Liraglutide
Also called Victoza, Saxenda, NN2211
What to know about Liraglutide
Liraglutide is a once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist with large randomized trials and licensed formulations for specific uses.
- How it may work
- GLP-1 receptor activation increases glucose-dependent insulin release, lowers glucagon when glucose is elevated, slows gastric emptying, and affects appetite signalling.
- What research found
- In the 56-week SCALE trial, 3,731 adults were randomized; average weight change was -8.4 kg with liraglutide 3.0 mg and -2.8 kg with placebo, alongside lifestyle support.
- What is not settled
- Gastrointestinal events are common. Licensed labels contain contraindications, warnings, titration instructions, and monitoring information.
- Research and product status
- Liraglutide has licensed U.S. products for specific uses. Brand, dose, and labelled purpose matter.
Research reference
- Research amount range
- 0.6–3 mg per administration — not a starting amount
- Reference frequency
- Every day — catalogue input, not a personal schedule
- Evidence route
- Subcutaneous in the cited evidence; formulation matters. Sites and rotation
- Model accumulation timescale
- ~2.7 days — about five half-lives with regular repeated exposure; not time to a result
- Storage
- Storage and in-use limits depend on the exact formulation and packaging. A compound name alone cannot establish temperature, diluent, or shelf life. Details
A research and community reference, not medical advice. Figures are descriptive, vary between sources, and are not a recommendation for use.
When results may show
- When change was measured
- The SCALE obesity study measured the principal body-weight outcome at 56 weeks after gradual escalation. The evidence therefore describes a long course, not a first-day or first-week promise.
- When to assess
- The current product label contains a specific post-escalation response checkpoint for the relevant formulation and population. Early appetite change alone is not the same as the studied outcome.
- Conditions and limitations
- The pivotal study included diet and activity support. No special time of day is required, but the licensed formulation, gradual escalation, and studied population matter.
- When to stop
- Follow the current formulation's label and prescriber-defined checkpoint; do not transfer a stopping rule between adult, adolescent, or differently branded products. Severe or persistent effects need prompt review.
Research timing is descriptive, not a promise or personal instruction. A severe or persistent reaction needs prompt clinical review. This is not medical advice.
Key properties
- Formula
- C172H265N43O51
- Mol. weight
- 3,751.26 Da
- CAS
- 204656-20-2
- PubChem CID
- 16134956
External references
Vial arithmetic
Published research contexts for Liraglutide describe 0.6–3 mg per administration. Descriptive only, not a recommendation.
Research schedule reference
Reported schedule context for Liraglutide; not a plan to start or adjust personal use.
These are commonly-discussed research protocols shared for educational reference. Study amounts apply to the source's population, formulation, and oversight; they do not establish personal suitability. This is not medical advice and is not a substitute for guidance from a qualified professional.
| Phase | Amount | Frequency | Route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1Starting step to limit gastrointestinal effects; stepped up weekly. | 0.6 mg | Once daily | SubQ |
| Week 2 | 1.2 mg | Once daily | SubQ |
| Week 3 | 1.8 mg | Once daily | SubQ |
| Week 4 | 2.4 mg | Once daily | SubQ |
| Week 5+Highest step reported in SCALE; reached only as tolerated. | 3.0 mg | Once daily | SubQ |
Modelled level — every day
1× is the peak after a single dose.
- Steady-state peak
- 1.39× single dose
- Time to steady state
- 2.7days
- Administrations
- 7/ week
Read off the modelled curve, not an even-interval formula
About five half-lives
Where these numbers come from
- SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes (Pi-Sunyer X et al., NEJM 2015;373:11)A GLP-1 receptor agonist; once-daily liraglutide escalated by weekly 0.6 mg steps to 3.0 mg for weight management in adults with obesity.