Liraglutide

Areas of active research — not promised effects

Each tag links to other compounds with research into that goal. Research use only: these are areas of study, not human-use claims.

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Liraglutide is a fully FDA-approved prescription medication available in two branded formulations: Victoza (1.2 mg and 1.8 mg, type 2 diabetes) and Saxenda (3.0 mg, weight management). It is a Schedule-uncontrolled prescription drug requiring physician authorization. As an approved drug it is not subject to the FDA Category 1/2 bulk-peptide compounding restrictions (docket FDA-2025-N-6895) that affect non-approved research peptides. Compounded liraglutide from 503A/503B pharmacies is governed by the standard drug compounding framework: on April 30, 2026, the FDA proposed removing liraglutide (along with semaglutide and tirzepatide) from the 503B Bulk Drug Substances List (91 Fed. Reg. 23431, May 1 2026), citing no clinical need for outsourcing-facility compounding given available approved products. Liraglutide injection was still on the FDA drug shortage list as of that proposal, allowing continued 503B compounding in the interim pending final rule.

Confirmed high-severity market-integrity event (enforcement / recall / counterfeit)

Transparent blend · bci-1.0 · never paid-placement

Primary name

Liraglutide

Origin

Liraglutide is a synthetic analog of endogenous glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), engineered by Novo Nordisk to share 97% amino acid sequence identity with the native 7-37 GLP-1 peptide. A C16 palmitoyl fatty-acid chain is attached via a glutamic acid spacer to lysine at position 26, enabling non-covalent albumin binding that protects the peptide from dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) and neutral endopeptidase cleavage. This modification extends plasma half-life to approximately 13 hours, permitting once-daily subcutaneous dosing. It was first approved by the FDA in January 2010 as Victoza for type 2 diabetes management, and subsequently approved as Saxenda in December 2014 for chronic weight management.

Registry IDs

PubChem CID

16134956

CAS

204656-20-2

InChIKey

YSDQQAXHVYUZIW-QCIJIYAXSA-N

ChEMBL

CHEMBL4084119

Molecular formula

C172H265N43O51

Molar mass

3751 g/mol

Monoisotopic

3748.9464612 Da

InChIKey

YSDQQAXHVYUZIW-QCIJIYAXSA-N

Appearance

Clear, colorless solution in prefilled multi-dose pen injector (commercial presentations); research/compounded forms may be lyophilized white to off-white powder

Solubility

Soluble in aqueous buffers; solubility is pH-dependent; the fatty-acid palmitoyl…

Sequence not available in current seed.

Stability: Liraglutide self-associates at the injection-site depot, slowing absorption and contributing to pharmacokinetic prolongation. The palmitoyl-glutamic acid-lysine

Vial sizes

null mg · null mg

Purity grades

pharmaceutical grade

Salt forms

Free base (primary)

• GHS hazard class on file
• PPE & spill response
• Disposal guidance
• Not-for-human-consumption posture

How much research exists, and of what maturity — never a verdict on whether it works.

Mechanism of action

• Liraglutide binds with high affinity to the GLP-1 receptor, a Gs-protein-coupled receptor expressed in pancreatic beta cells, hypothalamic nuclei, the heart, kidney, and gastrointestinal tract
• Receptor activation raises intracellular cyclic AMP, potentiating glucose-dependent insulin secretion from beta cells while suppressing inappropriate glucagon release from alpha cells — both effects attenuate as blood glucose approaches euglycemia, reducing the risk of hypoglycemia relative to sulfonylureas
• Peripheral subcutaneous injection allows access to hypothalamic GLP-1 receptors, particularly arcuate nucleus neurons, where liraglutide suppresses appetite and increases satiety signals, contributing to the observed weight loss that is independent of glycemic effects
• Gastric emptying is also slowed, dampening postprandial glucose excursions

Pharmacokinetics (ADME)

Half-life

~13 hours after subcutaneous injection; supports once-daily dosing

Clearance

Mean apparent clearance ~1.2 L/h following subcutaneous administration; metabolized via plasma protein degradation pathways; approximately 6% of metabolites recovered in urine and 5% in feces; renal excretion of intact peptide is minor

PK–PD note: Peak plasma concentration reached 8–12 hours post-dose. Bioavailability ~55% via subcutaneous route. Plasma protein binding >98% (predominantly albumin), which accounts for the prolonged half-life and…

Reading the evidence

• Evidence quality and gaps vary by application — see the cited grades above.
• Indexed-article counts span all evidence tiers, not only completed human trials.
• No first-party human-dosing, efficacy, or benefit claims are made here.

