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Liraglutide

What it is. What the evidence says.

A prescription medicine that imitates GLP-1 to affect blood sugar, appetite and stomach emptying.

Strong EvidenceApproved Medicine

Predominant research setting. Clinical confidence is claim-specific.

Updated Scientific review pending
Start with the basics Regulatory status ↓
Sequence diagram and chemical structure information for Liraglutide.
Liraglutide Chemical Structure & Sequence · Inside Peptides Scientific Library
Compound
Liraglutide
Human effectiveness
Extensively documented in international Phase 3 clinical trials
Regulatory status
FDA-Approved Medicine
START HERE · PLAIN LANGUAGE

Liraglutide: the basics

What is it?

A prescription medicine that imitates GLP-1 to affect blood sugar, appetite and stomach emptying.

Research paper 1 ↗Research paper 2 ↗

What do people claim it helps with?

Diabetes control and weight management are supported for different prescription products. Claims of benefit for everyone who wants to lose a little weight are too broad.

What has research actually shown?

Human trials found better blood-sugar control, weight loss in eligible groups, and fewer major cardiovascular events in a particular high-risk diabetes population.

Research paper 1 ↗Research paper 2 ↗

Has this been demonstrated in people?

Demonstrated in people, including controlled clinical trials for the uses described here. Evidence for one diagnosis does not establish benefit for every other claim.

Research paper 1 ↗Research paper 2 ↗

What side effects, risks and unknowns should I understand?

Digestive symptoms are common. Pancreatitis, gallbladder problems and dehydration are important concerns. A thyroid-tumor warning applies; personal or family medullary thyroid cancer or MEN2 is a contraindication.

Prescribing information ↗

Is it an approved medicine?

Yes. Victoza is approved for type 2 diabetes and has a cardiovascular-risk indication in certain adults. Saxenda is approved for weight management in eligible patients.

Prescribing information ↗

Approval here means U.S. FDA approval and applies to a particular product, formulation and use. This is a starting overview, not a complete side-effect list. Sources checked 10 October 2026; independent scientific review pending.

How is it used or studied?

Prescription injection. Victoza and Saxenda have different indications and instructions.

Different routes and formulations can have different effects. A study of one product does not validate every product with the same peptide name.

A common misunderstanding

Results from one liraglutide product or population should not be applied to every use.

What should I ask a clinician?
  • What diagnosis or goal are we trying to address, and what established options are available?
  • Was the expected benefit shown in people like me, using this exact product?
  • How could my medicines, health conditions or pregnancy plans affect the risks?
  • What monitoring is needed, and what would tell us the treatment is helping or should be stopped?
What do the research words mean?
Peptide
A short chain of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.
Preclinical
Research in cells, tissues or animals before dependable treatment evidence in people.
Controlled trial
A study comparing a treatment with another treatment or a placebo to help separate its effects from other explanations.
Biomarker
A measurement, such as a hormone level. A change does not necessarily mean someone feels better or lives longer.
THE AVAILABLE RESEARCH

Liraglutide Evidence & Clinical Profile

Human Clinical Evidence

Established Clinical Trials

Liraglutide has been investigated in clinical contexts. Patient outcomes must be evaluated against study size, design, and control cohorts.

Preclinical & Pharmacological Data

Laboratory & In Vivo Assays

Cellular and animal disease models examine receptor binding affinities and signaling cascades, which require human confirmation.

Understand our evidence labels →

IDENTITY & STRUCTURE

What is Liraglutide?

Liraglutide (Victoza / Saxenda) is An FDA-approved once-daily glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist with an attached palmitoyl fatty acid chain for reversible albumin binding. Evaluated in the SCALE and LEADER trials for weight management and cardiovascular outcomes. Aliases include: Victoza, Saxenda, NN2211.

Chemical sequence and molecular parameters of Liraglutide
Primary sequence schematic · Inside Peptides Molecular Database
Chemical reference
Sequence (one-letter)
H-AEGTFTSDVSSYLEGQAAK(palmitoyl)EFIAWLVRGRG
Molecular formula
C172H265N43O51
Molecular weight
3751.2 g/mol
CAS Number
204656-20-2
UNII Code
839I73S42A
PubChem CID
16134956

Identifiers checked against PubChem and FDA's Global Substance Registration System on 13 October 2026. FDA substance record ↗ · PubChem record ↗ See all names and codes in the peptide name index.

HUMAN RESEARCH

Clinical Trials & Human Cohorts

Human research can examine tolerability, symptoms or patient outcomes. The design and comparator determine what each result can establish.

Double-blind multinational placebo-controlled RCT2016

Liraglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes [1]

n = 93409340 patients with type 2 diabetes; median follow-up 3.8 years

What was reported

Major adverse cardiovascular events were reduced (HR 0.87) and cardiovascular death was reduced (HR 0.78) compared with placebo.

What limits the conclusion

Gastrointestinal events were the most common adverse events leading to discontinuation; nonfatal MI, nonfatal stroke and heart-failure hospitalization were not significantly reduced.

