Liraglutide Injection
Liraglutide injection is a GLP-1 receptor agonist available as Saxenda and Victoza that is used for chronic weight management in adults and certain adolescents.
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand
The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 21 clinical label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →
⚠️ FDA Boxed Warning — the FDA’s strongest safety alert ▾
Liraglutide caused thyroid tumors — including a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) — in rats and mice. It is not yet known whether this happens in humans, but the risk cannot be ruled out. Because of this, liraglutide must NOT be used by anyone who has had MTC themselves or has a family member who has, or by anyone with a condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). Watch for warning signs of a thyroid problem: a lump or mass in the neck, difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath, or a voice that becomes and stays hoarse. If you notice any of these, contact your doctor right away. Routine thyroid blood tests or ultrasounds are not reliably helpful for catching this early, but any concerning symptoms should be evaluated promptly.
📖 Liraglutide Injection: Patient Information Guide
A plain-language walkthrough of Liraglutide Injection — what it treats, how it works, how it’s taken, side effects, warnings and interactions. Tap any section to expand it.
🎯What it's used for▾
Liraglutide injection is a GLP-1 receptor agonist available under different brand names, each with specific approved uses.
- Saxenda is approved for chronic weight management — alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity — in adults with a BMI of 30 or higher (obesity), or a BMI of 27 or higher (overweight) if they also have at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or dyslipidemia (abnormal blood fat levels).
- Saxenda is also approved for adolescents aged 12 and older who weigh more than 60 kg and meet specific BMI cut-offs for obesity based on international standards.
- Saxenda should not be used together with other liraglutide products, other GLP-1 receptor agonists, or other weight-loss medications, as safety in those combinations has not been established.
- The safety and effectiveness of Saxenda in pediatric patients with type 2 diabetes have not been established.
⚙️How it works▾
Liraglutide is a man-made version of GLP-1, a hormone your gut naturally releases after eating. It binds to GLP-1 receptors throughout the body — including in key brain areas that control appetite — reducing hunger and helping you eat less. It also tells the pancreas to release insulin when blood sugar rises, tells the body to lower glucagon (a hormone that raises blood sugar), and slows how quickly the stomach empties food into the intestine, which helps keep blood sugar steadier after meals.
Unlike natural GLP-1, which your body breaks down within 1–2 minutes, liraglutide is designed to resist that breakdown and lasts about 13 hours — long enough for once-daily dosing to keep levels consistent throughout the day.
💊How it's taken▾
Liraglutide injection (Saxenda) is given as a once-daily subcutaneous (under-the-skin) injection in the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. It can be taken at any time of day without regard to meals. Treatment is started at a low dose and gradually increased over several weeks to reach the full maintenance dose, which helps reduce nausea and other stomach-related side effects.
- Rotate the injection site within the same body region at each injection.
- If you miss a dose, skip it and resume your regular schedule the next day — do not double dose.
- If more than 3 days have passed since your last dose, restart at the lowest dose and work back up as directed by your prescriber.
- Follow the Instructions for Use included with your pen for detailed injection steps.
🤒Side effects — in detail▾
The most common side effects with liraglutide injection, especially at the start of treatment, involve the digestive system.
- Nausea (very common — affects a large portion of users, usually most noticeable early in treatment)
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Vomiting
- Indigestion (dyspepsia)
- Abdominal pain
- Injection site reactions — redness, itching, or rash
- Headache, dizziness, and fatigue
Serious reactions requiring prompt medical attention include signs of pancreatitis (severe abdominal pain), symptoms of a thyroid tumor (neck mass, hoarseness, difficulty swallowing), severe allergic reactions (facial/throat swelling, difficulty breathing), low blood sugar (especially with sulfonylurea or insulin use), gallbladder problems, kidney problems, and any new or worsening depression or thoughts of self-harm.
⚠️Warnings & precautions▾
- Thyroid tumor risk (boxed warning): Liraglutide caused thyroid C-cell tumors in animals. Whether this happens in humans is unknown. Do not use if you or a close family member has had medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or MEN 2. Report any neck lump, persistent hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, or shortness of breath to your doctor immediately.
