# Liraglutide — dosage, half-life & reference guide | PepVault

Source: https://pepvault.app/peptides/liraglutide

Last updated: 2026-09-26

[Library](https://pepvault.app/peptides) [Metabolic & GLP-1](https://pepvault.app/peptides#metabolic) reviewed September 2026

# Liraglutide Dosage, half-life & reference guide

Also known as Victoza · Saxenda · Liraglutide injection

The predecessor to semaglutide: a GLP-1 receptor agonist that reduces appetite and improves blood sugar control, given as a daily injection rather than weekly.

- **FDA label:** 0.6–3 mg starting dose 0.6 mg
- **How often:** Daily
- **Half-life:** ~13 hours
- **Evidence:** Established
- **Route:** SubQ injection

[Liraglutide dose guide](https://pepvault.app/lab/dosage/liraglutide)

## How it works.

GLP-1 receptor agonist and predecessor to semaglutide. Stimulates insulin secretion, reduces glucagon, slows gastric emptying, and reduces appetite. Shorter half-life than semaglutide requiring daily dosing. FDA approved for type 2 diabetes (Victoza) and obesity (Saxenda). The labels step the dose up from 0.6 mg to minimize GI side effects.

**Commonly reported:** Appetite drops and meals end sooner, though less dramatically than on semaglutide or tirzepatide, with nausea during the climb to 3 mg. FDA-approved for diabetes (Victoza) and obesity (Saxenda), with one of the longest track records of any GLP-1 drug.

## Where Liraglutide works.

- ### Appetite & metabolism

  **In people.** In the main trial, about two in three people lost at least 5% within a year on this dose.

An area lights for what a peptide is used for and what people report, with the evidence beside it. It isn’t a promise that it works there.

## Week by week.

What to expect in the first 8 weeks

1. Day 1–14 · 0.6 mg RCT

   ### Starting dose — GI is the main thing

   You're on 0.6mg — the starter dose, designed to get your gut used to delayed emptying, not to drive weight loss yet. Expect nausea, maybe early satiety, maybe loose stools. The GI stuff usually settles within the first 7–10 days.

   The science

   Liraglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist with 97% homology to native GLP-1 but half-life extended to ~13hrs via fatty acid acylation. The titration schedule (0.6 → 1.2 → 1.8 → 2.4 → 3.0mg weekly) exists specifically to reduce GI side effect intensity. SCALE trials used this schedule.

   Sources

   - Pi-Sunyer et al. (SCALE) (2015)

   Updated Apr 2026
2. Day 14–42 RCT

   ### Titrating up — appetite really drops

   You're climbing the dose ladder now. Commonly reported: "food noise" quiets, the background hunger chatter fades, meals end sooner, and you're not thinking about food as much. Weight loss usually becomes measurable by week 4.

   The science

   SCALE trial (n=3731, 56 weeks) showed progressive weight loss with dose escalation: mean 8.0% body weight loss on 3.0mg at 56 weeks vs 2.6% placebo. Liraglutide acts on appetite centres in the brain, including the arcuate nucleus (animal studies).

   Sources

   - Pi-Sunyer et al. (SCALE) (2015)

   Updated Sep 2026
3. Day 42–168 RCT

   ### Steady loss at target dose

   Full 3.0mg dose, steady pattern. In the main trial, about two in three people lost at least 5% within a year on this dose, and one in three lost more than 10% — a slower arc than semaglutide, but real and well-studied. Plateau is normal; the rate of loss slows after the first 4 months.

   The science

   The pivotal SCALE trial measured 8% mean weight loss at 56 weeks. LEADER trial (n=9340) showed cardiovascular risk reduction in T2D patients independent of weight effect. Daily injection cadence matters for effect stability — missing doses drops exposure faster than with semaglutide.

   Sources

   - Pi-Sunyer et al. (SCALE) (2015)
   - Marso et al. (LEADER) (2016)

   Updated Sep 2026
4. Any day RCT

   ### What Liraglutide is built on

   Liraglutide has one of the longest clinical track records of any GLP-1 — FDA approval for T2D (Victoza 2010) and obesity (Saxenda 2014), plus the LEADER cardiovascular outcomes trial. Daily injection is the main trade-off vs weekly semaglutide.

   The science

   Developed by Novo Nordisk. SCALE obesity program was the regulatory pathway for Saxenda. LEADER trial (2016) established cardiovascular risk reduction in T2D. Since eclipsed in market share by semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) and tirzepatide, but with some of the longest real-world safety data in the class.

   Sources

   - Pi-Sunyer et al. (SCALE) (2015)
   - Marso et al. (LEADER) (2016)

   Updated Sep 2026

### After week 8

1. Day 168–365 RCT

   ### Maintenance and long game

   Past 6 months, this is a long-term tool. Most clinical practice is either continued use for maintenance or transition to semaglutide/tirzepatide if convenience becomes the priority. Weight regain is likely if you stop cold — taper with lifestyle lock-in.

   The science

   In the 3-year SCALE trial in people with prediabetes, weight loss held with continued dosing (−6.1% vs −1.9% at week 160), though about half of participants withdrew (le Roux 2017). Post-discontinuation regain is well-documented across the GLP-1 class — the mechanism (appetite modulation) reverses when drug exposure stops.

