)	Subcutaneous once daily on a 500 kcal per day deficit diet	20 weeks, n=564 at 19 European sites (PMID 19853906)

These figures summarise what published research and approved labels describe. They are educational, not a recommendation or a personal protocol. Any dose, schedule, or decision to use a compound belongs with a licensed prescriber.

Side Effects

Common

⚠Nausea, reported by 39.3 percent on Saxenda versus 13.8 percent on placebo in the pooled adult trials (Saxenda US label)
⚠Diarrhea (20.9 versus 9.9 percent) and constipation (19.4 versus 8.5 percent) (Saxenda US label)
⚠Vomiting (15.7 versus 3.9 percent) and dyspepsia (9.6 versus 2.7 percent) (Saxenda US label)
⚠Injection site reactions (13.9 versus 10.5 percent) and headache (13.6 versus 12.6 percent) (Saxenda US label)
⚠A mean rise in resting heart rate of about 2 to 3 beats per minute (Saxenda US label)

Rare

•Boxed warning: liraglutide caused thyroid C-cell tumors in rats and mice; whether it causes them in humans, including medullary thyroid carcinoma, is unknown (US labels)
•Acute pancreatitis, including hemorrhagic or necrotizing cases; adjudicated in 0.3 percent of Saxenda adults versus 0.1 percent on placebo (Saxenda US label)
•Gallbladder disease: cholelithiasis in 2.2 percent versus 0.8 percent on placebo, with most affected patients requiring cholecystectomy (Saxenda US label)
•Postmarketing reports of acute kidney injury sometimes requiring hemodialysis, and of serious hypersensitivity including anaphylaxis and angioedema (Saxenda US label)
•Hypoglycemia, especially when combined with a sulfonylurea or insulin (US labels)
•Note: in a January 2026 Drug Safety Communication the FDA requested removal of the earlier suicidal behavior and ideation warning from GLP-1 labels, and the Saxenda label removed that subsection in February 2026 (FDA Drug Safety Communication; Saxenda US label)

Who Should NOT Use Liraglutide (Saxenda, Victoza)

✕Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma, or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (boxed contraindication, Saxenda and Victoza US labels)
✕A prior serious hypersensitivity reaction to liraglutide or to any excipient in the product (US labels)
✕Pregnancy: the label says weight loss offers no benefit in pregnancy and may cause fetal harm, and directs discontinuing Saxenda when a pregnancy is recognized (Saxenda US label)
✕Use with another GLP-1 receptor agonist or another liraglutide-containing product is not recommended (US labels)
✕Victoza should not be used in type 1 diabetes, and neither product is recommended in severe gastroparesis (US labels)

What to Expect

Week 1

The label starts everyone at the lowest dose to reduce gastrointestinal reactions. For Victoza the label states plainly that the 0.6 mg starting dose is for titration only and is not effective for glycemic control in adults (Victoza US prescribing information).

Weeks 2 to 5

Saxenda is escalated 0.6, 1.2, 1.8, 2.4 then 3 mg over five weeks and Victoza to a maximum of 1.8 mg (US prescribing information), and the Saxenda label says to consider delaying escalation by about a week if a dose is not tolerated (Saxenda US prescribing information).

Week 12 to 16

The US Saxenda label directs stopping at 16 weeks if the patient has not lost at least 4 percent of baseline body weight, while the Vietnamese product information carried by Long Châu uses a 12 week, 5 percent rule for the same drug (Saxenda US label; Long Châu).

Week 56

The pivotal trials measured outcomes at 56 weeks: in SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes, liraglutide 3.0 mg produced a mean loss of 8.4 kg versus 2.8 kg on placebo, with 63.2 percent losing at least 5 percent of body weight (trial dose and result, not a recommendation, PMID 26132939).

After stopping

Published reviews report that weight is regained after GLP-1 receptor agonists are stopped: a 2025 meta-analysis pooled a 2.20 kg regain after liraglutide (systematic review, PMID 40186344).

