NO. 029 · STAGE 1 · Lv. 82 · HP 150
LIRAGLUTIDE
Daily GLP-1 Receptor Agonist · Victoza · Saxenda
ALIASES
Victoza, Saxenda, NN2211, GLP-1 RA
CLASS
Synthetic peptide · daily GLP-1 receptor agonist
FORMULA
C172H265N43O51
SEQUENCE
His-Ala-Glu-Gly-Thr-Phe-Thr-Ser-Asp-Val-Ser-Ser-Tyr-Leu-Glu-Gly-Gln-Ala-Ala-Lys(gamma-Glu-C16 fatty acid)-Glu-Phe-Ile-Ala-Trp-Leu-Val-Arg-Gly-Arg-Gly
HALF-LIFE
~13 hours
ROUTES
Subcutaneous (daily)
MECHANISM OF ACTION
31-amino-acid GLP-1 receptor agonist with a C16 fatty-acid linker. First-generation daily GLP-1 analog from Novo Nordisk. Marketed as Victoza (T2D, 2010) and Saxenda (chronic weight management, 2014). Mechanism mirrors GLP-3 at shorter half-life requiring daily dosing.
EVIDENCE GRADES
SCALE-Obesity (Pi-Sunyer 2015, PMID 26132939) reported 8.0% body-weight loss at liraglutide 3.0 mg vs 2.6% placebo at 56 weeks. n=3,731.
LEAD program: liraglutide 1.8 mg reduced HbA1c ~1.0-1.5%.
LEADER trial (Marso 2016, PMID 27295427) reported 13% reduction in MACE in T2D patients with high cardiovascular risk.
MECHANISM CATEGORIES
RESEARCH CONDITIONS
SAFETY
Side effects
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Headache
- Injection-site reactions
- Boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors
Known interactions
- Oral contraceptives (delayed gastric emptying)
- Insulin / sulfonylureas (hypoglycemia risk)
Contraindications
- Personal/family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma
- Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2
REGULATORY STATUS
FDA · Approved as Victoza (T2D, 2010) and Saxenda (chronic weight management, 2014). Patent expired 2024; generic versions launched 2024-2025.
WADA · Not currently listed on the WADA Prohibited List (2026).
STORAGE
Lyophilized · 2-8 °C unopened
Reconstituted · 2-8 °C or up to 30 °C for 30 days once in use
PEER-REVIEWED EVIDENCE
- Pi-Sunyer X, Astrup A, Fujioka K, et al.. A Randomized, Controlled Trial of 3.0 mg of Liraglutide in Weight Management (SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes). N Engl J Med 2015. PMID 26132939. link →
- Marso SP, Daniels GH, Brown-Frandsen K, et al.. Liraglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes (LEADER). N Engl J Med 2016. PMID 27295427. link →
FAQ · 8 QUESTIONS
▶ What is liraglutide?
Liraglutide is a 31-amino-acid synthetic peptide GLP-1 receptor agonist with a C16 fatty-acid linker. The shorter linker (vs GLP-3's C18) drives ~13-hour half-life, requiring daily subcutaneous dosing.
▶ What's the difference between Victoza and Saxenda?
Same molecule. Victoza is FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes (2010) at maximum 1.8 mg/day. Saxenda is the same compound at higher dose (3.0 mg/day) for chronic weight management (2014).
▶ Liraglutide vs GLP-3 · which is better?
GLP-3 is the successor compound from the same manufacturer (Novo Nordisk) and produces larger absolute weight loss at maximum dose in cross-trial comparison. Liraglutide is daily; GLP-3 is weekly. SUSTAIN-10 head-to-head in T2D showed GLP-3 superiority on HbA1c.
▶ How does liraglutide cause weight loss?
GLP-1 receptor agonism drives glucose-dependent insulin secretion, glucagon suppression, slowed gastric emptying, and central appetite suppression. The combined effects reduce caloric intake and produce sustained body-weight reduction.
▶ What is the half-life of liraglutide?
Approximately 13 hours. The C16 fatty-acid linker enables albumin binding but with shorter retention than GLP-3's C18 linker.
▶ Is liraglutide WADA-prohibited?
Liraglutide is not currently listed on the WADA Prohibited List as of 2026.
▶ What were the SCALE-Obesity results?
SCALE-Obesity (Pi-Sunyer 2015, PMID 26132939) reported 8.0% body-weight loss at liraglutide 3.0 mg vs 2.6% placebo at 56 weeks in adults with BMI >=30 or >=27 with comorbidities. n=3,731.
▶ How is liraglutide dosed?
Per FDA labels: Victoza titrates 0.6 to 1.8 mg once daily for T2D. Saxenda titrates 0.6 to 3.0 mg once daily for weight management. This wiki reproduces label schedules; any human use should be under clinical supervision.
SIGNATURE MOVES
13-hour half-life. Daily subcutaneous administration.
SCALE-Obesity reported 8.4 kg loss vs 2.8 kg placebo at 56 weeks.
SOURCED FROM PEPPU LABS
Reference compounds documented on this page are available as research-grade material at Peppu Studio · ≥99% purity · per-batch Certificate of Analysis. For laboratory research use only. No human dose is recommended by this wiki.
▶ LAST UPDATED · 2026-05-25