Liraglutide (Saxenda, Victoza): Trials, Doses and Legal Status

Quick answers

What is it?: A modified version of GLP-1, a gut hormone that helps control blood sugar and appetite, injected once a day⁴. Novo Nordisk sells it as Saxenda for weight loss and Victoza for type 2 diabetes, and FDA has also approved generic versions⁵⁶.
Does it work?: Yes, in large trials. Adults lost 8.4 kg on average over 56 weeks, versus 2.8 kg on placebo¹. In type 2 diabetes with high heart risk, 13.0% had a heart attack, stroke or heart-related death, versus 14.9% on placebo². Weekly semaglutide cut more weight³.
Is it safe?: Nausea, diarrhea, constipation and vomiting are common; 9.8% of adults stopped because of side effects, versus 4.3% on placebo⁴. It caused thyroid tumors in rats and mice; the risk in people is unknown⁴. The label also warns of an inflamed pancreas and gallbladder disease⁴.
Is it legal?: Yes, with a prescription, as Saxenda, Victoza or a generic⁶. While it is on FDA’s shortage list, US pharmacies may make copies⁷⁸. FDA’s list says Saxenda will be available until it is discontinued in January 2027⁷. Not banned in sport⁹¹⁰.
What is in the vials?: We found no lab tests of gray-market liraglutide. Fake Saxenda and Ozempic pens reported to the UK regulator in 2023 held insulin, and some recipients were hospitalized¹¹. In 2025, EU regulators warned of a sharp rise in illegal GLP-1 drugs sold online, naming liraglutide¹².

What it is

Liraglutide is a modified form of GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), a gut hormone released after eating. Its 31-amino-acid chain is 97% identical to human GLP-1: arginine replaces lysine at position 34, and a 16-carbon fatty acid (palmitic acid) is attached through a glutamic acid spacer to the lysine at position 26⁴. Natural GLP-1 lasts 1.5 to 2 minutes in the blood before the enzymes DPP-4 and NEP break it down. Liraglutide resists both enzymes, clusters together under the skin so it is absorbed slowly, and binds to blood proteins, so its half-life is about 13 hours and it is injected once a day⁴. Like GLP-1, it switches on the GLP-1 receptor: it raises insulin and lowers glucagon when blood sugar is high, slows stomach emptying and helps regulate appetite⁴. The label says it lowers weight by cutting calorie intake, not by raising the energy the body burns over 24 hours⁴.

Liraglutide was developed at Novo Nordisk, which makes and sells it as Victoza and Saxenda⁴⁵¹³. The idea was to attach a fatty acid to GLP-1 so that it binds to albumin, one of the most abundant proteins in blood, and lasts far longer¹³; a 2000 paper described a series of such derivatives that seemed suitable for once-daily dosing¹⁴. A 2019 review by Novo Nordisk scientists, one of them a named inventor of liraglutide, says it was chosen because it combined high potency with a duration suited to one injection a day, and calls it the first long-acting GLP-1 drug for type 2 diabetes¹³. It was first authorized in the EU, as Victoza, on 30 June 2009¹⁵. FDA approved Victoza for type 2 diabetes on 25 January 2010 and Saxenda for weight management on 23 December 2014⁶¹⁶¹⁷.

