What Is Liraglutide?
Liraglutide is a prescription glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist used for type 2 diabetes (Victoza) and chronic weight management (Saxenda). It is a once-daily injectable peptide that mimics the incretin hormone GLP-1, enhancing glucose-dependent insulin secretion, slowing gastric emptying, and reducing appetite. It is a prescription drug, not a dietary supplement, and this entry is for reference only. As one of the earlier GLP-1 agonists, its efficacy and safety are supported by large phase 3 randomised trials.
Evidence
In the phase 3 SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 3,731 adults without diabetes, once-daily 3.0 mg subcutaneous liraglutide plus lifestyle intervention produced a mean weight loss of about 8.4 kg (≈8%) over 56 weeks, versus about 2.8 kg with placebo 1Reference 1RCTA Randomized, Controlled Trial of 3.0 mg of Liraglutide in Weight Management — randomised controlled trial (SCALE)View study →. Its GLP-1 receptor-agonist mechanism — improving glycaemic control and reducing appetite — is well established in the diabetes and obesity literature; the broader LEAD (diabetes) and cardiovascular-outcome (LEADER) programmes were not individually retrieved and verified in this quick pass and should be added in a full pass. Common adverse effects reported in trials are gastrointestinal (nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea). Note that newer once-weekly agents (semaglutide, tirzepatide) have generally shown larger weight-loss effects.
Dosage & Safety
Liraglutide is a prescription medicine dosed and titrated by a clinician (escalated to up to 3.0 mg once daily by subcutaneous injection for weight management 1Reference 1RCTA Randomized, Controlled Trial of 3.0 mg of Liraglutide in Weight Management — randomised controlled trial (SCALE)View study →; lower doses are used for diabetes); the figures here are informational, not a recommendation, and it must not be self-sourced or self-dosed. It carries a boxed warning regarding thyroid C-cell tumours observed in rodents and is contraindicated in people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2; pancreatitis, gallbladder events, and hypoglycaemia (especially with insulin/sulfonylureas) have also been reported. Because it is a prescription drug and not an approved dietary supplement, full contraindication, interaction, and pregnancy details are outside the scope of this stub and should be confirmed against the official label in a full pass. Informational only.
References
- Pi-Sunyer X, et al. (2015). A Randomized, Controlled Trial of 3.0 mg of Liraglutide in Weight Management — randomised controlled trial (SCALE). N Engl J Med, 373:11–22. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26132939/