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No. 024 · Metabolic · Weight Loss Peptide

Liraglutide

NN2211VictozaSaxenda

S Tier S · Approved how tiers work →
  • FDA approved 2010
  • WADA — not listed
Compare Cite
Fingerprint 31 residues
Liraglutide sequence fingerprint
  • Nonpolar 16
  • Polar 7
  • Positive charge 4
  • Negative charge 4

Each dot is a residue placed around the ring from N- to C-terminus; its distance from the centre reflects its chemistry.

01

Evidence

  1. D In vitro
  2. C Animal
  3. B Human pilot
  4. A RCT
  5. S Approved

TIER S — Approved by the FDA or EMA for at least one indication.

Phase 3 RCTs (LEAD, SCALE, LEADER); FDA-approved in 2010 for type 2 diabetes (Victoza) and in 2014 for weight management (Saxenda).

Tiers rate the strength of published evidence — not effectiveness, safety, or a recommendation.

02

At a glance

Residues
31 amino acids, N→C
Molecular weight
3,751.2 Da
Formula
C172H265N43O51
Discovered
2000 First reported by Novo Nordisk scientists (Knudsen et al., J Med Chem 2000).
Routes studied
Subcutaneous Routes used in published research
FDA
Approved (2010) Victoza, Saxenda Approved for type 2 diabetes (Victoza, 2010) and chronic weight management (Saxenda, 2014).
WADA
Not on the Prohibited List
03

Sequence

N → C · 31 residues · hover, tap, or use arrow keys to inspect

Note GLP-1(7–37) analogue with Arg at position 28 (Lys34); K20 (Lys26) carries a palmitoyl (C-16) chain attached via a γ-Glu spacer.

04

Overview

A GLP-1 receptor agonist FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes (Victoza) and weight management (Saxenda). It was the first GLP-1 agonist approved specifically for obesity treatment.

Research status FDA-approved as Victoza (T2D) and Saxenda (obesity); long-term safety data available

05

Mechanism

Liraglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist with 97% homology to native GLP-1, modified with a C16 palmitoyl fatty acid chain enabling albumin binding and once-daily pharmacokinetics. It enhances glucose-dependent insulin secretion, suppresses glucagon, delays gastric emptying, and reduces appetite through hypothalamic GLP-1 receptor activation.

06

Effects reported in research

Reported outcomes, not promises. Some come from controlled human trials; others may be from smaller or preclinical studies — check the studies below.

  • Moderate sustained weight loss
  • Improved blood glucose regulation
  • Reduced appetite and caloric intake
  • Lower cardiovascular risk in diabetic patients
07

Safety & unknowns

FDA-approved with long-term safety data (LEADER trial: median 3.8 years follow-up). Most common side effects: nausea, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting. Boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors. Pancreatitis risk noted. In LEADER (type 2 diabetes, high cardiovascular risk), major cardiovascular events were reduced by 13% (HR 0.87) and cardiovascular death by 22% (HR 0.78).

Unknowns. Trial safety data apply to the populations, formulations and conditions studied.

Informational only — not medical advice. peptidemeta publishes no dosing, protocols, or sourcing. Talk to a qualified clinician about any treatment decision.

08

Studies [2]

  1. Clinical trial 2016

    Liraglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes

    Marso SP, Daniels GH, Brown-Frandsen K, et al. New England Journal of Medicine

    In the LEADER RCT in 9340 patients with type 2 diabetes and high cardiovascular risk (median follow-up 3.8 years), liraglutide lowered the primary cardiovascular outcome (HR 0.87) and cardiovascular death (HR 0.78) versus placebo.

    [pubmed] [doi]

  2. Clinical trial 2015

    A Randomized, Controlled Trial of 3.0 mg of Liraglutide in Weight Management

    Pi-Sunyer X, Astrup A, Fujioka K, et al. New England Journal of Medicine

    In the 56-week SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes RCT in 3731 patients, mean weight loss was 8.4 kg with liraglutide 3.0 mg versus 2.8 kg with placebo.

    [pubmed] [doi]

10

Status sources

Sources behind the tier, regulatory status, sequence and dates on this page.

11

Cite this entry

$ cite --format=apa

peptidemeta. (2026). Liraglutide. In peptidemeta: The peptide library, ranked by evidence. Retrieved November 8, 2026, from https://peptidemeta.com/p/liraglutide/

$ cite --format=bibtex 
@misc{peptidemeta-liraglutide,
  title = {Liraglutide},
  author = {{peptidemeta}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://peptidemeta.com/p/liraglutide/}},
  note = {Accessed 2026-11-08}
}

Accessed date reflects when you opened this page. Cite primary studies for scientific claims.

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