Benefits: what the research shows

Liraglutide’s weight-loss effect rests on several large placebo-controlled trials. In SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes, 3,731 adults without diabetes and with a BMI of 30 or more (27 or more with high blood pressure or abnormal blood fats) received liraglutide 3.0 mg a day or placebo, both with lifestyle counseling. After 56 weeks they had lost 8.4 kg versus 2.8 kg on average, and 33.1% versus 10.6% had lost more than 10% of their weight¹. In the trial’s 3-year part, among 2,254 adults with prediabetes, 2% versus 6% were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during treatment and weight was down 6.1% versus 1.9% at 160 weeks, but only half completed the 3 years and those who dropped out were not followed up²⁰. Other placebo-controlled trials found 6.0% versus 2.0% weight loss over 56 weeks in adults with type 2 diabetes²¹, a further 6.2% versus 0.2% loss in people who had already lost weight on a low-calorie diet²², and in obstructive sleep apnea, a drop of 12.2 versus 6.1 breathing interruptions per hour of sleep after 32 weeks, alongside 5.7% versus 1.6% weight loss²³. In adolescents aged 12 to 17, BMI fell more than on placebo over 56 weeks but rose again once treatment stopped²⁴, and in children aged 6 to 11, BMI fell 5.8% while it rose 1.6% on placebo²⁵. In LEADER, 9,340 adults with type 2 diabetes and high cardiovascular risk received liraglutide 1.8 mg a day or placebo on top of standard care. Over a median 3.8 years, 13.0% versus 14.9% had a heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death (hazard ratio 0.87), and 4.7% versus 6.0% died of cardiovascular causes². In 134 children and teenagers aged 10 to 16 with type 2 diabetes, all also taking metformin, HbA1c, a measure of long-term blood sugar, fell 0.64 points at 26 weeks while it rose 0.42 points on placebo²⁶. A newer drug did better: in STEP 8, a 68-week head-to-head trial in 338 adults, weight fell 6.4% on daily liraglutide 3.0 mg versus 15.8% on weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg, and 27.6% versus 13.5% stopped treatment early³.

Key human studies

Study	Design	People	Dose and route	Result
Pi-Sunyer et al., N Engl J Med 2015 (SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes)¹PubMed · DOI · NCT01272219	Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (2:1), 56 weeks; adults with BMI 30 or more (27 or more with high blood pressure or abnormal blood fats), no diabetes	3,731	3.0 mg subcutaneous once daily plus lifestyle counseling	Weight -8.4 kg vs -2.8 kg with placebo (difference -5.6 kg). 63.2% vs 27.1% lost at least 5%; 33.1% vs 10.6% lost more than 10%. Serious adverse events 6.2% vs 5.0%.
Marso et al., N Engl J Med 2016 (LEADER)²PubMed · DOI · NCT01179048	Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cardiovascular outcomes trial, median follow-up 3.8 years; adults with type 2 diabetes and high cardiovascular risk	9,340	1.8 mg subcutaneous once daily, added to standard care	Cardiovascular death, heart attack or stroke: 13.0% vs 14.9% (hazard ratio 0.87, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.97). Cardiovascular death 4.7% vs 6.0%; death from any cause 8.2% vs 9.6%.
Rubino et al., JAMA 2022 (STEP 8)³PubMed · DOI · NCT04074161	Randomized, open-label comparison of semaglutide and liraglutide (each double-blind against its own placebo), 68 weeks; adults with BMI 30 or more (27 or more with a weight-related condition), no diabetes	338	Liraglutide 3.0 mg subcutaneous once daily vs semaglutide 2.4 mg once weekly, plus diet and physical activity	Weight -6.4% with liraglutide vs -15.8% with semaglutide (difference 9.4 points); pooled placebo -1.9%. 25.6% vs 70.9% lost 10% or more. 27.6% vs 13.5% stopped treatment for any reason.
le Roux et al., Lancet 2017 (SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes, 3-year part)²⁰PubMed · DOI · NCT01272219	Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (2:1), 160 weeks; adults with prediabetes and BMI 30 or more (27 or more with a weight-related condition)	2,254	3.0 mg subcutaneous once daily plus a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity	Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during treatment: 2% vs 6% (hazard ratio 0.21). Weight -6.1% vs -1.9%. Only 50% completed 160 weeks. Serious adverse events 15% vs 13%.
Kelly et al., N Engl J Med 2020 (SCALE Teens)²⁴PubMed · DOI · NCT02918279	Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 56 weeks plus 26 weeks off treatment; adolescents aged 12 to 17 with obesity and a poor response to lifestyle therapy alone	251	3.0 mg subcutaneous once daily plus lifestyle therapy	BMI standard-deviation score -0.22 vs placebo. 43.3% vs 18.7% cut BMI by at least 5%; 26.1% vs 8.1% by at least 10%. BMI score rose more after stopping (difference 0.15). Digestive side effects 64.8% vs 36.5%; 10.4% vs 0% stopped because of side effects.
Fox et al., N Engl J Med 2025 (SCALE Kids)²⁵PubMed · DOI · NCT04775082	Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (2:1), 56 weeks plus 26 weeks off treatment; children aged 6 to 11 with obesity	82	3.0 mg (or the highest tolerated dose) subcutaneous once daily plus lifestyle interventions	BMI -5.8% vs +1.6% with placebo (difference 7.4 points). Body weight +1.6% vs +10.0%. 46% vs 9% cut BMI by at least 5%. Digestive side effects 80% vs 54%; serious adverse events 12% vs 8%.

