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Using GLP-1s

Saxenda

A brand of liraglutide, a daily-injection GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for chronic weight management and made by Novo Nordisk. A generic version has been sold in the US since August 2025.

By the glp1.how editorial teamReviewed

Saxenda is the brand name for liraglutide when it is prescribed for chronic weight management. It is a GLP-1 receptor agonist made by Novo Nordisk and is given as a once-daily subcutaneous injection (Saxenda prescribing information (external link)).

The same medication is sold as Victoza at lower doses for type 2 diabetes. As of September 2026 there are US generics of both: the first generic of Saxenda was approved and launched in August 2025 (Teva (external link)), and generic Victoza has been available since December 2024.

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Revision history

Updated 1 time since Jul 18, 2026 · show changes
  1. v2

    Summary rewritten; Body revised

  2. v1

    Change tracking began

Related guides

  • Liraglutide (Victoza and Saxenda): how the daily GLP-1 differs · Liraglutide (Victoza for diabetes, Saxenda for weight) was the first GLP-1 approved for weight management. It's a daily injection with a half-life of about 13 hours and generally more modest weight loss than the weekly drugs. What makes it different, and why some people still choose it.
  • Restarting a GLP-1 after a missed stretch: what each drug's label says about re-titration · Missed a few weeks of Wegovy, Zepbound, Ozempic, Trulicity, Saxenda, or a GLP-1 pill? Only four labels spell out when to restart at a lower dose: Wegovy injection after 2 missed weekly doses, Saxenda and Victoza after more than 3 days, and Foundayo after 7 missed daily doses. The rest are silent on long gaps. This by-drug reference separates what each label says from what's left to your prescriber, and explains why going straight back to your old dose is risky.
  • Every key GLP-1 clinical trial: what it tested, who paid for it, and what it found · STEP 1, SURMOUNT-4, SELECT, LEADER: GLP-1 trial names get quoted everywhere, usually without context. This reference page lists 205 named, completed GLP-1 trials in one place, grouped by drug and by question, with what each one tested, who sponsored it, its headline result, and a link to the published paper. It also lists the trials that finished but have not reported, and shows who paid for the research.
  • Can you boost GLP-1 naturally? How food and lifestyle compare to the medications · You can raise your own GLP-1 with protein, fermentable fiber, and exercise, and that part is real. What doesn't hold up is the implied equivalence with the medications. This guide covers what nudges your natural GLP-1, why your body clears it in minutes while the drugs hold it for a week, and why "natural boosting" works as a foundation for treatment and can't replace it.
  • How GLP-1 medications work, in plain language · Semaglutide and tirzepatide copy hormones your gut already makes after a meal. This guide explains what those hormones do, why the medications quiet hunger and 'food noise,' what the second hormone in tirzepatide adds, and how the same signal that cuts appetite can also cause nausea.
  • Understanding your specific drug's dose ladder · Semaglutide, tirzepatide, dulaglutide, liraglutide and orforglipron each have their own titration ladder, with different starting doses, step sizes and timing. A side-by-side table of the injections and pills, and why you should confirm your own schedule with your prescriber.

Related terms

  • Receptor agonist · A drug that binds to and activates a specific receptor, mimicking the effect of the body's natural hormone.
  • Liraglutide · A first-generation GLP-1 receptor agonist taken as a daily injection, sold as Victoza for type 2 diabetes and Saxenda for weight management, and now also as a US generic.
  • GLP-1 · A gut hormone (glucagon-like peptide-1) that stimulates insulin release, slows digestion, and reduces appetite; the target of drugs like semaglutide and liraglutide.
  • Novo Nordisk · A Danish pharmaceutical company that makes semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and liraglutide (Victoza, Saxenda), among other medications.
  • Victoza · A brand of liraglutide, a daily-injection GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for type 2 diabetes and made by Novo Nordisk.

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