Liraglutide

About Liraglutide

Liraglutide acts like GLP-1, a gut hormone: it raises insulin release when blood sugar is high, lowers glucagon, slows stomach emptying and reduces appetite. Victoza is labeled, with diet and exercise, for blood sugar control in adults and children 10 and older with type 2 diabetes, and to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease. It starts at 0.6 mg a day and can rise at weekly intervals to at most 1.8 mg. Saxenda is labeled for weight reduction and maintenance in adults with obesity, or overweight with a weight-related condition, and in children 12 and older who weigh more than 60 kg (132 pounds) and have obesity. It is raised in steps from 0.6 mg to 3 mg a day, and is stopped if weight has not fallen enough after 16 weeks in adults, or BMI after 12 weeks on the maintenance dose in children.

The boxed warning: liraglutide caused thyroid C-cell tumors in rats and mice, it is not known whether it does in people, and it must not be used with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN 2). The labels also warn of pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, low blood sugar (especially with insulin or a sulfonylurea), kidney injury from dehydration, severe stomach and bowel reactions, allergic reactions and inhaling stomach contents under anesthesia or deep sedation, and Saxenda warns of a faster heart rate. Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, indigestion and decreased appetite are common side effects.

Victoza and Saxenda pens both hold 18 mg in 3 mL but are labeled for different uses and doses, so one is not filled for the other, and they are not used together. Generic pens rated equivalent to Victoza were first approved in December 2024, and to Saxenda in August 2025. The FDA first listed liraglutide injection in shortage in July 2023; in September 2026 its database still did, showing generics available, Victoza and Saxenda in limited supply, and Saxenda to be discontinued in January 2027. Saxenda’s label dropped pregnancy as a contraindication in May 2025 (it is still stopped once pregnancy is recognized) and removed a warning about suicidal behavior and ideation in February 2026. A pen is never shared, even with a new needle.

Taking Liraglutide

How to take it

Once a day at any time, with or without food, under the skin of the abdomen, thigh or upper arm, rotating sites within the same area, with a new needle for every injection. It is never mixed with insulin in the same injection.

If you miss a dose

Skip the missed dose and take the next one at the usual time; do not take extra. If more than 3 days have passed, the label restarts treatment at 0.6 mg, so ask the prescriber how to build back up.

Storage

Unused pens in the refrigerator, never frozen and away from the cooling element. Once in use, a pen lasts 30 days at room temperature (59°F to 86°F) or in the refrigerator, with the cap on and no needle attached.

Interactions to know about

Insulin or a sulfonylurea raises the risk of low blood sugar, so those doses may be lowered. Slower stomach emptying can change how other oral medicines are absorbed. It is not combined with other liraglutide products, Saxenda is not combined with other GLP-1 medicines, and the care team should know about it before surgery or sedation.

This summarizes the official prescribing information. Your prescriber’s and pharmacist’s instructions, and the leaflet that comes with your medicine, take priority.

Why the cash price for Liraglutide differs from pharmacy to pharmacy

With liraglutide in shortage as of September 2026, a quote is useful only if the pharmacy can fill it. Generic pens are approved from several makers, while a prescription that names Victoza or Saxenda and blocks substitution is priced as a brand.

Generics rated to Victoza and those rated to Saxenda are separate products, so the pharmacy needs one rated to the brand on the prescription. A pen lasts fewer days at a higher dose, so the number of pens in a month’s supply depends on the dose.

Ways to pay less for Liraglutide without insurance

• Ask for a generic rated equivalent to the brand on your prescription, and make sure the prescription does not block substitution.
• Before the prescription is sent, ask the pharmacy whether it can get your product and enough pens for the full quantity.
• If you take Saxenda, ask the prescriber now about a generic rated to it or another option, since the brand is due to be discontinued in January 2027.
• Once your dose is stable, ask whether the prescription can cover more than one month, and compare more than one pharmacy.
• Upload the prescription to Script Unlock so licensed pharmacies can quote their cash price. You pay the pharmacy directly.

Questions to ask your pharmacist about Liraglutide

1. 1.Is this generic rated equivalent to the brand on my prescription?
2. 2.How many days will each pen last at my dose?
3. 3.Do you have enough pens in stock for my full quantity?
4. 4.Should my insulin or sulfonylurea dose change?

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