Notes from Ho Chi Minh City

In Ho Chi Minh City the GLP-1 conversation is mostly about Saxenda, because it is the weight-management pen the Ministry of Health has actually licensed. VnExpress dates that licensing to March 2021, initially for type 2 diabetes, and in March 2025 the endocrinology and diabetes department of Bạch Mai Hospital told Báo Lào Cai that liraglutide (Saxenda) was then the only GLP-1 drug approved for circulation in Vietnam, with semaglutide sold online still unlicensed. These pens are real prescription medicine, registered with the Drug Administration of Vietnam and priced accordingly: Novo Nordisk's declared wholesale price for Saxenda is 1,338,120 VND per pen (DAV, filed 2026-05-14). The risk locals actually run is the grey market. Sài Gòn Giải Phóng described "hand-carried" Japanese weight-loss pens sold on social media, and the UK regulator seized 369 potentially falsified Ozempic pens and confirmed falsified Saxenda and Ozempic pens filled with insulin, with some recipients hospitalised. One more practical note: Novo Nordisk has decided to discontinue Saxenda, with last shipments in late January 2027, a portfolio decision it says is not about safety or quality. Dose, route, and whether to use it at all are decisions for a licensed prescriber.

Sourcing in Vietnam

Liraglutide is not a grey-market research peptide in Vietnam, it is a registered prescription medicine. The Drug Administration of Vietnam lists Saxenda under registration number 570410090923 and Victoza under 570410305624, neither of which appears on the DAV published non-prescription list, and the Vietnamese label text carried by Long Châu states the medicine is used only on a doctor's order (DAV registry; DAV non-prescription list; Long Châu), and Pharmacity separately lists Victoza as a prescription item. Declared wholesale prices filed with the DAV are 1,338,120 VND per Saxenda pen (Novo Nordisk Vietnam, 2026-05-14) and 927,754 VND per Victoza pen (DKSH Pharma Vietnam, 2025-07-30); Long Châu lists Saxenda but shows no price, displaying only a note that the product needs pharmacist consultation (DAV price database; Long Châu). One practical difference to know: the US Saxenda label tells prescribers to stop at 16 weeks if under 4 percent of baseline weight is lost, while the Vietnamese product information carried by Long Châu uses a 12 week, 5 percent rule for the same drug. Finally, Novo Nordisk has decided to discontinue Saxenda: the FDA shortage database marks it To Be Discontinued and available until January 2027, and Novo Nordisk states the decision is strategic and not related to safety or quality (FDA drug shortages database; Novo Nordisk).

FAQ

Q: Is liraglutide FDA approved?

A: Yes. The US FDA approved liraglutide as Victoza for type 2 diabetes in 2010 and as Saxenda for chronic weight management in 2014, the European Medicines Agency has authorised both, and it is registered with the Drug Administration of Vietnam. It is a prescription medicine, not a research compound (FDA labels; EMA; DAV registry).

Q: What is the difference between Saxenda and Victoza?

A: They are the same molecule, liraglutide, at different maximum doses and for different uses. Victoza is titrated up to 1.8 mg once daily for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk reduction, while Saxenda is titrated to 3 mg once daily for weight management. The Ministry of Health newspaper in Vietnam notes both contain liraglutide, at 3 mg and 1.8 mg respectively (FDA labels; Sức khỏe và Đời sống).

Q: How does liraglutide compare with semaglutide and tirzepatide?

A: All three are GLP-1 based, but they are different molecules. In the only head-to-head phase 3 weight trial, STEP 8, liraglutide 3.0 mg produced a 6.4 percent weight loss versus 15.8 percent for once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg at 68 weeks (trial dose and result, not a recommendation, PMID 35015037), and no clinical trial directly compares liraglutide with tirzepatide, so those rankings are indirect (network meta-analysis, PMID 41820778). See our GLP-1 and semaglutide guide for the newer options.

Q: Is liraglutide available in Vietnam, and does it need a prescription?

