Weight loss

Liraglutide

Name: Liraglutide: uses, evidence and safety
Creator: Cited Peptides Editorial

Also called Saxenda, Victoza

Weight loss (Saxenda) and type 2 diabetes (Victoza). A daily GLP-1 drug that came before semaglutide.

By Cited Peptides Editorial Updated 2026-10-10 Medical review pending

This page has not yet been reviewed by a credentialed medical professional. It is educational and is not medical advice.

Liraglutide: key facts

Evidence level FDA-approved
Approved as a medicineYes: Type 2 diabetes; chronic weight management
Randomized trials on PubMed561
Papers on PubMed5,658
Trials testing it (ClinicalTrials.gov)6+
In tested sportNot prohibited

In one sentence: Liraglutide is an approved medicine in some form (type 2 diabetes; chronic weight management). Its strongest evidence is FDA approval backed by large trials, with 561 randomized trials on PubMed that mention it.

What the evidence says

Approved, with large randomized trials. Semaglutide beat it head-to-head for weight loss.

Key studies

Randomized trials Listed on PubMed as randomized trials that mention it. Some only measure it rather than test it as a treatment.

Comparative Study, Multicenter Study2015 A Randomized, Controlled Trial of 3.0 mg of Liraglutide in Weight Management N Engl J Med PMID 26132939 → Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't2023 Combination of exercise and GLP-1 receptor agonist treatment reduces severity of metabolic syndrome, abdominal obesity, and inflammation: a randomized controlled trial Cardiovasc Diabetol PMID 36841762 → Clinical Trial, Phase III, Multicenter Study2022 Effect of Weekly Subcutaneous Semaglutide vs Daily Liraglutide on Body Weight in Adults With Overweight or Obesity Without Diabetes: The STEP 8 Randomized Clinical Trial JAMA PMID 35015037 → Clinical Trial, Phase III, Multicenter Study2020 A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Liraglutide for Adolescents with Obesity N Engl J Med PMID 32233338 → Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial, Phase III2025 Liraglutide for Children 6 to <12 Years of Age with Obesity - A Randomized Trial N Engl J Med PMID 39258838 →

Reviews Summaries of other studies.

Network Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review2025 Effect of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and co-agonists on body composition: Systematic review and network meta-analysis Metabolism PMID 39719170 → Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review2025 Discontinuing glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and body habitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis Obes Rev PMID 40186344 → Systematic Review2025 Efficacy and Safety of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Weight Loss Among Adults Without Diabetes : A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials Ann Intern Med PMID 39761578 → Systematic Review, Comparative Study2025 Comparison of pharmacological therapies in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis for fibrosis regression and MASH resolution: Systematic review and network meta-analysis Hepatology PMID 39903735 →

Other notable papers The most relevant other papers on PubMed.

Multicenter Study, Randomized Controlled Trial2016 Liraglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes N Engl J Med PMID 27295427 → Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't2023 Liraglutide attenuates type 2 diabetes mellitus-associated non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by activating AMPK/ACC signaling and inhibiting ferroptosis Mol Med PMID 37770820 → Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't2024 Liraglutide Promotes Diabetic Wound Healing via Myo1c/Dock5 Adv Sci (Weinh) PMID 39159301 → Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't2014 The arcuate nucleus mediates GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide-dependent weight loss J Clin Invest PMID 25202980 →

See its full evidence profile and newest papers →

Clinical trials

CompletedPhase 4 Ultrasound of the Knee in Obese Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis; Weight Maintenance 150 people · Henrik Gudbergsen NCT02931383 → Status unknownPhase 4 GLP-1 Analogue Treatment in Uncontrolled Type 1 Diabetic Patients 124 people · Hadassah Medical Organization NCT01592279 → CompletedPhase 4 Trial for People With Established Type 2 Diabetes During Ramadan 99 people · University of Leicester NCT02292290 → CompletedPhase 4 Antidiabetic Effects on Intrahepatic Fat 87 people · The Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School NCT03068065 → RecruitingPhase 4 Effects of Exercise and GLP-1 Agonism on Muscle Microvascular Perfusion and Insulin Action in Adults With Metabolic Syndrome 80 people · University of Virginia NCT04575844 → CompletedPhase 4 Effect of Liraglutide on Cardiovascular Endpoints in Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 Patients of South Asian Descent 51 people · Leiden University Medical Center NCT02660047 →

Search all trials live →

Where it fits

GoalPeptides for weight loss ComparisonSemaglutide vs Liraglutide ComparisonTirzepatide vs Liraglutide ComparisonRetatrutide vs Liraglutide ComparisonLiraglutide vs AOD-9604

Common questions

Is Liraglutide approved?

Type 2 diabetes; chronic weight management.

Has Liraglutide been tested in people?

561 randomized trials on PubMed mention it. Approved, with large randomized trials. Semaglutide beat it head-to-head for weight loss.

Is Liraglutide allowed in sport?

It is not on the WADA Prohibited List.

This is a short, data-driven profile. Study and trial lists come from PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov and are refreshed periodically. "What people use it for" describes common claims, not recommendations. Educational only, not medical advice.