- Acute pancreatitis: Severe, sometimes fatal inflammation of the pancreas has been reported. Stop liraglutide and seek medical care if you develop severe or persistent stomach pain, especially if it spreads to the back.
- Gallbladder disease: Gallstones and gallbladder inflammation occur more often in people taking liraglutide. Most cases required surgical removal of the gallbladder.
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia): Risk is higher when liraglutide is combined with a sulfonylurea or insulin. Know the signs: shakiness, sweating, confusion, rapid heartbeat.
- Heart rate increase: Liraglutide may raise resting heart rate. Your prescriber should monitor your heart rate regularly.
- Kidney injury: Dehydration from vomiting or diarrhea can lead to acute kidney injury. Stay hydrated and tell your doctor if you have reduced urination or swelling.
- Suicidal thoughts: Monitor for depression or suicidal ideation. Contact your doctor or seek emergency help immediately if these occur.
- Surgery/anesthesia risk: Liraglutide slows stomach emptying, which can raise the risk of inhaling stomach contents during sedation. Always tell your surgical or anesthesia team you take this medication before any planned procedure.
🔀What it interacts with▾
Liraglutide injection has a few important interactions to be aware of.
- Sulfonylureas (e.g., glipizide, glimepiride) or insulin: Combining these with liraglutide increases the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Your prescriber may reduce the dose of the sulfonylurea or insulin when starting liraglutide.
- Other oral medications: Because liraglutide slows stomach emptying, it may affect how quickly oral drugs are absorbed into the bloodstream. Use caution and tell your prescriber about all oral medications you take.
- Other GLP-1 receptor agonists or liraglutide-containing products: Saxenda must not be combined with any other product containing liraglutide or any other GLP-1 receptor agonist — this includes Victoza or similar drugs.
This is not a complete list of interactions. Always talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
📋Before taking it▾
- Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or MEN 2: Liraglutide is contraindicated — do not use it.
- Serious allergy to liraglutide: Victoza is contraindicated in patients with a known serious hypersensitivity (including anaphylaxis or angioedema) to liraglutide or any ingredient in the product.
- Pregnancy: Saxenda is contraindicated during pregnancy. Weight loss during pregnancy may harm the developing baby. Stop treatment and contact your doctor if you become pregnant.
- Breastfeeding: It is unknown whether liraglutide passes into human breast milk. Discuss the benefits and risks with your doctor before using while breastfeeding.
- Children under 12: Saxenda's safety and effectiveness have not been established in patients younger than 12 years of age.
- Kidney disease: Limited data exist; use with caution and under close medical supervision. Post-marketing reports have included acute kidney failure.
- Liver disease: Limited data in moderate to severe hepatic impairment; use with caution.
- Gastroparesis (slow stomach emptying): Liraglutide is not recommended in patients with pre-existing gastroparesis, as it further slows stomach emptying.
- Older adults (65+): No major differences in safety were observed, but increased sensitivity in some individuals cannot be ruled out.
- Upcoming surgery or procedures: Always inform your surgical and anesthesia team that you are taking liraglutide before any elective procedure.
🚑If you take too much▾
Taking too much liraglutide can cause severe nausea, severe vomiting, and severe low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). If you think you or someone else has taken too much, call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222 or seek emergency medical care right away. Treatment will be based on your symptoms.
📡Pharmacodynamics — effects in the body▾
Liraglutide lowers blood sugar by stimulating the pancreas to release insulin in a glucose-dependent way — meaning it mainly acts when blood sugar is already elevated, which reduces the risk of dangerous lows. At the same time, it reduces glucagon secretion (glucagon normally raises blood sugar) and slows the rate at which the stomach empties food, which blunts the rise in blood sugar that normally follows a meal. In studies, liraglutide also activated brain areas involved in appetite regulation, contributing to reduced hunger and calorie intake. Importantly, liraglutide did not cause dangerous abnormalities in heart electrical activity (QTc prolongation) at therapeutic doses.
