Saxenda (Liraglutide 3 mg)

Saxenda (liraglutide 3 mg) holds a pivotal historical place in the GLP-1 weight-loss story: approved by the FDA in December 2014, it was the first GLP-1 receptor agonist approved specifically for chronic weight management — the drug that proved the class could produce clinically meaningful weight loss in adults without diabetes and transformed the regulatory and commercial calculus for all the agents that followed. Liraglutide is a once-daily subcutaneous injection that mimics the structure of natural GLP-1 with approximately 97% amino acid sequence identity to the human hormone, providing an 18-24 hour half-life that supports daily dosing. In the pivotal SCALE trials, Saxenda produced an average of 8-10% body weight reduction over 56 weeks in adults with obesity or overweight — lower than semaglutide and tirzepatide but representing a meaningful improvement over earlier pharmacotherapy options like orlistat (which averaged 3-5%). Clinical trial participants achieved a 5.8 kg weight loss versus 1.6 kg with placebo in the landmark SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes trial. Saxenda is also approved for adolescents aged 12-17 with obesity — a distinction no other weight-loss GLP-1 holds — making it uniquely positioned for pediatric obesity management. The single most important development for Saxenda in 2025-2026 is the FDA approval of a generic liraglutide injection for weight loss, announced in August 2025. Generic liraglutide costs $230-$500 per month — compared to Saxenda's $1,349 list price — and Teva's manufacturer savings program brings the cost to as low as $20 per prescription for commercially insured patients. This generic approval fundamentally changes the economics of liraglutide-based treatment, offering the GLP-1 class's safest and most established long-term safety profile at a dramatically lower price point. The once-daily injection requirement and lower efficacy than newer agents are its primary limitations, but for patients who cannot access semaglutide or tirzepatide due to cost or supply, generic liraglutide represents a viable and increasingly affordable bridge.