Liraglutide: what it is and what the evidence says
A GLP-1 analogue given once daily. It mimics a gut hormone released when we eat that takes part in the satiety signal and in gastric emptying.
Last reviewed: August 16, 2026 · How we verify this
The ground it plays on
Metabolism is not a single lever. Talk about metabolic compounds usually collapses three separate mechanisms into one word. Appetite regulation is one. How well cells respond to insulin is another, and largely independent of the first. Mobilising stored fat is a third. A compound may act on one and leave the other two untouched, so knowing which one is the difference between understanding a molecule and reciting its name.
What it is studied for
Weight management, type 2 diabetes.
There is a distinction that almost always gets lost. A compound being studied for something is not the same as achieving it. And even where it works in a dish or in a mouse, that says little about whether it works in a person or whether the benefit is worth the risk. The section below therefore carries more weight than everything above it.
What the human evidence says
This is the GLP-1 with the oldest and most consolidated human evidence: the SCALE programme included large randomised trials in obesity, type 2 diabetes, weight maintenance and sleep apnoea, plus a 3-year follow-up in prediabetes, along with trials in adolescents and in children as young as 6.
The limitation that matters most
Its efficacy is clearly inferior to that of the newer drugs and it requires a daily injection; gastrointestinal effects are very common and drive discontinuation, and weight is largely regained once treatment stops.
Regulatory status
Approved by the FDA and the EMA (Victoza for type 2 diabetes, Saxenda for weight management). Generics are already available.
Status can change and varies by country. Always verify the rules in force where you live before drawing conclusions.
Cautions and context
Prescription medicine. Gastrointestinal effects are common; medical assessment and follow-up are required.
Prescribing and monitoring belong to a physician, particularly where there is a history of pancreatitis, thyroid or kidney disease, and if persistent vomiting or severe abdominal pain appears.
What this page cannot give you
A reference page can take you this far. You know what Liraglutide is and where its research stands, which already puts you ahead of most readers. Four questions remain that no encyclopedia can answer for you, because the answers depend on your own situation:
- What would you measure beforehand, so that later you could tell whether anything actually changed?
- What would you watch along the way, and how consistently?
- What would you ask a professional, and in how much detail, so you do not walk out with a textbook answer?
- What would make you stop?
That is what the course is for
PeptiXtreme is ${CIF.LECCIONES} lessons that hand out no numbers. Each one ends with your starting point, what to watch along the way, the specific questions you take to a professional and the signals that mean stop. It includes per-module exams, a diploma with a verifiable folio, a record to track how you progress, and a human advisor you can actually write to.
See the course → Or measure your judgment, freeReferences
Every entry links to its record on PubMed, the US National Library of Medicine database. Open them and check. We would rather have a reader who verifies than one who takes our word for it.
Some title in this list contains a figure, because that is how the study was published and we reproduce titles verbatim: trimming them would make the citation impossible to verify. A title is not a protocol. What amount suits a particular person is decided by a professional who knows their case, never by the headline of a trial.
- A Randomized, Controlled Trial of 3.0 mg of Liraglutide in Weight Managementhuman N Engl J Med · 2015 · PMID 26132939 →
- Efficacy of Liraglutide for Weight Loss Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: The SCALE Diabetes Randomized Clinical Trialhuman JAMA · 2015 · PMID 26284720 →
- Weight maintenance and additional weight loss with liraglutide after low-calorie-diet-induced weight loss: the SCALE Maintenance randomized studyhuman Int J Obes (Lond) · 2013 · PMID 23812094 →
- 3 years of liraglutide versus placebo for type 2 diabetes risk reduction and weight management in individuals with prediabetes: a randomised, double-blind trialhuman Lancet · 2017 · PMID 28237263 →
- Effect of liraglutide 3.0 mg in individuals with obesity and moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnea: the SCALE Sleep Apnea randomized clinical trialhuman Int J Obes (Lond) · 2016 · PMID 27005405 →
- Liraglutide for Children 6 to <12 Years of Age with Obesity - A Randomized Trialhuman N Engl J Med · 2025 · PMID 39258838 →
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Frequently asked questions
What is Liraglutide?
A GLP-1 analogue given once daily. It mimics a gut hormone released when we eat that takes part in the satiety signal and in gastric emptying. It is studied within the area of metabolic.
Is there human evidence for Liraglutide?
This is the GLP-1 with the oldest and most consolidated human evidence: the SCALE programme included large randomised trials in obesity, type 2 diabetes, weight maintenance and sleep apnoea, plus a 3-year follow-up in prediabetes, along with trials in adolescents and in children as young as 6.
Is it approved by any health agency?
Approved by the FDA and the EMA (Victoza for type 2 diabetes, Saxenda for weight management). Generics are already available.
What is the dose of Liraglutide?
We do not publish dosages. This is not an oversight. No single figure works for everyone: the regimen depends on a person's medical history, on whatever medication they already take, and on the goal they are chasing, which is something a professional weighs with the case in front of them. What you can build is the ability to walk into that appointment knowing what to ask.
Where can I learn to evaluate this properly?
This page tells you what Liraglutide is and what the evidence says. The PeptiXtreme course teaches the other half: what you would measure before considering anything, what you would watch, the specific questions you would take to a professional and when you would stop.