Doses studied

Doses below are what studies used or what a label says. They are not advice, and gray-market products may not contain what their label says.

In human studies

Approved labels: Saxenda starts at 0.6 mg once daily and rises by 0.6 mg each week (1.2, 1.8, 2.4 mg) to 3 mg daily from week 5. For adults, 3 mg is the recommended dose and lower doses are for the step-up only; the label says to stop if 3 mg is not tolerated, or if weight has not fallen by at least 4% after 16 weeks. For children 12 and older, the maintenance dose is 3 mg, or 2.4 mg if 3 mg is not tolerated; the step-up may take up to 8 weeks, and treatment stops if BMI has not fallen by at least 1% after 12 weeks on the maintenance dose⁴. Victoza starts at 0.6 mg once daily for one week (a dose that does not control blood sugar in adults), then 1.2 mg, with a maximum of 1.8 mg daily; children 10 and older step up in 0.6 mg increments to at most 1.8 mg⁵. Trial doses: 3.0 mg daily in SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes, SCALE Teens, SCALE Kids and STEP 8; 3.0 or 1.8 mg daily in SCALE Diabetes; 1.8 mg daily in LEADER^135212425.

In animal studies

Two-year cancer studies on the US Saxenda label: mice received 0.03, 0.2, 1 or 3 mg/kg/day under the skin for 104 weeks. Benign thyroid C-cell adenomas increased at 1 and 3 mg/kg/day, malignant C-cell carcinomas occurred in 3% of females at 3 mg/kg/day, and males at 3 mg/kg/day had more skin tumors (fibrosarcomas) at the injection site. Rats received 0.075, 0.25 or 0.75 mg/kg/day for 104 weeks: benign adenomas increased in males at 0.25 and 0.75 mg/kg/day and in females at every dose, and malignant carcinomas increased in every male group and in females at 0.25 and 0.75 mg/kg/day⁴. These are animal doses, not human doses.

What users report

No community dosing page was cited for this compound.

Half-life: About 13 hours⁴Elimination half-life after injection under the skin (Saxenda label). Blood levels peak about 11 hours after a dose, about 55% of an injected dose reaches the bloodstream, and more than 98% is bound to blood proteins. Natural GLP-1 lasts 1.5 to 2 minutes.
Routes: Subcutaneous injection once daily (approved as Saxenda, Victoza and generic liraglutide; human trial data)
Subcutaneous injection combined with insulin degludec (approved as Xultophy)
Fake or illegal products sold outside the legal supply chain, including counterfeit Saxenda pens (no quality control; no trials of these products found)

