Saxenda
Also called: liraglutide 3 mg
Clinical reviewer: Jacob Moore, MD · Last checked September 16, 2026
What is Saxenda?
Saxenda is the brand name for liraglutide 3 mg, a once-daily GLP-1 injection approved for chronic weight management. It's indicated with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for adults and for pediatric patients aged 12 and older with obesity and body weight above 60 kg, or overweight with a comorbid condition.
Who is Saxenda approved for?
Saxenda is indicated, together with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, for chronic weight management in adults and in pediatric patients aged 12 and older with body weight above 60 kg and obesity, and in adults with overweight plus at least one weight-related comorbid condition [1]. It should not be combined with other liraglutide-containing products, including Victoza, or with any other GLP-1 receptor agonist [1]. Victoza is the same molecule at lower doses, 0.6 mg to 1.8 mg daily, approved for type 2 diabetes [2]. Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients with type 2 diabetes have not been established [1].
How is Saxenda dosed?
Saxenda is injected subcutaneously once daily. The starting dose is 0.6 mg daily for one week, and the daily dose is raised each week to 1.2 mg, 1.8 mg and 2.4 mg, reaching the 3 mg daily maintenance dose from week 5 [1]. Saxenda carries a boxed warning for risk of thyroid C-cell tumors and is contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2, or with a serious hypersensitivity reaction to liraglutide or any excipient in Saxenda [1].
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This entry is for education and is not medical advice. Talk with a licensed clinician about your own situation before starting, stopping, or changing any treatment.