A: Yes and yes. The Drug Administration of Vietnam registers Saxenda under number 570410090923 and Victoza under 570410305624, and both are prescription only: the Vietnamese label text states the medicine is dispensed only on a physician prescription. Long Châu lists Saxenda without a price, showing only a pharmacist consultation note. Note that Novo Nordisk plans to discontinue Saxenda, with supply expected until January 2027 (DAV registry; Long Châu; FDA drug shortages database; Novo Nordisk).

Q: What are the main side effects and warnings?

A: The most common are gastrointestinal: in the pooled Saxenda adult trials nausea affected 39.3 percent versus 13.8 percent on placebo (Saxenda US label). Liraglutide also carries a boxed warning because it caused thyroid C-cell tumors in rats and mice; whether it does so in humans is unknown, and it is contraindicated in people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (US labels). This is not medical advice.

Availability and Legal Status in Vietnam

Liraglutide is a registered prescription medicine in Vietnam, dispensed by licensed pharmacies only on a doctor's prescription. For how the GLP-1 category is regulated and priced locally, see our guides.

GLP-1 and Semaglutide in Vietnam Peptide Library

Related Peptides

Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy)Tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound)Peptide Library

Research & Sources

SAXENDA (liraglutide) injection, US prescribing information · US FDA, NDA 206321 (2026) Link
Full prescribing information, revised 02/2026 (SUPPL-24). Source for the Saxenda dose escalation, weight-management trial results, boxed warning, contraindications and adult side-effect table.
VICTOZA (liraglutide) injection, US prescribing information · US FDA, NDA 022341 (2025) Link
Full prescribing information, revised 10/2025 (SUPPL-46). Source for the Victoza dose, indications, mechanism and the LEADER 1.8 mg dose.
Saxenda and Victoza, European Medicines Agency EPAR · European Medicines Agency (2026) Link
EU marketing authorisation: Victoza on 30 June 2009, Saxenda on 23 March 2015. Lists the most common side effects as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation.
US FDA applications for generic liraglutide (Drugs@FDA, openFDA) · US FDA / openFDA (2026)
Eight approved ANDAs for generic liraglutide alongside the Victoza and Saxenda NDAs.
ATC/DDD Index entry A10BJ02, liraglutide · WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (2026) Link
Classifies liraglutide under GLP-1 analogues, defined daily dose 1.5 mg by the parenteral route.
Liraglutide, PubChem Compound CID 16134956 · PubChem, NCBI (2026) Link
Molecular formula C172H265N43O51, molecular weight 3751; drug classes include GLP-1 agonists and incretins.
A Randomized, Controlled Trial of 3.0 mg of Liraglutide in Weight Management · N Engl J Med (SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes) (2015) (PMID: 26132939)
Efficacy of Liraglutide for Weight Loss Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: The SCALE Diabetes Randomized Clinical Trial · JAMA (2015) (PMID: 26284720)
3 years of liraglutide versus placebo for type 2 diabetes risk reduction and weight management in individuals with prediabetes · Lancet (2017) (PMID: 28237263)
Liraglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes · N Engl J Med (LEADER) (2016) (PMID: 27295427)
The abstract reports MACE 13.0 percent versus 14.9 percent, hazard ratio 0.87, but does not state the dose; the 1.8 mg figure comes from the Victoza label.
Liraglutide versus glimepiride monotherapy for type 2 diabetes (LEAD-3 Mono) · Lancet (2009) (PMID: 18819705)
Liraglutide once a day versus exenatide twice a day for type 2 diabetes (LEAD-6) · Lancet (2009) (PMID: 19515413)
Liraglutide in Children and Adolescents with Type 2 Diabetes (Ellipse) · N Engl J Med (2019) (PMID: 31034184)