Key reviews & evidence-gap sources

• Cerillo JL, Parmar M. Liraglutide. StatPearls. Last Update Oct 6, 2024. — Authoritative NCBI/StatPearls reference covering mechanism, indications, pharmacokinetics, adverse events.
• Systematic review and meta-analysis: efficacy and safety of liraglutide in obese, non-diabetic individuals (2020) — Anchoring systematic review/meta-analysis of RCTs for weight loss in non-diabetic obesity.
• Systematic review and meta-analysis: efficacy and safety of liraglutide 1.2 mg vs 1.8 mg in T2DM — Recent meta-analysis comparing liraglutide doses in type 2 diabetes.
• Marso SP et al. Liraglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes (LEADER). NEJM 2016;375:311-22. — Landmark cardiovascular outcomes RCT; 9340 patients; primary MACE composite significantly reduced.
• Glycaemic control with liraglutide: the phase 3 trial programme (Lancet 2010) — Overview of the phase 3 Liraglutide Effect and Action in Diabetes (LEAD) programme.

5 registered trials — 1 currently recruiting.

NA
NCT02138045
Treatment of Diabetic Neuropathy With Liraglutide

COMPLETED

Phase 1
NCT01515579
Comparison of Two Liraglutide Formulations in Healthy Subjects

COMPLETED

Phase 4
NCT02616003
Preoperative Condition in Giant Obese Patients

COMPLETED

NA
NCT01460069
The Effect of Glucagon Like Peptide (GLP)-1 in Psoriasis

COMPLETED

Phase 1
NCT05268237
Safety, Tolerability and Preliminary Efficacy of Sublingual Liraglutide in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

RECRUITING

Summary (literature)

The most frequently reported adverse effects are gastrointestinal — nausea (up to ~40%), vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation — typically transient and concentrated during dose escalation. Hypoglycemia is uncommon when liraglutide is used as monotherapy due to the glucose-depende…

WADA status

As of the 2026 WADA Prohibited List (in force January 2026), liraglutide and GLP-1 receptor agonists as a class are NOT listed as prohibited substances. Semaglu…

Dominant research route: Subcutaneous

Absolute bioavailability ~55%, Tmax 8–12 h, apparent clearance ~1.2 L/h, elimination half-life ~13 h, apparent Vd ~13 L (3 mg: 20–25 L for ~100 kg person) — studied in healthy subjects and T2DM patients

Bioavailability: Absolute bioavailability following subcutaneous administration is approximately 55%; peak plasma concentration reached at 8–12 hours; exposure largely independent of injection site (abdomen, thigh, upper arm)

FDA-approved route for Victoza (T2DM) and Saxenda (chronic weight management); once-daily SC injection. Protraction mechanism involves slowed release from injection site plus metabolic stabilization and reduced renal filtration.

Mean volume of distribution after intravenous administration = 0.07 L/kg — characterized in healthy subjects as a reference comparator for SC PK

Bioavailability: IV used only as reference to derive apparent Vd (0.07 L/kg); not a marketed/administered route. No IV product approved.

IV data come from PK characterization studies supporting SC label; IV route is not clinically used for liraglutide.

In vitro simulated gastric fluid stability and animal (rat) oral nanoformulation PK studies — no approved oral liraglutide product

Bioavailability: Free (unformulated) liraglutide is fully degraded in simulated gastric fluid within 120 min; nanoformulations (e.g., LG/TD-NF) retained ~65.7% stability over 120 min. Oral bioavailability of native peptide is negligible without formulation protection; oral nanoformulation studies in rats report PK/glycemic outcomes comparable to SC injection.

Oral route is investigational only; no oral liraglutide product is approved. Stability data reflect in vitro degradation resistance, not oral absorption of the marketed peptide.

Animal & human figures are kept visibly separate so studied animal doses are never misread as human guidance.

Sorted A–Z by vendor — never by price

GLP-1 peptide bulk pricing has softened as semaglutide/tirzepatide competition and additional research-chem entrants expanded supply; small-format (1mg) catalog prices remain sticky high while mid/large vials trend lower.

