Key takeaways
Liraglutide (Saxenda) and semaglutide (Wegovy) are both medications in the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist class, used to help with weight loss in adults and children 12 years and older. They work by slowing down your gut and making you feel less hungry. However, there are several differences between them. Saxenda is injected daily, while Wegovy is injected once a week. Saxenda starts at a dose of 0.6 mg daily and increases weekly to a maintenance dose of 3 mg, whereas Wegovy starts at 0.25 mg weekly and increases monthly to a maintenance dose of 2.4 mg. Both medications can cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Wegovy is also approved to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death in adults with heart disease and a larger body size, which is not an indication for Saxenda. Both medications have similar warnings, such as the potential risk for thyroid cancer and pancreatitis, and should not be used if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2.
