Evidence strength for the context described on this page.
PEPTIDE ATLAS / METABOLIC & FAT LOSS / LIRAGLUTIDE
FDA-approvedHigh for approved indication
Liraglutide
ALSO KNOWN ASSaxenda · Victoza
A daily GLP-1 peptide with established metabolic indications and longer real-world history.
01CATEGORYMetabolic & fat loss
02REGULATORY STATUSFDA-approved
03COMMON ROUTESubcutaneous injection once daily
04DOSE BASISFDA-approved label
HOW TO USE THIS PAGE
Read the profile in the order that protects the decision.
- 01Verify what it is
Confirm the exact molecule, route, regulatory lane and actual human evidence.
- 02Read limits before dose
Unsupported claims, contraindications and uncertainty come before any protocol.
- 03Build the monitoring plan
Define the target, baseline checks, reassessment point and stop rules with a qualified clinician.
RESEARCH PASSPORT
The five facts to know first.
REVIEWED
JULY 2026
Status is product-, formulation- and indication-specific.
Trial, label or reported-practice basis is always named.
Official labels, regulators, trials and indexed literature where available.
Peptide hormones, growth factors and related substances may be prohibited.
Check Global DRO ↗OVERVIEW
What Liraglutide is.
A long-acting GLP-1 analog used in distinct branded products for chronic weight management or type 2 diabetes.
HOW IT IS THOUGHT TO WORK
Activates GLP-1 receptors to influence appetite, gastric emptying and glucose-dependent insulin secretion.
EFFECTS & EVIDENCE
What the evidence supports—and what it does not.
- Clinically meaningful average weight reduction in eligible patients
- Improved glycemic control
- Cardiometabolic benefit in selected diabetes populations
- That it should be combined with another GLP-1 drug
- That daily injections are inherently safer than weekly products
- That compounded products are equivalent
Evidence grade: High for approved indication. For an approved drug, “high” refers only to its labeled indication—not every off-label or wellness claim.
DOSAGE CONTEXT
Best available dosing range.
FDA-APPROVED LABELSaxenda labeling starts at 0.6 mg daily, increasing weekly through 1.2, 1.8 and 2.4 mg to a 3 mg daily maintenance dose in adults if tolerated. Diabetes-product dosing differs.
- Route
- Subcutaneous injection once daily
- Duration
- Chronic; the label includes an early response reassessment
- Men & women
- No routine sex-based dose. Pregnancy is incompatible with weight-loss treatment.
Clinician verification required. Always double-check the exact molecule or salt, concentration, route, volume, schedule, indication, patient-specific contraindications, interactions and applicable law with the prescribing clinician and dispensing pharmacy. A disclaimer does not make an unapproved product FDA-approved, and a reported-use range is not a prescription.
MONITORING
What should be tracked.
- Weight response at the label-defined reassessment point
- Glucose and other diabetes medicines
- Heart rate and GI tolerance
- Gallbladder or pancreatitis symptoms
SAFETY
Risks, red flags and reasons to avoid it.
- Nausea, diarrhea, constipation and vomiting
- Gallbladder disease and pancreatitis warning
- Increased heart rate
- Boxed thyroid C-cell tumor warning
- Pregnancy
- MTC or MEN2 history
- Concurrent GLP-1 therapy
- Severe hypersensitivity
Stop and seek careGet urgent medical help for trouble breathing, facial or throat swelling, chest pain, fainting, severe persistent abdominal pain, neurologic changes, severe hypoglycemia, uncontrolled vomiting or a prolonged painful erection.
CLINICIAN VISIT CHECKLIST
Six questions worth bringing with you.
Molecule or analog, salt, concentration, route, manufacturer or compounder, lot and beyond-use date.
Name the diagnosis or target, how it will be measured and the realistic time to reassess.
Ask how it compares with FDA-approved, lower-risk or better-studied alternatives.
Label, human trial, specialty guideline or clinic convention—and whether that route and formulation match.
Baseline checks, follow-up measures, interactions, pregnancy considerations and symptoms that mean stop.
Pharmacy license, prescription, identity/potency testing, sterility controls and who handles a product complaint.
Do not improvise reconstitution or convert “units” without the exact concentration. Mixing, storage and beyond-use instructions are product-specific; confirm them with the dispensing pharmacy.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Read the record yourself.
We prioritize official prescribing information, FDA regulatory material, registered trials and indexed biomedical literature. A source supports the specific statement beside it—not every claim made about the molecule.
PRODUCTS & TREATMENT ACCESS
Use a verified prescription pathway.
Prescription-only FDA-approved products; brand indication determines dose and use.
An older member of the incretin class can still be appropriate, but choice depends on indication, response, tolerability, access and clinician judgment.
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