Every dose studied for Liraglutide, with sources →

Legal status

United States: FDA-approved. Victoza was approved on 25 January 2010 to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes, alongside diet and exercise⁶¹⁶. Supplements added lowering the risk of major cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease on 25 August 2017, based on the LEADER trial, and extended the diabetes use to children 10 and older on 17 June 2019⁶²⁸²⁹. Saxenda was approved on 23 December 2014 for chronic weight management in adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with at least one weight-related condition, and on 4 December 2020 for patients 12 and older with obesity who weigh more than 60 kg⁶¹⁷³⁰. Xultophy, a single injection that combines liraglutide with insulin degludec, was approved on 21 November 2016⁶. Teva launched an authorized generic of Victoza in the US on 24 June 2024³¹. FDA approved the first generic referencing Victoza, from Hikma, on 23 December 2024, and the first referencing Saxenda on 27 August 2025³²³³. As of 6 October 2026, Drugs@FDA listed 11 approved generic liraglutide applications from 9 companies; by FDA’s equivalence codes, 8 match Victoza and 3 match Saxenda⁶. FDA’s shortage list says Saxenda will be available until it is discontinued in January 2027, and FDA’s shortage records list Teva’s generic of Saxenda as “To Be Discontinued”⁷³⁴. The Saxenda label revised in May 2025 removed pregnancy from its contraindications, though it still says the drug may cause fetal harm and should be stopped when pregnancy is recognized; a February 2026 revision removed its warning on suicidal behavior and ideation⁴.
US pharmacies: Liraglutide injection has been on FDA’s drug shortage list since 18 July 2023 and was still listed as “Currently in Shortage” on 7 October 2026: Saxenda and Victoza had limited availability, while generic liraglutide from Hikma and Meitheal and Novo Nordisk’s liraglutide distributed by Teva were available⁷. FDA says a drug on its shortage list is not considered commercially available, so the 503A limit on compounding “essentially copies” does not apply, although all other 503A conditions must be met, including a valid prescription for an individual patient⁸. Section 503A lets pharmacies use a bulk ingredient that meets an applicable USP or NF monograph or, where none exists, is a component of an FDA-approved drug³⁵; in a 1 May 2026 notice FDA said it “assumes without deciding” that liraglutide is a component of FDA-approved drug products³⁶. Once a shortage is resolved, FDA generally considers the drug commercially available again³⁷. 503B outsourcing facilities may compound from bulk liraglutide only while it is on the shortage list⁸³⁷. In the same notice, FDA proposed not to add semaglutide, tirzepatide or liraglutide to the 503B bulks list, tentatively finding “no basis to conclude that the strength of FDA-approved liraglutide products makes them medically unsuitable for certain patients”; FDA later extended the comment period, which closed on 30 July 2026³⁶⁴⁹. Import Alert 66-80 (version published 21 September 2026) lets FDA detain imported GLP-1 bulk ingredients unless the firm and product are on its Green List, which has 10 liraglutide entries (6 from China, 2 from India, 1 from Denmark and 1 from Italy)³⁸.
Other countries: EU: Victoza has been authorized since 30 June 2009 for adults and children from 10 years of age with type 2 diabetes¹⁵. Saxenda has been authorized since 23 March 2015 for weight management in adults, in adolescents from 12 with obesity who weigh more than 60 kg and, unlike in the US, in children aged 6 to 11 with obesity who weigh at least 45 kg³⁹. EMA says Saxenda has a “modest (particularly in men) but still clinically relevant effect on weight loss in adults”³⁹. Its authorization says adults should stop if they have not lost at least 5% of their starting weight after 12 weeks on 3.0 mg a day, and that children and adolescents should stop and be reassessed if their BMI, or BMI z score, has not fallen by at least 4% after 12 weeks on 3.0 mg a day or the highest dose they can tolerate³⁹. UK: the MHRA says liraglutide is a prescription-only medicine and that Saxenda is authorized for weight loss, with diet and exercise⁴⁰. Canada: liraglutide has been on the Prescription Drug List since 20 December 2013⁴¹. Australia: liraglutide is a Schedule 4 prescription-only medicine and is not in Appendix D of the Poisons Standard in force from 1 October 2026²⁷. Since 1 October 2024, compounded medicines containing GLP-1 receptor agonists no longer fall under the exemption that lets pharmacies supply compounded medicines without registration⁴². Other countries: not verified.
Sport: Not prohibited. Liraglutide is not named on WADA’s 2026 Prohibited List or on the 2027 List published 21 September 2026; as an approved drug it falls outside S0, which covers only substances with no current government approval for human therapeutic use⁹¹⁰. Unlike semaglutide and tirzepatide, it is not on WADA’s Monitoring Program in 2026 or 2027⁴³⁴⁴. On 21 September 2026 WADA said the status of GLP-1 receptor agonists “will remain unchanged for 2027 pending further data”⁴⁵.

Liraglutide in the legal tracker →

Quality and the gray market

What testing finds

We found no independent lab test results for gray-market liraglutide. Finnrick, a service that publishes lab results for peptide samples, published an analysis of more than 21,000 testing requests filed up to May 2026 that does not mention liraglutide⁴⁶. The documented problems are fakes. By 20 November 2023, the UK regulator had received 16 reports of products sold as semaglutide or liraglutide that were suspected to be falsified; in five, Saxenda and Ozempic pens were confirmed to be fakes containing insulin¹¹. FDA’s Import Alert 66-80 lets FDA detain GLP-1 bulk ingredients from firms not on its Green List, and says FDA has identified “specific areas of concern” for compounded GLP-1 drugs made from bulk ingredients that appear to be adulterated³⁸.