🔬Pharmacokinetics — how your body processes it▾
After a subcutaneous injection, liraglutide is gradually absorbed and reaches peak blood levels about 8 to 12 hours after the dose. It has a half-life of approximately 13 hours — meaning it stays active in the body long enough for once-daily dosing. Liraglutide is more than 98% bound to proteins in the blood and is broken down by the body similarly to other large proteins, without relying on any single organ for elimination. Very little intact liraglutide is excreted in urine or stool; it is metabolized throughout the body. Body weight can affect how much liraglutide is in the bloodstream — higher body weight is associated with somewhat lower exposure — but therapeutic doses have been shown to provide adequate levels across a wide weight range.
📦How to store it▾
Prior to first use, liraglutide injection should be stored in a refrigerator between 36ºF to 46ºF (2ºC to 8ºC). store in the freezer or directly adjacent to the refrigerator cooling element.
📄 Written from Liraglutide Injection’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Every point is grounded in that labeling — nothing is invented. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Liraglutide Injection
239 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Liraglutide Injection in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.
- Major · 1
- Moderate · 208
- Minor · 30
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — see our data sources & update cadence. Not medical advice: an interaction being documented does not mean it will happen to you; do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
Nutrient depletion considerations
Liraglutide Injection has been associated with lower levels of 1 nutrient in the clinical literature. This does not mean a deficiency will occur — it means these may be worth discussing with your pharmacist or healthcare provider, especially with long-term use.
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — not medical advice. Do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
🩺 Pharmacist Counseling Corner
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Liraglutide Injection — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What exactly is Saxenda and how is it different from other weight-loss options? ▾
The nausea is really bothering me — is that normal, and will it get better? ▾
I keep hearing about a thyroid cancer risk — how worried should I be? ▾
Can I take my other medications at the same time as this injection? ▾
Can I use Saxenda if I'm pregnant or trying to get pregnant? ▾
What should I do if I miss a dose or need surgery? ▾
Is Liraglutide Injection available over the counter? ▾
When was Liraglutide Injection first available? ▾
Who makes Liraglutide Injection? ▾
💬 Answers drafted from Liraglutide Injection’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Grounded in that labeling — nothing is made up. How we use AI →
🧰 Keep exploring
💊 How Liraglutide Injection comes
Liraglutide Injection is available in 1 form. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.
Injection
How this form is used
- Saxenda is used for chronic weight management in adults with obesity (BMI ≥30) or overweight adults (BMI ≥27) with at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or dyslipidemia
- Saxenda is used for chronic weight management in adolescents aged 12 and older who weigh more than 60 kg and meet obesity BMI thresholds
- Victoza is contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2, or with a serious hypersensitivity reaction to liraglutide
- Saxenda is injected subcutaneously (under the skin) once daily into the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm — at any time of day, with or without food
- Saxenda: rotate injection sites within the same body region to reduce the risk of skin reactions; inspect the solution before each use and only inject if it is clear and colorless
- Saxenda: if more than 3 days have passed since the last dose, restart at the lowest dose and gradually increase again as directed by your prescriber
- Saxenda: if a dose is missed, take the next scheduled dose as usual — do not take an extra dose to make up for it
📊 Liraglutide Injection across the U.S. market
How Liraglutide Injection appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.
Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
📈 How widely Liraglutide Injection is used
A general measure of how commonly Liraglutide Injection is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.
Think of this as a proxy for how widely Liraglutide Injection is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.
How commonly is Liraglutide Injection prescribed? Of the 1,597 medications we measure, Liraglutide Injection ranks #341 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 79% of them.
Utilization by Liraglutide Injection product
Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.
3 ML liraglutide 6 MG/ML Pen Injector Most dispensed
Summed across the 10 of 32 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 897122
Weight Management 3 ML liraglutide 6 MG/ML Pen Injector
Summed across the 2 of 15 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 2735350
Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.
Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Liraglutide Injection, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 12 of 47 listed Liraglutide Injection NDCs with Medicaid activity.
