Liraglutide (Victoza, Saxenda): Research, PH Prices, Status

Abstract still life: a single ink-green glass sphere with a small brass tail, resting on a linen cloth — **Liraglutide.** Illustration, not a product photo.

Research compound. Not approved by FDA Philippines for human use unless stated. Nothing here is a dosing recommendation or medical advice.

What it is

Liraglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist made by Novo Nordisk and the direct predecessor of semaglutide. It is sold under two brands at two dose ceilings:

Victoza, approved for type 2 diabetes in adults and in children aged 10 and older, and to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes and established heart disease. Maximum 1.8 mg a day.
Saxenda, approved for chronic weight management in adults and in adolescents aged 12 and older, at 3 mg a day.

It was the first GLP-1 drug approved for weight loss, and in 2025 it became the first one available as a generic for that use in the US. Both brands are stocked in Philippine pharmacies.

How it works

Native GLP-1 is released by the gut after meals and is broken down by the enzyme DPP-4 within minutes. Liraglutide is a lightly modified copy of human GLP-1 with a 16-carbon fatty acid chain attached. That chain lets it bind albumin in the blood, which shields it from breakdown and slows clearance to a half-life of about 13 hours.

At the receptor it does what GLP-1 does: releases insulin when glucose is high, suppresses glucagon, slows stomach emptying and dampens appetite through the brain. Semaglutide took the same design further, with changes that stretch its action to once-weekly dosing.

What the research found

Liraglutide has one of the deepest evidence bases in the class, with large human trials over more than a decade.

SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes (NEJM, 2015). 3,731 adults without diabetes were randomised 2:1 to liraglutide 3.0 mg or placebo for 56 weeks. Mean weight loss was 8.4 kg versus 2.8 kg. At least 5% of body weight was lost by 63.2% on liraglutide versus 27.1% on placebo, and more than 10% by 33.1% versus 10.6%. The Saxenda label reports this trial as 7.4% versus 3.0% mean loss.

LEADER (NEJM, 2016). 9,340 adults with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk. The combined rate of cardiovascular death, non-fatal heart attack or non-fatal stroke was 13.0% on liraglutide versus 14.9% on placebo, a hazard ratio of 0.87. Cardiovascular death alone was 4.7% versus 6.0%. This trial is the basis for Victoza's heart-protection indication.

The Saxenda label includes a stopping rule: if an adult has not lost at least 4% of body weight after 16 weeks on the maintenance dose, treatment should be stopped. It also carries a 56-week adolescent trial.

Side effects reported in studies

The labels list nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, vomiting, dyspepsia, headache, injection-site reactions, fatigue and dizziness as common. In SCALE, the most common effects were mild or moderate nausea and diarrhoea, and serious adverse events occurred in 6.2% on liraglutide versus 5.0% on placebo. In the Saxenda adult trials about 10% stopped because of side effects versus 4% on placebo.

Both labels carry the boxed warning on thyroid C-cell tumours seen in rodents and exclude people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN 2. Other listed warnings include pancreatitis and gallbladder disease. See side effect management.

Liraglutide vs semaglutide in the Philippines

	Saxenda (liraglutide)	Wegovy (semaglutide)
Dosing	Daily injection	Weekly injection
Maintenance dose	3 mg	2.4 mg
PH pen price (Aug 2026)	PHP 3,380 (Southstar, MedsGo)	PHP 12,650 for 2.4 mg (Watsons)
Pen duration	About six days at 3 mg	Four weekly doses
Generic	US generics approved	No

Victoza was listed at PHP 4,400, or PHP 3,300 on promotion, at MedsGo. Prices were checked on the pharmacies' own pages in August 2026 and change often. For full cost comparisons see cost reality in the Philippines, and for the step-up schedules on the labels see the GLP-1 titration tool.

Status in the Philippines

Victoza and Saxenda are prescription medicines sold through Philippine pharmacies, so there is no reason to buy liraglutide from a research-chemical source. Generic liraglutide approved in the US does not automatically carry registration here: check the FDA Philippines verification portal for any product before buying. Prescribing, dose selection and monitoring belong with a licensed Philippine physician.

Storage

The Saxenda label says to keep unopened pens in the refrigerator at 2 to 8°C. After first use, a pen can be kept for 30 days at 15 to 30°C or in the fridge. Do not freeze it, do not use a pen that has frozen, and protect it from heat and sunlight. Manila afternoons regularly pass 30°C, so an in-use pen belongs in the fridge or an insulated case, not a bag or car.

Doses used in published research

What investigators actually administered, as reported in the cited study. This is a record of the literature, not a recommendation.

Study	Population	Regimen
SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes, Pi-Sunyer et al., NEJM 2015	3,731 adults with obesity, or overweight with comorbidities, without type 2 diabetes	3.0 mg subcutaneous once daily, 56 weeks, with diet and exercise counselling
LEADER, Marso et al., NEJM 2016	9,340 adults with type 2 diabetes and high cardiovascular risk	Up to 1.8 mg subcutaneous once daily added to standard care, vs placebo

Common questions

What is the difference between Victoza and Saxenda?

Both contain liraglutide. Victoza is approved for type 2 diabetes at up to 1.8 mg a day, and to lower cardiovascular risk in diabetes; Saxenda is approved for weight management at 3 mg a day. Prescribing belongs with a licensed Philippine physician.

How much does Saxenda cost in the Philippines?

Saxenda 6 mg/ml pens were listed at PHP 3,380 at Southstar and MedsGo when checked in August 2026. Saxenda is dosed daily, so one pen lasts about six days at the 3 mg maintenance dose.

Is liraglutide as effective as semaglutide?

In their own trials, liraglutide 3 mg produced less weight loss than weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg. SCALE reported a mean loss of 8.4 kg versus 2.8 kg on placebo at 56 weeks.

Is there generic liraglutide?

In the US, yes. The FDA approved the first generic Victoza (Hikma) in December 2024 and the first generic Saxenda (Teva) in August 2025. No verified Philippine price for generic liraglutide exists.

Why is liraglutide injected every day?

Its half-life is about 13 hours. That is long for a peptide, thanks to a fatty acid chain that binds albumin, but still short enough to need daily dosing. Semaglutide uses a stronger version of the same trick to reach weekly dosing.