Liraglutide for Children 6 to <12 Years of Age with Obesity (SCALE Kids) · N Engl J Med (2025) (PMID: 39258838)
Effects of liraglutide in the treatment of obesity: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study · Lancet (phase 2 dose-ranging) (2009) (PMID: 19853906)
Effect of Weekly Subcutaneous Semaglutide vs Daily Liraglutide on Body Weight in Adults With Overweight or Obesity Without Diabetes: The STEP 8 Randomized Clinical Trial · JAMA (2022) (PMID: 35015037)
Comparison of Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Tirzepatide, Liraglutide and Semaglutide in Patients with Obesity and Without T2D · Adv Ther (Bayesian network meta-analysis) (2026) (PMID: 41820778)
States plainly that no clinical trials directly compare tirzepatide and liraglutide, so those comparisons are indirect.
Discontinuing glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and body habitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis · Obes Rev (2025) (PMID: 40186344)
Pooled a 2.20 kg weight regain after stopping liraglutide.
FDA requests removal of Suicidal Behavior and Ideation warning from GLP-1 receptor agonist medications · US FDA Drug Safety Communication (2026) Link
Liraglutide injection shortage and discontinuation records · openFDA drug shortages database (2026)
Saxenda listed as To Be Discontinued, product available until discontinuation in January 2027.
Saxenda (liraglutide) injection, Novo Nordisk product site · Novo Nordisk (2026) Link
Carries the discontinuation notice: last shipments to wholesalers in late January 2027, a decision not the result of safety or quality concerns.
Ozempic (semaglutide) and Saxenda (liraglutide): vigilance required due to potentially harmful falsified products · MHRA Drug Safety Update, November 2023 (2023) Link
MHRA seized 369 potentially falsified Ozempic pens; falsified Saxenda and Ozempic pens were confirmed filled with insulin, with some recipients hospitalised.
Public drug-registration database, Cục Quản lý Dược (Drug Administration of Vietnam) · Bộ Y Tế (2026) Link
Saxenda số đăng ký 570410090923; Victoza 570410305624. Registry searches return only three liraglutide products.
Declared drug-price database (công bố giá thuốc), Cục Quản lý Dược · Bộ Y Tế (2026) Link
Saxenda 1,338,120 VND per pen (filed 2026-05-14); Victoza 927,754 VND per pen (filed 2025-07-30).
Dung dịch tiêm Saxenda 6mg/ml Novo Nordisk, product page · Nhà thuốc FPT Long Châu (2026) Link
Prescription-only listing with no price shown; carries the EU-style 12 week, 5 percent stopping rule.
Bút tiêm Victoza 6mg/ml, product page · Pharmacity (2026) Link
Lists Victoza as a prescription item requiring pharmacist consultation.
Sử dụng bút tiêm giảm cân: Đừng để tiền mất, tật mang · Báo Lào Cai (2025) Link
Bạch Mai Hospital: liraglutide (Saxenda) was then the only GLP-1 drug licensed for circulation in Vietnam.
Ma trận bút giảm cân thần kỳ · VnExpress (2026) Link
Dates Vietnamese licensing of the liraglutide pen to March 2021, initially for type 2 diabetes.
Cảnh báo về loại bút tiêm giảm cân · Báo Sài Gòn Giải Phóng (2026) Link
Describes hand-carried grey-market weight-loss pens sold on social media and stresses that use must follow a doctor prescription.
Thêm một loại thuốc giảm cân được cho phép sử dụng · Sức khỏe và Đời sống (Bộ Y Tế) (n.d.) Link
Ministry of Health newspaper: Saxenda and Victoza contain the same active ingredient, liraglutide, at 3 mg and 1.8 mg.

Important Disclaimer

Educational content only, not medical advice. Liraglutide (Saxenda, Victoza) is a prescription medicine: it is approved by the US FDA and the European Medicines Agency and is registered with the Drug Administration of Vietnam (DAV) under the Ministry of Health (Bộ Y Tế) for use only on a licensed prescription. This page describes what published research and the approved labels report; it is not a recommendation to start, stop, or dose any medicine. Consult a licensed physician.