How it is sold

Liraglutide gets little gray-market attention compared with newer weight-loss drugs. In Finnrick’s analysis of more than 21,000 testing requests filed up to May 2026, retatrutide, tirzepatide, semaglutide and cagrilintide together made up 63% of requests, and liraglutide is not mentioned⁴⁶. On 7 October 2026, Reddit’s r/liraglutide showed 2,052 weekly visitors, against 73,563 for r/Semaglutide⁴⁷⁴⁸. Illegal products do circulate. EMA and the heads of EU medicines agencies warned on 3 September 2025 of a sharp rise in illegal medicines marketed as GLP-1 drugs “such as semaglutide, liraglutide and tirzepatide”, often sold through fraudulent websites and promoted on social media¹². In 2023 the UK regulator said members of the public had obtained fake Saxenda pens without a prescription⁴⁰. Prices were not verified.

Side effects and risks

Digestive side effects are the most common. In adult trials, nausea affected 39.3% on Saxenda versus 13.8% on placebo, diarrhea 20.9% versus 9.9%, constipation 19.4% versus 8.5% and vomiting 15.7% versus 3.9%; 9.8% stopped treatment because of side effects, versus 4.3% on placebo⁴.
Boxed warning: liraglutide causes thyroid C-cell tumors in rats and mice, and whether it does in humans is unknown. Cases of medullary thyroid cancer have been reported in people treated with liraglutide since it went on sale, but these reports cannot establish or rule out a link. It is not for people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN 2 (multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2)⁴.
Other label warnings: acute pancreatitis, including fatal cases, seen with GLP-1 drugs including liraglutide; gallstones (2.2% versus 0.8% on placebo in adult trials); low blood sugar, more likely alongside insulin or drugs that boost insulin release (it also occurred in a trial in children without diabetes); a faster heart rate (a rise of more than 10 beats a minute at two visits in a row in 34% versus 19%); kidney injury from fluid loss; severe digestive reactions; serious allergic reactions; and inhaling stomach contents during anesthesia or deep sedation⁴.
It slows stomach emptying, which may change how well pills taken at the same time are absorbed⁴.
Pregnancy: the label says it may cause fetal harm and should be stopped once pregnancy is recognized⁴.
Stopping: in the adolescent trial, BMI scores rose more in the 26 weeks after liraglutide was stopped than after placebo was stopped²⁴.
Counterfeits: in the UK, fake Saxenda and Ozempic pens were confirmed to contain insulin, and people hospitalized after using fake pens had effects including hypoglycemic shock and coma¹¹⁴⁰.
Illegal online GLP-1 products are not authorized, may not contain the claimed drug at all and may contain harmful levels of other substances¹².

Documented harms

23 Nov 2023UK: by 20 November 2023 the MHRA had received 16 Yellow Card reports of buying or using products sold as semaglutide or liraglutide that were suspected to be falsified. In five cases, Saxenda and Ozempic pens were confirmed to be fakes containing insulin, and some of the people who received them were hospitalized and needed urgent care.¹¹
26 Oct 2023UK: the MHRA said a very small number of people had been hospitalized after using potentially fake weight-loss pens (it named Ozempic and Saxenda). Serious effects, including hypoglycemic shock and coma, indicated that the pens may have contained insulin rather than semaglutide.⁴⁰

Questions people ask

Is liraglutide the same as semaglutide?

No. Both are modified GLP-1 drugs from Novo Nordisk that last longer by binding to albumin, a blood protein, but liraglutide is injected once a day and semaglutide, developed later with a longer fatty acid chain, once a week¹³. In a 68-week head-to-head trial, weight fell 6.4% on daily liraglutide versus 15.8% on weekly semaglutide³.

How much weight can you lose on Saxenda?

In the main 56-week trial of liraglutide 3.0 mg, the Saxenda dose, adults without diabetes lost 8.4 kg on average versus 2.8 kg on placebo, and 33.1% versus 10.6% lost more than 10% of their weight¹. In a separate 56-week trial, adults with type 2 diabetes lost 6.0% of their weight versus 2.0% on placebo²¹.

Is Saxenda being discontinued?

According to FDA’s drug shortage list, yes. On 7 October 2026 it listed Saxenda with limited availability and the note “Product will be available until discontinuation in January 2027”, giving discontinuation of manufacture as the reason⁷. Generic versions rated equivalent to Saxenda are approved⁶.

