Liraglutide
Liraglutide (GLP-1 receptor agonist)
Also known as: Victoza, Saxenda
A once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist and the first GLP-1 approved specifically for obesity, with proven cardiovascular benefit.
Overview
Liraglutide shares its mechanism with semaglutide but requires daily dosing due to a shorter half-life. It is approved as Victoza for type 2 diabetes and Saxenda for chronic weight management, and it demonstrated cardiovascular risk reduction in the LEADER trial. It remains an important clinical benchmark within the GLP-1 class.
Mechanism of action
Activates the GLP-1 receptor to increase glucose-dependent insulin secretion, suppress glucagon, slow gastric emptying, and reduce appetite.
Key studies & citations
- Human2016
Liraglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes (LEADER)
9,340 patients with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk, median 3.8 years: primary MACE in 13.0% on liraglutide vs 14.9% on placebo (HR 0.87, a 13% relative reduction; P=0.01 for superiority).
New England Journal of Medicine - Human2015
A Randomized, Controlled Trial of 3.0 mg of Liraglutide in Weight Management (SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes)
3,731 adults without diabetes: mean weight loss of 8.4 kg with liraglutide 3.0 mg vs 2.8 kg with placebo at 56 weeks; 63.2% vs 27.1% lost at least 5%. Basis of the Saxenda obesity approval.
New England Journal of Medicine
Frequently asked questions
How is liraglutide different from semaglutide?
Both are GLP-1 agonists, but liraglutide is dosed daily while semaglutide is weekly. Semaglutide generally produces greater average weight loss in trials.