Terminal / Weight Loss

Liraglutide

Approved

aka Saxenda, Victoza

The original once-daily GLP-1. Semaglutide's older, shorter-acting predecessor.

Mechanism

A GLP-1 agonist you inject daily instead of weekly. Same idea as semaglutide, slows the stomach and raises satiety, just an older and shorter-acting molecule. It was the first GLP-1 to get the green light for chronic weight management.

Regulatory & Safety Status

Approved: Victoza for diabetes, Saxenda for obesity. Prescription drug, mostly superseded by the weekly options now.

Research

2026Nature metabolism

Effects of exercise and liraglutide on vascular health and inflammation during weight loss maintenance: a prespecified secondary analysis of the S-LiTE trial

2026Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry

GLP-1 receptor agonism reduces PTSD-like anxiety and alters amygdala-hippocampal activity patterns in a Chemogenetic mouse model

2026Journal of diabetes and its complications

Evaluation of the protective effects of liraglutide, dapagliflozin and their combination in rat kidneys of streptozotocin induced diabetes

2026The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology

Liraglutide-mediated protection against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in male and female rats: enhancement of mucosal defense, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanism

2024PubMed

Latest liraglutide research

Related Compounds

Weight Loss

Semaglutide

Approved

Approved GLP-1 agonist. The drug that kicked off the whole weight-loss gold rush.

Weight Loss

Tirzepatide

Approved

Approved dual agonist (GLP-1 and GIP). Currently the strongest thing you can get with a prescription.