Victoza, Saxenda
Evidence Grade A — Regulatory approved. 5289 published studies. 52 registered clinical trials.
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Liraglutide is a once-daily injectable GLP-1 medication sold as Victoza for type 2 diabetes and as Saxenda for weight management. It was one of the first GLP-1 treatments to prove that this drug class can reduce heart attacks and strokes in people with diabetes — a landmark finding from the LEADER trial. While newer GLP-1 medications now deliver significantly more weight loss, liraglutide has over a decade of real-world safety data.
5,289 published studies: 3227 human, 785 animal, 346 in-vitro, 1482 reviews
Liraglutide is marketed as Victoza for type 2 diabetes (approved 2010) and Saxenda for weight management (approved 2014). The LEADER trial, involving over 9,300 patients followed for nearly four years, established that liraglutide reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events by 13% — a landmark finding that helped establish GLP-1 treatments as a class with heart benefits. Saxenda is also approved for adolescents aged 12 and older.
While historically significant, liraglutide has been substantially surpassed by newer agents. In a direct comparison, semaglutide achieved 15.8% weight loss compared to liraglutide's 6.4%. Liraglutide remains relevant as a lower-intensity option and as a benchmark against which newer treatments are measured. It has over a decade of real-world safety data, making it one of the best-understood medications in this class.
Like semaglutide, liraglutide works by mimicking GLP-1, the natural hormone that helps control blood sugar and appetite after eating. It stimulates insulin release when blood sugar is elevated, suppresses the hormone that raises blood sugar, slows stomach emptying, and reduces appetite through the brain. The key difference from newer treatments like semaglutide is that liraglutide's molecular design gives it a shorter duration of action, requiring daily rather than weekly injections.
The LEADER trial, following over 9,300 patients for nearly four years, established that liraglutide reduces major cardiovascular events by 13%. This was a pivotal moment that helped redefine GLP-1 treatments as more than just blood sugar medications. Saxenda's approval for weight management and subsequently for adolescents aged 12 and older expanded the drug's reach beyond diabetes. However, liraglutide has been significantly surpassed in efficacy. In a direct comparison trial, semaglutide produced 15.8% weight loss versus liraglutide's 6.4%. Tirzepatide has shown even larger effects. The daily injection requirement also compares unfavourably to semaglutide's weekly dosing. Liraglutide carries the class-wide thyroid tumour boxed warning (based on animal studies) and risks including pancreatitis and gallbladder disease. It remains relevant as a lower-intensity option, as a benchmark for clinical research, and for its uniquely extensive long-term safety data.
RWS of of Liraglutide Alone and in Combination With Orlistat for Weight Loss in Overweight/Obese Patients.
Preoperative Use of Liraglutide Additionally to Common Dietological Measures as Opposed to Dietological Measures Alone
TP04HN106 in the Treatment of Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
A Trial Investigating the Efficacy and Safety of Insulin Degludec/Liraglutide Injection in Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes
Risk Factors Affect Weight Loss Outcomes After Treatment.
EMA Marketing Authorisation
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Setmelanotide is marketed as Imcivree (Rhythm Pharmaceuticals; approved November 2020 for POMC, PCSK1, or LEPR deficiency; June 2022 for Bardet-Biedl syndrome; December 2024 expanded to patients aged 2 years and older). Genetic testing confirming an eligible mutation is required before treatment. In patients with POMC or PCSK1 deficiency, approximately 80% achieved at least 10% weight loss in clinical trials. In Bardet-Biedl syndrome, 32.3% achieved the same threshold. The most common side effects are injection-site reactions and skin darkening (due to the melanocortin pathway's connection to pigmentation). Setmelanotide exemplifies precision medicine — it is highly effective in the specific genetic populations it targets but is not indicated for common obesity.
HGH Fragment 176-191 has no marketing authorisation. A Phase IIa trial in obesity (approximately 300 patients) failed to demonstrate statistically significant weight loss at any dose tested. The clinical development programme was discontinued. The disconnect between animal data (which showed significant fat reduction in obese mice) and the failed human trial is the defining feature of this compound's development history. Products available through unregulated channels lack pharmaceutical quality assurance. The failed Phase II trial represents the highest level of clinical evidence available.
5-Amino-1MQ has no marketing authorisation. No human clinical trials have been conducted. The key preclinical study treated diet-induced obese mice for 11 days and reported body weight and fat mass changes. No human pharmacokinetic, safety, or efficacy data exist. 5-Amino-1MQ is not a peptide. Products available through unregulated channels lack pharmaceutical quality assurance. The absence of any human data means effects, safety, interactions, and appropriate dosing in humans are entirely unknown.