Is there a generic Saxenda?

Yes. FDA approved the first generic liraglutide referencing Saxenda on 27 August 2025, eight months after the first one referencing Victoza³²³³. As of 6 October 2026, three generic applications carried Saxenda’s equivalence code, although FDA’s shortage records list Teva’s version as “To Be Discontinued”⁶³⁴.

Can pharmacies compound liraglutide?

Yes, for now. Liraglutide injection has been on FDA’s drug shortage list since 18 July 2023, and while it stays there, licensed pharmacies may make copies for individual patients with a valid prescription⁷⁸. Once FDA declares the shortage resolved, it generally treats the drug as commercially available again, which limits copies³⁷.

Is liraglutide banned in sports?

No. Liraglutide is not named on WADA’s 2026 or 2027 Prohibited List, and unlike semaglutide and tirzepatide it is not on WADA’s Monitoring Program^9104344. WADA said on 21 September 2026 that the status of GLP-1 drugs will stay unchanged for 2027⁴⁵.

Can children take liraglutide?

In the US, Saxenda is approved for weight management from age 12 in children with obesity who weigh more than 60 kg, and Victoza for type 2 diabetes from age 10⁴⁵. In the EU, Saxenda is also authorized for children aged 6 to 11 with obesity who weigh at least 45 kg³⁹.

What is still unknown

When FDA will declare the liraglutide shortage resolved, and how Saxenda’s planned discontinuation in January 2027 will affect supply, is unknown.
No independent lab tests of gray-market liraglutide were found, so the quality of unlicensed products is unknown.
Which approved generics are actually on sale, and at what price, was not checked.
Whether a USP monograph exists for liraglutide, which would set the standard bulk ingredients must meet, was not checked.
Not verified, so left out: a Novo Nordisk statement on discontinuing Saxenda, the development code name NN2211, adverse-event counts in FDA’s FAERS database, and a published study of illegal online supply of weight-loss medicines that was not read.
Rules outside the US, EU, UK, Canada and Australia were not verified.

