Liraglutide

No. Victoza is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, a modified form of the gut hormone GLP-1 that shares 97% of its amino-acid sequence. It prompts the pancreas to release insulin when blood sugar is high, lowers glucagon and slows stomach emptying. It can be used with insulin, but low blood sugar is more likely, and the label says not to mix the two in one injection. One product does combine them: Xultophy 100/3.6 contains insulin degludec and liraglutide, for adults with type 2 diabetes.

Same medicine, same strength (18 mg in 3 mL), different approved uses. Victoza is for type 2 diabetes and, in adults who also have heart disease, to lower heart risk; its pen delivers 0.6, 1.2 or 1.8 mg. Saxenda is for long-term weight management; its pen delivers 0.6 mg up to 3 mg. Both labels say not to use it with another liraglutide product, and the Saxenda label also says not to use it with any other GLP-1 receptor agonist. See injection sites and rotation, and follow your prescriber.

Victoza is approved for type 2 diabetes, not for weight management. Saxenda is the liraglutide product approved for long-term weight management, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more activity. In a 26-week trial on the Victoza label, adults with type 2 diabetes lost 2.7 to 3.3 kg on average with Victoza, compared with 0.8 kg with sitagliptin. In Saxenda’s 56-week trial in adults without diabetes, average weight change was −7.4% with Saxenda and −3.0% with placebo. Your prescriber decides which medicine, if any, suits you.

The most common side effects on the labels are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, indigestion and decreased appetite. In Victoza’s diabetes trials, nausea affected 18% to 20% of adults on liraglutide, compared with 5% on placebo. Less common but serious risks include pancreatitis, gallbladder problems, kidney injury from dehydration and severe allergic reactions. The label says to stop and call your healthcare provider right away if you have severe stomach pain that will not go away, with or without vomiting.

About 13 hours, according to the Victoza and Saxenda labels, which is why it is injected once a day. Blood levels peak about 8 to 12 hours after an injection. Natural GLP-1 lasts only 1.5 to 2 minutes, because the enzymes DPP-4 and NEP break it down quickly; liraglutide resists those enzymes and binds to proteins in the blood, so it lasts much longer.

Yes. The FDA approved the first generic referencing Victoza on December 23, 2024, and the first generic referencing Saxenda on August 27, 2025. The first generic referencing Victoza holds 18 mg in 3 mL, like the brand. Liraglutide injection is still on the FDA shortage list, and Novo Nordisk reports the Saxenda 5-pen pack will be available until it is discontinued in January 2027. Compounded liraglutide is not FDA-approved, and the FDA does not review compounded drugs for safety, effectiveness or quality.