Liraglutide

✓Key benefits

📈What to expect

Based on community reports and published research. Individual results vary significantly.

💊Dosing protocols

Dosing information is sourced from published research and community protocols. This is not a recommendation. Consult a healthcare professional.

Overview

Liraglutide is a synthetic GLP-1 receptor agonist with 97% amino acid sequence homology to native human GLP-1. Developed by Novo Nordisk, it was approved as Victoza (1.8 mg) for type 2 diabetes in 2010 and as Saxenda (3.0 mg) for weight management in 2014. It has a half-life of approximately 13 hours, requiring once-daily injection. In the SCALE clinical trial programme, liraglutide 3.0 mg produced an average weight loss of 8% of body weight over 56 weeks. While semaglutide has since overtaken it in popularity, liraglutide remains widely prescribed and has the longest safety track record among GLP-1 agonists.

⚙️How it works

Binds to and activates the GLP-1 receptor, mimicking the effects of the natural incretin hormone GLP-1. In the pancreas, it stimulates glucose-dependent insulin secretion and suppresses glucagon release. In the brain, it acts on hypothalamic appetite centres to reduce hunger and increase satiety. It also slows gastric emptying, contributing to reduced food intake. The fatty acid side chain (palmitoyl) enables albumin binding, extending the half-life from 2 minutes (native GLP-1) to 13 hours.

⚡Side effects

📅Research history

Liraglutide vs semaglutide

Both are GLP-1 receptor agonists from Novo Nordisk, but semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) has largely replaced liraglutide due to its weekly dosing and greater weight loss (15% vs 8%). However, liraglutide offers advantages: daily dosing allows faster dose titration and quicker discontinuation if side effects occur, it has a longer post-market safety record (approved 2010 vs 2017), and generic versions are entering markets, reducing cost. For patients who cannot tolerate semaglutide's potency or prefer gradual dose control, liraglutide remains a strong option.

The LEADER cardiovascular trial

The LEADER trial (2016) enrolled 9,340 patients with type 2 diabetes and high cardiovascular risk. Liraglutide reduced the composite outcome of cardiovascular death, nonfatal heart attack, and nonfatal stroke by 13% compared to placebo. It was the first GLP-1 agonist to demonstrate cardiovascular benefit in a dedicated outcomes trial, fundamentally changing how GLP-1 agonists are prescribed - from glucose-lowering drugs to cardiovascular protective agents.

References

1. [1]Pi-Sunyer X, et al. 'A randomized, controlled trial of 3.0 mg of liraglutide in weight management (SCALE Obesity).' New England Journal of Medicine, 2015.
2. [2]Marso SP, et al. 'Liraglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes (LEADER).' New England Journal of Medicine, 2016.

Frequently asked questions

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