yes i take peptides · shopping companion

Liraglutide

Saxenda / Victoza

Category · For Weight LossStatus · FDACitations · 60

The verdict

The original FDA-approved GLP-1 for weight loss. Daily injection, smaller weight number than the weeklies, but a long real-world safety record and a pediatric approval down to age 12. Generic available since late 2024 (Victoza, T2D) and August 2025 (Saxenda, weight loss).

By source — cost, legality, risk

Brand + generics — Saxenda / Victoza (Novo, Hikma, Teva)
$469–$1,349/mo (Hikma Victoza generic to Saxenda retail)
FDA-approved · prescription
Lowest. Real pharmacy product. Three SKUs: Hikma generic Victoza (T2D) ~$469 cash; Teva generic Saxenda (weight loss) ~$1,165 WAC; Saxenda brand retail near $1,349.
Compounded 503A pharmacy
$165–$500/mo
Prescription · off the FDA shortage list since Jan 2025
Mid. Pharmacy-grade — but most compounders pulled liraglutide after shortage ended.
RUO research peptide
$300–$1,000/mo at full 3mg/d dose
Sold 'for research only'
Highest. No purity guarantee. Daily 3mg dose × 30 days makes RUO liraglutide more expensive than gray and roughly even with compounded — most people use a weekly GLP-1 instead.
Gray-market raw
Varies — not on user's vendor list
Unregulated overseas import
Available via overseas raws but daily-dose math (90mg/mo) makes liraglutide a poor gray-market candidate vs the weekly GLP-1s.

Sources · top 5 of 60

01Guo T, et al. Liraglutide attenuates type 2 diabetes mellitus-associated non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by activating AMPK/ACC signaling and inhibiting ferroptosis. Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.). 2023;29(1):132. PMID: 37770820.
02Secher A, et al. The arcuate nucleus mediates GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide-dependent weight loss. The Journal of clinical investigation. 2014;124(10):4473-88. PMID: 25202980.
03Ni XY, et al. Empagliflozin and liraglutide ameliorate HFpEF in mice via augmenting the Erbb4 signaling pathway. Acta pharmacologica Sinica. 2024;45(8):1604-1617. PMID: 38589689.
04Capehorn MS, et al. Efficacy and safety of once-weekly semaglutide 1.0mg vs once-daily liraglutide 1.2mg as add-on to 1-3 oral antidiabetic drugs in subjects with type 2 diabetes (SUSTAIN 10). Diabetes & metabolism. 2020;46(2):100-109. PMID: 31539622.
05Blackman A, et al. Effect of liraglutide 3.0 mg in individuals with obesity and moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnea: the SCALE Sleep Apnea randomized clinical trial. International journal of obesity (2005). 2016;40(8):1310-9. PMID: 27005405.