Read primary source ↗ (external website)
Phase 3 double-blind RCT2015

A Randomized Controlled Trial of 3.0 mg of Liraglutide in Weight Management [2]

n = 37313731 adults with obesity or overweight without diabetes; 56 weeks

What was reported

Mean weight loss of 8.4 kg with liraglutide 3.0 mg vs 2.8 kg with placebo at 56 weeks.

What limits the conclusion

Mild or moderate nausea and diarrhea were the most frequent adverse events; requires daily subcutaneous injections.

Read primary source ↗ (external website)
MECHANISMS OF ACTION

How the compound may work

Mechanisms describe how Liraglutide may affect biological processes. Laboratory findings and patient outcomes answer different questions.

01
Cloned human GLP-1 receptor assays

Potent GLP-1 Receptor Activation

Fatty-acid derivatives of GLP-1 retained similar or higher potency than native GLP-1 at the cloned human GLP-1 receptor. [3]

02
Medicinal chemistry and pharmacokinetics

Albumin Binding via Fatty Acid Chain

Fatty-acid derivatization facilitates binding to serum albumin; derivatives with chains of 12 or more carbons were very protracted compared with GLP-1 and appeared suitable for once-daily dosing. [3]

RESEARCH AREAS

Areas Being Studied

These research topics reflect active areas of scientific exploration, distinct from unverified commercial marketing claims.

LEADER Phase 3 trial

Cardiovascular Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes

Lower rates of major adverse cardiovascular events, cardiovascular death and all-cause death than placebo. [1]

SCALE Phase 3 trial

Chronic Weight Management

63.2% of participants lost at least 5% of body weight at 56 weeks, versus 27.1% with placebo. [2]

AT A GLANCE

Compare the study designs.

Overview of Key Liraglutide Studies: clinical and preclinical records
Study Design / sample Outcome type Key limitation
LEADER Cardiovascular Outcomes · 2016 [1] Double-blind multinational placebo-controlled RCT
n = 9340		 Clinical endpoint evaluation Gastrointestinal events were the most common adverse events leading to discontinuation; nonfatal MI, nonfatal stroke and heart-failure hospitalization were not significantly reduced.
SCALE Obesity Trial · 2015 [2] Phase 3 double-blind RCT
n = 3731		 Clinical endpoint evaluation Mild or moderate nausea and diarrhea were the most frequent adverse events; requires daily subcutaneous injections.
FDA & SAFETY

Regulatory Status & Clinical Safety

Regulatory Classification

FDA approved: Victoza (NDA 022341) for T2D; Saxenda (NDA 206321) for chronic weight management.

Safety Realities & Impurities

Safety depends on the molecule, formulation, route and evidence. A laboratory purity measurement alone cannot establish safety for human use.

REGISTRY CHECK

Clinical Trials Registry Records

Official registry records from ClinicalTrials.gov. Study registration does not imply government endorsement or guaranteed efficacy.

COMPETITIVE SPORT

WADA & Anti-Doping Regulations

Not Prohibited

WADA Anti-Doping Status

Liraglutide is not prohibited under current World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) regulations. However, athletes must ensure unregulated preparations or unverified vendor products do not violate Section S0 (Non-approved substances). Last verified: October 2026.

SELECTED MILESTONES

Research Timeline

  1. 2000

    Discovery Chemistry

    Fatty-acid-derivatized GLP-1 analogues suitable for once-daily dosing described. [3]

  2. 2010

    FDA Approval: Victoza

    Approved for glycemic management in adults with type 2 diabetes. [4]

  3. 2014

    FDA Approval: Saxenda

    Approved for chronic weight management. [5]

  4. 2015

    SCALE Results

    Weight-management trial published in NEJM. [2]

  5. 2016

    LEADER Results

    Reports reduced major adverse cardiovascular events and cardiovascular death. [1]

OPEN QUESTIONS

What Researchers Still Don't Know

Long-term safety profiles

Multi-year observational data in broader heterogeneous cohorts remains uncharacterized.

Optimal dose-response thresholds

Comparative trials optimizing minimal effective exposure versus adverse event rates.

Formulation bioavailability

Differences between oral, subcutaneous, and modified peptide delivery vehicles.

TRACEABLE SOURCES

References

Primary sources verified against PubMed / NLM and regulatory databases.

  1. Landmark RCT

    Liraglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes (LEADER) ↗ (external website)

    Marso SP et al. · N Engl J Med · 2016
  2. Phase 3 RCT

    A randomized, controlled trial of 3.0 mg of liraglutide in weight management (SCALE) ↗ (external website)

    Pi-Sunyer X et al. · N Engl J Med · 2015
  3. Pharmacology

    Potent derivatives of glucagon-like peptide-1 with pharmacokinetic properties suitable for once daily administration ↗ (external website)

    Knudsen LB et al. · J Med Chem · 2000
  4. Regulatory

    Drugs@FDA: Victoza (Liraglutide) NDA 022341 ↗ (external website)

    U.S. FDA · 2010
  5. Regulatory

    Drugs@FDA: Saxenda (Liraglutide) NDA 206321 ↗ (external website)

    U.S. FDA · 2014