Saxenda is the weight-management branded version of liraglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist originally developed by Novo Nordisk. FDA-approved for chronic weight management in 2014 in adults, and in 2020 extended to adolescents aged 12–17 with obesity — making it the first GLP-1 medication approved for pediatric weight management.
Unlike Ozempic and Wegovy which use semaglutide (injected once weekly), Saxenda uses liraglutide and is injected once daily. The molecule has a shorter half-life than semaglutide, requiring daily dosing to maintain therapeutic levels. While generally producing somewhat less weight loss than newer semaglutide and tirzepatide medications, Saxenda has an extensive long-term safety record — having been on the market since 2014 with millions of patient-years of data.
Saxenda is titrated from 0.6mg to a target maintenance dose of 3mg over 5 weeks — a faster titration than weekly GLP-1 medications. In clinical trials, patients on 3mg liraglutide lost an average of 5–8% of body weight over 56 weeks, with the greatest results seen in patients who combined the medication with a reduced-calorie diet and exercise program.