🔍 Compare Liraglutide Injection products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Liraglutide Injection — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)
| Strength | Route | Manufacturer / Labeler | Category ⓘ | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Injection | ||||
| 6 mg/mL | Subcutaneous | A-S Medication Solutions | NDA AUTHORIZED GENERIC | View NDC → |
| 6 mg/mL | Subcutaneous | A-S Medication Solutions × 6 listings | NDA | View NDC → |
| 6 mg/mL | Subcutaneous | Biocon Pharma Inc. × 2 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 6 mg/mL | Subcutaneous | Cipla USA Inc. × 3 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 6 mg/mL | Subcutaneous | Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 18 mg/3 mL | Subcutaneous | Hybio Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Pingshan Factory) × 3 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 6 mg/mL | Subcutaneous | Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 6 mg/mL | Subcutaneous | Meitheal Pharmaceuticals Inc. × 2 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 6 mg/mL | Subcutaneous | NorthStar Rx LLC × 2 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 6 mg/mL | Subcutaneous | Novo Nordisk × 5 listings | NDA | View NDC → |
| 6 mg/mL | Subcutaneous | Novo Nordisk Pharmaceutical Industries, LP | NDA | View NDC → |
| 6 mg/mL | Subcutaneous | Orbicular Pharmaceutical Technologies Private Limited × 2 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 6 mg/mL | Subcutaneous | Teva Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 6 mg/mL | Subcutaneous | Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. | NDA AUTHORIZED GENERIC | View NDC → |
Showing 31 of 31 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 31 Liraglutide Injection NDCs →
📈 What people report — real-world data (FDA FAERS)
After a medicine reaches the market, patients, doctors and drugmakers can send the FDA reports of problems they think may be linked to it. Here’s what’s been reported for Liraglutide Injection — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These are voluntary reports — they don’t prove the drug caused the effect, and counts reflect how often something was reported, not how often it actually happens. Reports also often name the very problem the medicine is taken for — a common reason to file one is that the drug didn’t help — so for a pain reliever you may see “pain” high on the list; that points to why the report was filed, not to the drug causing the symptom. This counts every report that lists Liraglutide Injection in any role, so the total runs higher than the FDA’s official dashboard, which counts only cases where the drug is the suspect. For the authoritative figures, see the FDA FAERS Public Dashboard. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
🏛️ The road to your pharmacy
How Liraglutide Injection went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
🚨 Recall history
A recall is when a specific batch of a medicine is pulled from the market — usually a manufacturing issue, not a problem with the drug itself. Class I is most serious, Class III least.
Source: openFDA drug enforcement (recall) reports.
RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength
This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.
RxCUI 475968 1 dose form · 2 strengths
-
Dose form (SCDF) Pen Injector RxCUI 1653594In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) Weight Management 3 ML liraglutide 6 MG/MLRxCUI 27353503 ML liraglutide 6 MG/MLRxCUI 897122
Look up RxCUI 475968 in the RxCUI Atlas →
RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.
📦 Supply & shortage status
Whether Liraglutide Injection is in short supply in the U.S. right now, plus any shortage history the FDA has on record. A shortage usually reflects a manufacturing or demand issue — not a safety problem with the drug.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Drug Shortages database.
🏷️ Sold under these brand names
🏭 Manufacturers & labelers
RxNorm drug class
Liraglutide Injection belongs to the GLP-1 Receptor Agonist class.
Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.
🔬 Where this comes from
Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.
How we combine label and product data
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records; we don’t author the underlying clinical facts. We identified 21 FDA-filed SPL label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. The representative label is the starting point for the displayed reference monograph; the 12 largest stored in-scope SPL records, which may include that representative, are compared section by section, and the longest available version of each section is retained. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, product-listed strengths, and product-record counts are aggregated separately from ingredient-matched FDA NDC Directory records; package records listed above are associated with the linked SPL; and the normalized concept hierarchy comes from NLM RxNorm.
Where a section is identified as AI-written, its plain-language text is generated from bounded label evidence. New draft drug pages remain in the admin review queue before first publication. Novo Nordisk is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates; it is not the sole source used for the page.
This is general education, not medical advice — always consult your doctor or pharmacist about your medications and any medical condition. For the exact wording of the linked representative label, view that label on DailyMed; some displayed composite sections may come from other in-scope SPL labels. Learn how we use AI and our data sources & update cadence.