Sources

1A Randomized, Controlled Trial of 3.0 mg of Liraglutide in Weight Management New England Journal of Medicine, 2015. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2Liraglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes New England Journal of Medicine, 2016. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3Effect of Weekly Subcutaneous Semaglutide vs Daily Liraglutide on Body Weight in Adults With Overweight or Obesity Without Diabetes: The STEP 8 Randomized Clinical Trial JAMA, 2022. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4SAXENDA (liraglutide) injection: prescribing information (SPL version 22) Novo Nordisk via DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), 15 Jun 2026. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
5VICTOZA (liraglutide) injection: prescribing information (SPL version 31) Novo Nordisk via DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), 17 Nov 2025. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
6Drugs@FDA: applications containing liraglutide (NDA 022341, NDA 206321, BLA 208583 and 11 ANDAs) U.S. Food and Drug Administration (openFDA), 6 Oct 2026. api.fda.gov · data query
7FDA Drug Shortages: Liraglutide Injection U.S. Food and Drug Administration, accessed 7 Oct 2026. accessdata.fda.gov
8Compounding when Drugs are on FDA’s Drug Shortages List U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 8 Aug 2025. fda.gov
9World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2026 World Anti-Doping Agency, 24 Sep 2025. wada-ama.org
10World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2027 World Anti-Doping Agency, 21 Sep 2026. wada-ama.org
11Ozempic (semaglutide) and Saxenda (liraglutide): vigilance required due to potentially harmful falsified products Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (GOV.UK), 23 Nov 2023. gov.uk
12Warning about sharp rise in illegal medicines sold in the EU European Medicines Agency, 3 Sep 2025. ema.europa.eu
13The Discovery and Development of Liraglutide and Semaglutide Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2019. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
14Potent derivatives of glucagon-like peptide-1 with pharmacokinetic properties suitable for once daily administration Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2000. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
15Victoza (liraglutide): EPAR medicine overview European Medicines Agency, 16 Jan 2026. ema.europa.eu
16NDA 022341 approval letter (Victoza) U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 25 Jan 2010. accessdata.fda.gov
17NDA 206321 approval letter (Saxenda) U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 23 Dec 2014. accessdata.fda.gov
18KEGG DRUG: Liraglutide (D06404) KEGG, Kanehisa Laboratories, accessed 8 Oct 2026. kegg.jp
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203 years of liraglutide versus placebo for type 2 diabetes risk reduction and weight management in individuals with prediabetes: a randomised, double-blind trial The Lancet, 2017. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
21Efficacy of Liraglutide for Weight Loss Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: The SCALE Diabetes Randomized Clinical Trial JAMA, 2015. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
22Weight maintenance and additional weight loss with liraglutide after low-calorie-diet-induced weight loss: the SCALE Maintenance randomized study International Journal of Obesity, 2013. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
23Effect of liraglutide 3.0 mg in individuals with obesity and moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnea: the SCALE Sleep Apnea randomized clinical trial International Journal of Obesity, 2016. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
24A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Liraglutide for Adolescents with Obesity New England Journal of Medicine, 2020. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
25Liraglutide for Children 6 to <12 Years of Age with Obesity - A Randomized Trial New England Journal of Medicine, 2025. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
26Liraglutide in Children and Adolescents with Type 2 Diabetes New England Journal of Medicine, 2019. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
27Therapeutic Goods (Poisons Standard—October 2026) Instrument 2026 (F2026L01327) Federal Register of Legislation, Australian Government, 28 Sep 2026. legislation.gov.au
28Supplement approval letter, NDA 022341/S-027 (Victoza) U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 25 Aug 2017. accessdata.fda.gov
29Supplement approval letter, NDA 022341/S-031 (Victoza) U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 17 Jun 2019. accessdata.fda.gov
30FDA approves weight management drug for patients aged 12 and older U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 4 Dec 2020. fda.gov
31Teva Announces Launch of Authorized Generic of Victoza® (liraglutide injection 1.8mg), in the United States Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., 24 Jun 2024. ir.tevapharm.com
32FDA Approves First Generic of Once-Daily GLP-1 Injection to Lower Blood Sugar in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 23 Dec 2024. fda.gov
33Performance Report to Congress: Generic Drug User Fee Amendments, FY 2025 U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Feb 2026. fda.gov
34FDA drug shortage records via openFDA: liraglutide injection (11 presentations) U.S. Food and Drug Administration (openFDA), 7 Oct 2026. api.fda.gov · data query
35Bulk Drug Substances Used in Compounding Under Section 503A of the FD&C Act U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 14 May 2026. fda.gov
36List of Bulk Drug Substances for Which There Is a Clinical Need Under Section 503B of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act Federal Register (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), 1 May 2026. federalregister.gov
37FDA clarifies policies for compounders as national GLP-1 supply begins to stabilize U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 1 Apr 2026. fda.gov
38Import Alert 66-80: Detention Without Physical Examination of GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Bulk Drug Substances U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 21 Sep 2026. accessdata.fda.gov
39Saxenda (liraglutide): EPAR medicine overview European Medicines Agency, 31 Jul 2025. ema.europa.eu
40MHRA warns of unsafe fake weight loss pens Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (GOV.UK), 26 Oct 2023. gov.uk
41Prescription Drug List: Human Use Health Canada (Drug and Health Product Register), accessed 7 Oct 2026. hpr-rps.hres.ca
42Therapeutic Goods Legislation Amendment (2024 Measures No. 2) Regulations 2024 (F2024L00686) Federal Register of Legislation, Australian Government, 14 Jun 2024. legislation.gov.au
43The 2026 Monitoring Program World Anti-Doping Agency, Sep 2025. wada-ama.org
44The 2027 Monitoring Program World Anti-Doping Agency, 21 Sep 2026. wada-ama.org
45WADA publishes 2027 Prohibited List World Anti-Doping Agency, 21 Sep 2026. wada-ama.org
46We’d Rather Buy the Future Than Wait For It Finnrick, 10 Jun 2026. finnrick.com
47r/liraglutide (official subreddit embed page; weekly visitors) Reddit, accessed 7 Oct 2026. embed.reddit.com
48r/Semaglutide (official subreddit embed page; weekly visitors) Reddit, accessed 7 Oct 2026. embed.reddit.com
49List of Bulk Drug Substances for Which There Is a Clinical Need Under Section 503B of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; Extension of Comment Period Federal Register (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), 26 Jun 2026. federalregister.gov

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