# Liraglutide

> The once-daily GLP-1 agonist that preceded semaglutide — FDA-approved for diabetes (Victoza) and obesity (Saxenda).

- Also known as: Victoza, Saxenda, NN2211
- Class: Metabolic
- FDA approved: Yes
- Canonical page: https://americanpeptide.com/catalog/liraglutide

## Overview

Liraglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist and the direct predecessor of semaglutide — the drug that proved the once-daily, acylated GLP-1 template before Novo Nordisk stretched it to once-weekly dosing. A fatty-acid chain on the GLP-1 backbone extends its half-life to about 13 hours, enough for daily injection. It was FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes (Victoza, 2010) and later, at higher dose, for chronic weight management (Saxenda, 2014).

Liraglutide is where the modern GLP-1 story really begins for daily therapy. It is a GLP-1(7-37) analog carrying a single amino-acid substitution and, crucially, a C16 palmitic-acid chain attached through a glutamate spacer to a lysine — an acylation that lets the peptide bind reversibly to albumin and resist rapid clearance. That change pushed GLP-1’s natural half-life of minutes out to roughly half a day, making once-daily injection practical.

Novo Nordisk brought it to market for type 2 diabetes as Victoza (2010) and then, at a higher dose, for chronic weight management as Saxenda (2014), backed by a cardiovascular-outcomes trial (LEADER) showing benefit in high-risk patients. Semaglutide is its direct successor — the same acylation strategy taken further to reach once-weekly dosing and larger weight effects — which makes liraglutide both a still-used medicine and the historical bridge to the drugs that followed it.

## Mechanism

GLP-1 receptor agonism → glucose-dependent insulin secretion, glucagon suppression, slowed gastric emptying, and central appetite reduction.

## Chemistry

| Property | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Molecular formula | C172H265N43O51 |
| Molecular weight | 3751.2 Da |
| CAS number | 204656-20-2 |
| PubChem CID | [16134956](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/16134956) |

## Research areas

Studied in: Type 2 diabetes, Obesity, Cardiovascular risk reduction.

Guides on this site:

- [Weight Loss & Metabolic Health](https://americanpeptide.com/research-areas/weight-loss): Incretin and metabolic peptides studied for glycemic control and fat loss.

## Key research

- Glycemic control — the original approved use (Victoza) for type 2 diabetes via GLP-1 receptor agonism.
- Weight management — approved at higher dose as Saxenda for chronic weight management.
- Cardiovascular outcomes — the LEADER trial reported reduced major adverse cardiovascular events in high-risk type 2 diabetes.
- Once-daily acylation — a C16 fatty-acid chain and albumin binding extend its half-life to ~13 hours, the template semaglutide later extended to weekly.
- FDA-approved — Victoza (2010) and Saxenda (2014).

## Storage, handling & synthesis

**Synthesis.** Liraglutide is a GLP-1(7-37) analog carrying a C16 palmitoyl chain attached through a γ-glutamate spacer to a lysine, made by solid-phase synthesis. The single fatty-acid acylation is the defining step; over a 31-residue backbone, coupling efficiency and deletion-sequence removal set the purity.

## FAQs

### What is liraglutide?

Liraglutide is a once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for type 2 diabetes (Victoza) and chronic weight management (Saxenda); it is the direct predecessor of semaglutide.

### How is it different from semaglutide?

Both are acylated GLP-1 agonists, but liraglutide is dosed once daily (~13-hour half-life) while semaglutide was engineered for once-weekly dosing and larger average weight loss.

### What is the difference between Victoza and Saxenda?

Both are liraglutide. Victoza is approved for type 2 diabetes; Saxenda is the higher-dose version approved for chronic weight management.

### Is liraglutide FDA-approved?

Yes — for type 2 diabetes (Victoza) and chronic weight management (Saxenda). This page is a research and educational reference, not medical advice.

## Latest research

Recent trials and publications mentioning Liraglutide, pulled automatically from ClinicalTrials.gov and PubMed (unfiltered search results, refreshed daily).

### Recent trials

- [GLP-1/GIP Receptor Agonists in Obesity-Related HFpEF: The GLIDE-HF Registry](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07787936) — NOT_YET_RECRUITING · NCT07787936
- [Effect of Liraglutide in Obese Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05965908) — COMPLETED · PHASE3 · NCT05965908
- [Probiotic Intervention for Digestive Health in Obese Patients Initiating GLP-RA Treatment](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07213323) — RECRUITING · NA · NCT07213323
- [Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Four Second Line Pharmacological Strategies in Type 2 Diabetes Study](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05220917) — ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING · NCT05220917
- [Effect of Exercise and/or Liraglutide on Vascular Dysfunction and Insulin Sensitivity in Type 2 Diabetes ( ZQL007)](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03883412) — RECRUITING · PHASE4 · NCT03883412
- [LIGHT-MCI Trial: GLP-1 Agonist, SGLT2 Inhibitor, and DPP-4 Inhibitor for MCI Remission in Type 2 Diabetes](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05313529) — COMPLETED · NA · NCT05313529

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Source: AmericanPeptide.com — https://americanpeptide.com/catalog/liraglutide
Data license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Attribution: AmericanPeptide.com.
Research reference only — computational and educational content, not medical advice.