Semaglutide vs Liraglutide
Compare the research, key figures and safety notes.
How they differ
Both copy the same gut-hormone signal (GLP-1) and come from the same maker, but liraglutide is a daily shot and semaglutide a weekly one. The difference is how long each lasts: about half a day for liraglutide versus about a week for semaglutide. Both have been tested in people in their own weight trials (SCALE and STEP), and both are licensed medicines.
Side by side
| Measure | Semaglutide | Liraglutide |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Metabolic | Metabolic |
| Evidence | A · Human dose research | A · Human dose research |
| Route | Subcutaneous | Subcutaneous |
| Half-life | 168 h | 13 h |
| Typical vial | 3 / 5 / 10 mg | 6 mg |
| Research amount | 0.25–2.4 mg | 0.6–3 mg |
| Common schedule | Once a week | Every day |
| Cycle / break | Titrated | — |
| Studied for | Metabolism and weight | Metabolism and weight |
These amounts and schedules are figures discussed in research and community reports, shared for learning — not a recommendation and not medical advice. A step-by-step dosing schedule exists only where a human trial backs it; the evidence tier tells you which.
Decay curves, overlaid
Each line is scaled to that compound's own first dose, so the chart shows how each one builds up over time — not how the compounds' doses compare to one another, which these different molecules share no common unit for.