GLP-1 and metabolic medicine

Saxenda

Also called: liraglutide weight loss, liraglutide 3 mg

Saxenda is the brand name Novo Nordisk uses for liraglutide injections at a 3 mg daily dose, licensed for weight loss. It was the first GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for weight management. Most prescribers have shifted to weekly options like Wegovy and Mounjaro because daily injections are inconvenient and Saxenda produces less weight loss in trials.

What Saxenda is

Saxenda is liraglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist taken as a daily injection. The same molecule is sold as Victoza at 1.8 mg daily for type 2 diabetes. Saxenda goes up to 3 mg daily and is licensed for weight management in adults with a BMI of at least 30, or 27 with a weight-related health condition.

How it compares to Wegovy and Mounjaro

  • Average weight loss at 56 weeks: about 8 percent on Saxenda 3 mg, against 15 percent on Wegovy at 68 weeks and 22 percent on tirzepatide.
  • Schedule: daily injection on Saxenda, weekly on Wegovy and Mounjaro.
  • Side effects are similar (nausea, constipation, reflux) but daily peaks make Saxenda nausea more variable across the day.
  • Cost: usually similar per month, but Saxenda needs many more pens because of the daily schedule.

Why it's still prescribed

Saxenda has the longest post-launch safety record of any GLP-1 weight-loss drug. It is sometimes preferred when a clinician wants the option to escalate or back down quickly (because the half-life is shorter than weekly drugs) or when supply of weekly options has been disrupted. Some patients also tolerate the daily ramp better than the weekly peak and trough.

Side effects

  • Nausea: very common in the first 4 to 8 weeks.
  • Constipation: common, gut transit slows.
  • Diarrhoea: common in a smaller subset.
  • Reflux and burping.
  • Injection-site reactions are common because of daily injecting.
  • Rare but serious: pancreatitis, gallstones, severe gastroparesis.

Common questions

Saxenda vs Wegovy: which is better?
Wegovy produces more weight loss on average and is a weekly injection rather than daily. Most prescribers default to Wegovy unless there's a specific reason to choose Saxenda (supply, taper flexibility, individual tolerance).
Is Saxenda available on the NHS?
Limited. NICE TA664 recommends liraglutide for weight management only in adults with BMI 35 or over plus pre-diabetes, accessed through specialist services. Most UK Saxenda use is private.
Why is it daily instead of weekly?
Liraglutide has a half-life of about 13 hours. To keep blood levels in range, you have to dose it every day. Semaglutide and tirzepatide have half-lives long enough to dose weekly.
Can I switch from Saxenda to Wegovy?
Yes, with medical supervision. Most clinicians stop Saxenda for a few days, then start Wegovy at the lowest dose and titrate up. Direct dose conversions don't exist because the molecules are different.

Sources