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Liraglutide: Saxenda, Victoza, Trial Results and Shortages
Liraglutide is FDA-approved as Saxenda and Victoza. What SCALE and LEADER found, the boxed warning, the shortage list by product, and compounded versions.
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Quick facts
Fact sheet
- U.S. status
- Strongest evidence
- Human trials
- Status verified
Liraglutide has hard-outcome trials behind it, two brand names with different uses, and a shortage status that depends on the product.
Key takeaways
- Liraglutide is FDA-approved. It is sold as Saxenda (weight management) and Victoza (type 2 diabetes), each for the uses on its own label. FDA has also approved generic versions.
- The evidence is strong for weight and for heart events in a specific group. In the SCALE trial, adults without diabetes lost more weight than on placebo. In LEADER, people with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk had fewer major cardiovascular events.
- It did not reduce knee pain in the one trial we found. The trial tested people who had already lost weight on a diet.
- It carries a boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors seen in rodents. Relevance to humans has not been determined.
- Liraglutide remains on FDA’s drug shortage list, but status differs by product. FDA lists Victoza and Saxenda with limited availability and several generic versions as available.
- Compounded liraglutide is not FDA-approved. A generic is approved by FDA; a compounded product is not a generic.
Is liraglutide FDA-approved, and for what?
Yes. One active ingredient is approved under two brand names with different indications. Liraglutide is also one of the two active ingredients in Xultophy 100/3.6, a combination with insulin degludec for type 2 diabetes, which this guide does not cover. Brand names are used here only to identify the approved products.
| Product | What the label says it is for | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Saxenda | Reducing weight and keeping it off in adults with obesity, in adults with overweight plus a weight-related condition, and in children 12 and older who weigh more than 60 kg and have obesity. The label says safety has not been established in children with type 2 diabetes | Saxenda label, rev. 06/2026 |
| Victoza | Blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes in people 10 and older; fewer major cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease | Victoza label, rev. 10/2025 |
Saxenda and Victoza are not interchangeable: they have different indications. FDA has also approved generic liraglutide products, some with the weight-management indication and some with the type 2 diabetes indication, which you can see by searching Drugs@FDA. Dosing is set by each label and your prescriber. This guide does not give doses.
What did the major trials find?
| Trial | Who | Result | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCALE | 3,731 adults with obesity, or overweight plus a weight-related condition, and no type 2 diabetes; 56 weeks | Weight −8.4 kg vs −2.8 kg on placebo (difference −5.6 kg). Lost at least 5% of body weight: 63.2% vs 27.1%. Serious adverse events: 6.2% vs 5.0% | Weight loss in the group the Saxenda label covers |
| LEADER | 9,340 people with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk | Major cardiovascular events 13.0% vs 14.9% in the comparison group; hazard ratio 0.87 (95% CI 0.78–0.97) | Fewer heart events in people with type 2 diabetes at high risk |
All figures come from the trial abstracts. We did not read the full papers.
How strong is each result?
Both are randomized trials, and LEADER measured heart events rather than a lab value. We rate liraglutide’s evidence for weight and for cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes as strong. That strength applies to those groups. The SCALE population did not have type 2 diabetes, and LEADER’s did.
What about knee pain and muscle?
- Knee osteoarthritis. In a randomized trial of 156 people who had first lost weight on a diet, weight was lower on liraglutide than on placebo after 52 weeks, but knee pain did not differ. Because everyone had already lost weight, the result may not apply to people starting from a higher weight. See our guide to peptides for joint pain.
- Lean mass. In a 2026 meta-analysis, lean mass was 26.8% of the weight lost with liraglutide, against 26.2% with diet and exercise. We read that review’s abstract only. Lean mass is not the same as muscle. See what the data show on GLP-1 muscle loss.
How does it fit with semaglutide and tirzepatide?
Liraglutide is a GLP-1 drug, like semaglutide, and its trials were run in different people at different times from theirs. Numbers from separate trials cannot be lined up as a comparison. For the newer drugs, see our guides to semaglutide and tirzepatide.
Is liraglutide in shortage?
Liraglutide remains on FDA’s drug shortage list, but the list carries it as separate entries, and their statuses differ. As of Nov. 4, 2026, the entries we read showed:
| Product | Status on FDA’s list |
|---|---|
| Victoza | Current, limited availability (updated Sept. 22, 2026) |
| Saxenda | Current, limited availability (updated Sept. 22, 2026); the same product code also appears as “to be discontinued” (Aug. 25, 2026) |
| Liraglutide without a brand name, listed under Novo Nordisk | Current, available (updated Sept. 22, 2026) |
| Generic liraglutide from two other manufacturers | Current, available (updated Aug. 27 and Oct. 14, 2026) |
| One other generic presentation | To be discontinued (updated May 14, 2026) |
What that means for a reader:
- There is no single yes or no. FDA lists the brand-name products with limited availability and several generic versions as available.
