Liraglutide

Liraglutide is a first-generation GLP-1 receptor agonist used by the community primarily for weight loss and appetite control, with additional off-label interest in blood sugar regulation. Typical dosing falls between 300 mcg and 3 mg daily via subcutaneous injection, with 1.2 mg being the most commonly reported amount in community use, while clinician-guided protocols often use 600 mcg to 3 mg daily. Off-label evidence remains thin beyond weight and glucose outcomes, with exploratory indications lacking robust posted results. Commonly reported effects include changes in sleep or dreams and nausea or GI discomfort, each surfacing occasionally in community reports. Injection-site reactions, edema, histamine reactions, and flushing were looked for but did not emerge as consistent themes.

Half-life~13 h

Data last updated

ClinicalResearchDepthClinicalResearchEfficacyClinicalResearchSideEffectsAnecdotalEfficacyAnecdotalSideEffectsPrice3.84.91.04.12.72.0

Research Evidence

Evidence shape

Liraglutide has high-tier clinical evidence across diabetes and obesity indications, with over 400 registered trials and Phase 3 data supporting its use. It has been studied in more than 100 indications, though only about 15 have posted trial results, while the rest remain thin, exploratory, or single-trial long-tail entries. Many indications show withdrawn, terminated, or unpublished studies, signaling limited scalability beyond core metabolic uses.

Depthhow much
426 registered trials
320 completed · 130 with posted results · 23 recruiting / active · combined n=332587
Breadthhow many areas
106 indications mapped
15 with results · 81 thin / exploratory · 1 animal-only · 74 single-trial long-tail
Qualityhow rigorous
Highest tier: Phase 3
82 blinded with results · 132 distinct sponsors · AE rows aggregated from 103 trials · 42 linked publications on registered trials
Breadth and depth455 rows captured
Human
direct clinical signal
441
Animal
translational support
12
In vitro
mechanistic support
2
HighMediumLow

Anecdotal efficacy

Liraglutide side effects

Clinical research side effects

Anecdotal side effects

1
--
50 mg
$80.00
$1.6/mg
2
US
10 mg
$31.40
$3.14/mg
3
USA
5 mg
$39.00
$7.8/mg
4
GB
10 mg
$93.82
$9.38/mg
5
US
5 mg
$51.00
$10.2/mg
6
--
6 mg
$85.00
$14.17/mg

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Liraglutide dosing & protocol

How Liraglutide is dosed across research, clinician, and community sources — each evidence tier kept separate so the dose range, frequency, timing, and cycling stay visible without flattening different levels of evidence.

Research trials
Published clinical-trial protocols · n = 334
Typical dose
1.8 mg600 µg – 6 mg
typical
0
2 mg
4 mg
6 mg
distribution of 175 reported doses · darker = more
Frequency
daily
Route
subQ

Trials used subcutaneous liraglutide most often at 1.8 mg once daily, though doses ranged from 0.6 mg to 6 mg per day and weight‑based regimens of 5–20 µg/kg were also reported.

334 sources
Clinician practice
Doctor & published-protocol guidance · n = 2
Typical dose
1.8 mg600 µg – 3 mg
typical
0
2 mg
4 mg
6 mg
distribution of 4 reported doses · darker = more
By reported cadence· tap a row to filter the chart
Frequency
daily
Route
subQ

In clinical practice, liraglutide is given subcutaneously once daily at doses ranging from 0.6 mg to 1.8 mg, while a minority use twice‑daily 3 mg injections.

2 sources
Anecdotal
Community-reported real-world use · n = 20
Typical dose
1.2 mg300 µg – 3 mg
typical
0
2 mg
4 mg
6 mg
distribution of 23 reported doses · darker = more
Frequency
unspecified
Route
subQ

Community users report liraglutide doses ranging from 0.3 mg to 3 mg subcutaneously, with a typical cited amount of 1.2 mg; most do not specify frequency, while a minority note once‑daily administration.

20 sources

Regulatory safety notes

Warnings and precautions
  • Acute Pancreatitis: Has been observed in patients treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists, including liraglutide injection. Discontinue if pancreatitis is suspected.
  • Acute Gallbladder Disease: If cholelithiasis or cholecystitis are suspected, gallbladder studies are indicated.
  • Hypoglycemia: Can occur in adults when liraglutide injection is used with an insulin secretagogue (e.g. a sulfonylurea) or insulin. The risk may be lowered by a reduction in the dose of concomitantly administered insulin secretagogues or insulin. In the pedia…
  • Heart Rate Increase: Monitor heart rate at regular intervals.
  • Acute Kidney Injury Due to Volume Depletion: Monitor renal function in patients reporting adverse reactions that could lead to volume depletion.
  • Severe Gastrointestinal Adverse Reactions: Use has been associated with gastrointestinal adverse reactions, sometimes severe. Liraglutide injection is not recommended in patients with severe gastroparesis.
  • Hypersensitivity Reactions: Postmarketing reports of serious hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., anaphylactic reactions and angioedema) . Discontinue liraglutide injection and other suspect medications and promptly seek medical advice.
  • Pulmonary Aspiration During General Anesthesia or Deep Sedation : Has been reported in patients receiving GLP-1 receptor agonists undergoing elective surgeries or procedures. Instruct patients to inform healthcare providers of any planned surgeries or procedu…
Contraindications
  • Patients with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or
  • patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2) [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] .
  • Patients with a serious hypersensitivity reaction to liraglutide or to any of the excipients in liraglutide injection. Serious hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylactic reactions and angioedema have been reporte…
Drug interactions
  • Liraglutide injection delays gastric emptying. May impact absorption of concomitantly administered oral medications. Use with caution. (7)