Educational content only — this is not medical advice. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy, obtain, or use Liraglutide. Talk to a licensed clinician before making health decisions.
What it is
Liraglutide is a 31-amino-acid GLP-1 analogue with a palmitic-acid side chain that prolongs half-life to about 13 hours, allowing once-daily subcutaneous dosing. It activates the GLP-1 receptor to stimulate glucose-dependent insulin secretion, suppress glucagon, slow gastric emptying, and decrease appetite.
What the evidence shows
The SCALE obesity trial (NEJM 2015; 3,731 adults) reported mean weight loss of 8.0% with liraglutide 3.0 mg versus 2.6% with placebo at 56 weeks. The LEADER cardiovascular outcomes trial (NEJM 2016; 9,340 participants with type 2 diabetes and high cardiovascular risk) showed a 13% relative reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events with Victoza 1.8 mg. Liraglutide also reduces HbA1c by about 1.0–1.5 percentage points in type 2 diabetes.
Risks & unknowns
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation are common, especially during dose escalation. There is a boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors based on rodent findings; it is contraindicated in personal/family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN2. Pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, hypoglycemia with insulin/sulfonylureas, and injection-site reactions have been reported.
Legal / regulatory status
Liraglutide is FDA-approved as Victoza (1.2 mg and 1.8 mg) for type 2 diabetes and as Saxenda (3.0 mg) for chronic weight management. It is prescription-only.