- Ask your pharmacist about your specific product. The list tells you the status of a presentation, not what is on a given shelf.
- A shortage listing does not make a substitute equivalent. Saxenda and Victoza have different indications, and a compounded product is different from an approved generic.
Is compounded liraglutide the same as Saxenda or Victoza?
No. Compounded versions are not FDA-approved. FDA does not review compounded drugs for safety, effectiveness or quality before they are marketed, and FDA says a compounded product should not be described as a generic or as the same as an approved drug. A generic liraglutide product, by contrast, is approved by FDA.
- On May 1, 2026, FDA proposed not including liraglutide on its 503B bulk substances list. We found no final rule as of Nov. 4, 2026.
- Apart from that proposal, we did not find an FDA statement on compounded liraglutide by name, and we did not check whether any is offered. We therefore do not say whether compounding it is currently permitted.
For the general rules on compounded GLP-1 drugs, see what FDA says about compounded GLP-1 drugs. That guide is written about semaglutide and tirzepatide.
What are the risks?
From the Saxenda label:
- Boxed warning: risk of thyroid C-cell tumors. It is contraindicated in people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or with MEN 2. The tumors were seen in rodents; whether the risk applies to humans has not been determined.
- Warnings: pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, low blood sugar, increased heart rate, kidney injury from fluid loss, severe gastrointestinal reactions, hypersensitivity, and lung aspiration during general anesthesia or deep sedation.
- Combining: the label says using it with other liraglutide-containing products or with any other GLP-1 drug is not recommended.
- Suicidal behavior and ideation: this warning was removed from the label in February 2026.
We did not review other adverse events beyond the label and the trial abstracts above. In SCALE, serious adverse events were reported in 6.2% of people on liraglutide and 5.0% on placebo.
Which claims are not supported?
- “Saxenda and Victoza are interchangeable.” They have different indications.
- “Generic liraglutide is the same as any compounded version.” FDA approves a generic. It does not approve a compounded product.
- “Liraglutide is out of stock everywhere.” Shortage status is listed by presentation.
- “Liraglutide helps knee pain.” In the one trial we found, it did not change knee pain.
What should you ask your doctor?
These questions come from the label’s warnings and contraindications, not from a protocol:
- Do I have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2? (It rules liraglutide out.)
- Have I had pancreatitis or gallbladder disease?
- Do I take insulin or a drug that raises insulin, which can raise the risk of low blood sugar?
- Which product is right for my goal: Saxenda for weight, or Victoza for type 2 diabetes?
- Is the product I am prescribed FDA-approved or compounded, and who makes it?
Frequently asked questions
Is liraglutide FDA-approved?
Yes. It is approved as Saxenda for weight management and as Victoza for type 2 diabetes, and FDA has approved generic versions.
What is the difference between Saxenda and Victoza?
They contain the same active ingredient but have different approved uses: Saxenda is for weight management, and Victoza is for type 2 diabetes and for reducing major cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease.
How much weight did people lose on liraglutide?
In SCALE, 3,731 adults without diabetes lost an average of 8.4 kg over 56 weeks, compared with 2.8 kg on placebo.
Is liraglutide in shortage?
Liraglutide remains on FDA’s shortage list. FDA lists Victoza and Saxenda with limited availability and several generic versions as available, so it depends on the product. Your pharmacist can tell you about a specific one.
Is compounded liraglutide the same as a generic?
No. FDA approves generics. Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved.
From Best Peptides Today
Sources we checked
- Saxenda prescribing information (DailyMed, rev. 06/2026)FDA. Accessed .
- Victoza prescribing information (DailyMed, rev. 10/2025)FDA. Accessed .
- Drugs@FDA (generic liraglutide products listed)FDA. Accessed .
- FDA drug shortages listFDA. Accessed .
- SCALE trial (PubMed)PubMed. Accessed .
- LEADER trial (PubMed)PubMed. Accessed .
- Liraglutide in knee osteoarthritis after dietary weight loss, Gudbergsen 2021 (PubMed)PubMed. Accessed .
- Eisa 2026: meta-analysis of lean mass with GLP-1 drugs (PubMed)PubMed. Accessed .
- Federal Register: proposed 503B bulk drug substances list (May 1, 2026)Other. Accessed .
- FDA: telehealth companies and promoting compounded drugsFDA. Accessed .
Written and maintained by the Best Peptides For Editorial Team. How we rate evidence.