Liraglutide (Saxenda): approved dosage
Not a recommendation, not treatment guidance. This page shows only the dosing in the official product information, with sources. The dose is always decided by the doctor who prescribes the medicine. Fimea warns against using injectable peptides bought online: Fimea warning.
Source of the dosing: Saxenda (liraglutide), EMA summary of product characteristics (EMA), date of the text 31 Jul 2025 [1]official; Victoza (liraglutide), EMA summary of product characteristics, date of the text 20 Feb 2025 [2]official
Liraglutide has two EU-authorised products whose dosing is shown on this page: Saxenda (liraglutide) for weight management and Victoza (liraglutide) for type 2 diabetes [1, 2]official.
Both are injected under the skin once a day, but the doses differ: Saxenda (liraglutide) is increased to 3.0 mg and Victoza (liraglutide) to no more than 1.8 mg [1, 2]official. The figures come from the summaries of product characteristics approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) [1, 2]official.
Dosing in the product information
| Product and step | Indication | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Source and level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saxenda (liraglutide), dose escalation | Weight management: adults, adolescents aged 12 and over, and children aged 6-11 | 0.6 mg, 1.2 mg, 1.8 mg and 2.4 mg under the skin, 1 week each | Once a day | 4 weeks | [1]official |
| Saxenda (liraglutide), maintenance | Weight management: adults, adolescents aged 12 and over, and children aged 6-11 | 3.0 mg under the skin (more than 3.0 mg not recommended) | Once a day | Review after 12 weeks: in adults stop if weight has not fallen by at least 5%; in adolescents and children if BMI has not fallen by at least 4% | [1]official |
| Victoza (liraglutide), start | Insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes, adults and children aged 10 and over | 0.6 mg under the skin | Once a day | At least 1 week | [2]official |
| Victoza (liraglutide), maintenance | Insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes, adults and children aged 10 and over | 1.2 mg; if needed 1.8 mg under the skin (more than 1.8 mg not recommended) | Once a day | Increase to 1.8 mg after at least one week | [2]official |
Evidence levels: official = official product information · A = randomised human trial or meta-analysis · B = observational human study or case series · C = animal study · D = cell or laboratory study · E = not peer-reviewed
Notes
According to the Saxenda product information (liraglutide), stopping treatment is considered if the next escalation step is not tolerated for two consecutive weeks [1]official.
In people with type 2 diabetes, Saxenda (liraglutide) is not used together with another GLP-1 receptor agonist [1]official.
What points the other way or is uncertain
In five placebo-controlled trials of Saxenda (liraglutide) (5,813 adults), gastrointestinal effects were the most common adverse reactions (67.9%), mostly in the first weeks of treatment [1]official.
In the three-year SCALE trial (liraglutide 3.0 mg a day), 47% of the liraglutide group withdrew before week 160, and those who withdrew were not followed up, which limits how the long-term results can be read [3]A.
- Liraglutide (Saxenda): the full substance page
- Liraglutide (Saxenda): why no calculator preset
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- All dose pages and calculators
Read the research yourself: sources
- European Medicines Agency. Saxenda (liraglutide): EPAR product information, Annex I summary of product characteristics. Last updated 31 Jul 2025, read 12 Oct 2026. EMA
- European Medicines Agency. Victoza (liraglutide): EPAR product information, Annex I summary of product characteristics. Last updated 20 Feb 2025, read 12 Oct 2026. EMA
- le Roux CW, et al. 3 years of liraglutide versus placebo for type 2 diabetes risk reduction and weight management in individuals with prediabetes: a randomised, double-blind trial. Lancet. 2017;389(10077):1399-1409. PMID 28237263
The summaries of product characteristics carry no revision date. The date shown is the last update of the product information on the EMA medicine page: Saxenda (liraglutide) 31 Jul 2025, Victoza (liraglutide) 20 Feb 2025. Checked on 12 Oct 2026.
Content is general information about research, not medical advice. If you have symptoms, contact a healthcare professional.