Researched storefront prices, bucketed

p25 $18.00 · median $59.00 · p75 $108.00 · 9 researched vendors

Legit, COA-backed band: $9.51–$68.00/mg.

Value rule: don't just buy the cheapest — a price under $3/mg is a red flag. Pair price with COA and independent-test grade.

Estimated cost of research (10 mg)

Vial (best researched price)

$95

Bacteriostatic water (generic estimate)

$6

Syringes / supplies (generic estimate)

$12

What each test proves — general guidance, plus this compound's researched purity data

Independent labs cited for this compound

No FDA drug recall specific to liraglutide (Victoza/Saxenda) finished-product lots was identified in the sources retrieved. Counterfeit/falsified Saxenda pens have been reported (UK MHRA, 2023) but these are illicit falsifications outside the authorized supply chain rather than manufacturer-initiated recalls.

Buyer red-flag checklist

• Falsified Saxenda (liraglutide) pens reported in UK via non-legitimate routes (MHRA, 2023)
• Black-market sales of liraglutide on social media/online marketplaces flagged by NABP/PSM
• 21% of 48 FDA-evaluated GLP-1 API sites found noncompliant with CGMP (Import Alert 66-80)
• Compounded GLP-1 products may arrive warm/inadequately refrigerated, affecting quality (FDA)
• Fraudulent compounded GLP-1 labels naming pharmacies that did not compound the product (FDA)
• Pattern of foreign API sites registering, refusing FDA records requests, then deregistering (FDA)

GMP vs research-grade: the chemistry (SPPS + HPLC + MS) is identical — the difference is the quality system.

Underdosing / mislabeling: No independent lab test (Janoshik/MZ Biolabs/Finnrick) reporting a quantitative underdosing prevalence for liraglutide was located in the sources retrieved. FDA has flagged dosing-error adverse events for compounded GLP-1 injectables generally (semaglutide/tirzepatide) but did not publish a liraglutide-specific underdosing prevalence figure.

• Detention Without Physical Examination of GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Bulk Drug Substances. Liraglutide API listed under China product code 61P[][]76. FDA evaluated 48 GLP-1 API sites and found 21% noncompliant (CGMP) under section 501 of the FD&C Act. Green list of compliant manufacturers maintained; non-listed foreign-sourced GLP-1 APIs subject to DWPE.66-80
• An RUO label is not an import exemption — CBP judges actual intended use.
• Lyophilized powder is ambient-stable in transit; temperature control needed for > 7-day transit.
• US-warehouse vendors dodge import scrutiny — they cost more but ship more reliably.

Every item dated & sourced

Not prohibited on the 2026 WADA Prohibited List; GLP-1 receptor agonists (including liraglutide) are included in the 2026 WADA Monitoring Program. The 2026 Prohibited List was approved by WADA's Executive Committee on 11 September 2025 and is in force from 1 January 2026.

No granted patents identified in current seed. Composition-of-matter coverage is limited given the peptide's synthetic origin.

• IACUC / IRB research context
• RUO buyer responsibilities & documentation
• Veterinary / alternative-use where lawful
• Jurisdiction-aware "who may lawfully obtain"

What people discuss

Reported concerns — discussion, not established effects

Reading caveats

• Self-selection: posters more likely to share extreme outcomes (success or severe side effects)
• Survivorship bias toward those who continued therapy
• Confounding by indication: many users switched from/to other GLP-1s
• Brand-name (Saxenda/Victoza) vs. generic liraglutide conflation in posts
• Geographic skew: heavy US/UK/Canada/Europe pricing discussion

Manually researched from reddit, youtube— theme weights are research estimates, not live counts; aggregated & de-identified. No individual posts, quotes, or usernames are ever shown.

Relative research / market volume — populated once the activity stream is wired

Inline tooltips for lyophilized, RUO, EU/mg, SPPS, 503A and more.

Toggle plain-language ↔ scientific in the header.

• How to read a COA
• Free base vs acetate
• Understanding evidence grades

97%-homologous acylated GLP-1 analog approved for type 2 diabetes (Victoza) and chronic weight management (Saxenda); once-daily subcutaneous injection. Approximately 5,682 articles are indexed (literature last scanned 2026-05-29). US regulatory status: FDA-approved prescription drug; commercially available. Research use only.

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