   Sources

   - Pi-Sunyer et al. (SCALE) (2015)
   - le Roux et al. (2017)

   Updated Sep 2026

Day 1 is the day you start it.

## Mixing and a typical run.

Example numbers

### Reconstitution example

Reconstitute a 10 mg vial of Liraglutide with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water and a 0.6 mg dose is 12 units on a U-100 syringe, about 16 doses per vial.

- **Vial:** 10 mg
- **Water:** 2 mL
- **Amount:** 0.6 mg

Draw to **12 units**

0.3 mL insulin syringe · 30 units

[Mix it in the Reconstitution Lab](https://pepvault.app/lab) [Open the calculator](https://pepvault.app/tools/reconstitution-calculator)

### Run notes

- **Cycle:** FDA-approved for daily use. Community uses continuously or until goal reached. Community practice — opinions vary. Not a clinical recommendation.
- **Timing:** Daily SubQ, same time each day. Titration schedule required.
- **Route:** SubQ injection

## Safety.

### Common side effects

- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Pancreatitis risk
- Thyroid C-cell tumor risk (animal data)

#### Interactions

The Saxenda label advises against combining it with other liraglutide products or any other GLP-1 drug.

## Compared with.

- [Liraglutide vs Semaglutide](https://pepvault.app/peptides/compare/liraglutide-vs-semaglutide)

## Questions people ask.

### What is Liraglutide?

The predecessor to semaglutide: a GLP-1 receptor agonist that reduces appetite and improves blood sugar control, given as a daily injection rather than weekly.

### How is Liraglutide dosed in research?

The FDA label range for Liraglutide is 0.6–3 mg, daily SubQ, with a 0.6 mg starting dose.

### How long does Liraglutide last?

The half-life of Liraglutide is ~13 hours.

### What do people report on Liraglutide?

Commonly reported on Liraglutide: appetite drops and meals end sooner, though less dramatically than on semaglutide or tirzepatide, with nausea during the climb to 3 mg. FDA-approved for diabetes (Victoza) and obesity (Saxenda), with one of the longest track records of any GLP-1 drug.

### Is Liraglutide safe?

The research basis for Liraglutide is established: clinical trials or FDA-approved use exists. Common side effects in the library: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, pancreatitis risk and thyroid C-cell tumor risk (animal data).

## Research.

The literature

### Search the latest research

[PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Liraglutide) [Google Scholar](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Liraglutide)

## Reference.

- **Cadence:** Daily Daily SubQ
- **Half-life:** ~13 hours
- **Research basis:** Established Clinical trials or FDA-approved use exists

## More metabolic & glp-1 peptides

- [Dulaglutide 0.75–4.5 mg](https://pepvault.app/peptides/dulaglutide)
- [Orforglipron 0.8–17.2 mg](https://pepvault.app/peptides/orforglipron)
- [Survodutide 0.3–6 mg](https://pepvault.app/peptides/survodutide)
- [Mazdutide 2–6 mg](https://pepvault.app/peptides/mazdutide)
- [Pemvidutide 1.2–2.4 mg](https://pepvault.app/peptides/pemvidutide)
- [Cagrilintide 0.25–2.4 mg](https://pepvault.app/peptides/cagrilintide)

## Free tools

- [Liraglutide dose guide](https://pepvault.app/lab/dosage/liraglutide)
- [Reconstitution Lab (3D)](https://pepvault.app/lab)
- [Injection guide (3D)](https://pepvault.app/lab/injection)
- [Peptide Sky (3D)](https://pepvault.app/lab/sky)
- [Peptide tier list](https://pepvault.app/lab/tiers)
- [Reconstitution calculator](https://pepvault.app/tools/reconstitution-calculator)
- [Half-life & active level](https://pepvault.app/tools/peptide-half-life-calculator)
- [GLP-1 titration planner](https://pepvault.app/tools/glp1-titration-calculator)

Track your progress

## Watch it *work.*

Weight, waist and photos in one arc.

[Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6779318649?ppid=616838ec-3248-400f-bd58-4b93f85f1a20&pt=129020030&ct=peptides-progress-band&mt=8)

**34.8 lbs** down since June

Model. Individual results vary.

PepVault for iPhone

## Track Liraglutide in PepVault

Log every dose and keep your vial and the doses left in it. 7 days free on the yearly plan for new subscribers.

[Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6779318649?ppid=616838ec-3248-400f-bd58-4b93f85f1a20&pt=129020030&ct=peptides-cta&mt=8)

[Open the calculator](https://pepvault.app/tools/reconstitution-calculator) [How the vial count works](https://pepvault.app/peptide-vial-tracker-app) [Explore the live demo](https://pepvault.app/login)

Reviewed September 2026 [How we check the library](https://pepvault.app/about#library)

PepVault is a research and tracking resource, not medical advice. Ranges are what studies used, never a dose for you. Brand names are trademarks of their owners; PepVault is independent of them.

PepVault is a private research and tracking tool, not medical advice. The information here is reference material from published literature and community use — always verify it and discuss any protocol with a qualified clinician before changing it. Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Mounjaro, Zepbound, Saxenda, Victoza and Trulicity are trademarks of their respective owners; PepVault is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by any manufacturer.

© 2026 PepVault