Side-by-side comparison

Semaglutide vs Liraglutide

Both are GLP-1 medicines from Novo Nordisk and both act on the same receptor. Liraglutide is the older of the two and is injected once a day; semaglutide lasts longer in the body and is given once a week, or as a daily tablet.

Last verified 2026-09-29 · how we verify

In plain English

The real difference

  • Both act on the same target: the GLP-1 receptor.[src][src]
  • Both are approved medicines.[src][src]
  • Both come from the same company, Novo Nordisk.
  • Semaglutide is taken as a once-weekly injection or once-daily tablet; liraglutide as a once-daily injection.
  • Half-life (how long until half the drug has left the blood): Semaglutide, about 1 week (elimination half-life); the drug stays in the blood for about 5 weeks after the last injection; liraglutide, about 13 hours after subcutaneous administration.[src][src]
  • Our sources include no head-to-head trial between them. Their results come from different trials, with different people, durations and methods, so the numbers below are not directly comparable.

Which one suits a person is a decision for them and their clinician.

Semaglutide and Liraglutide, side by side

Semaglutide compared with Liraglutide
SemaglutideNovo NordiskLiraglutideNovo Nordisk
The basics
MoleculeSemaglutideLiraglutide
Brand namesOzempic, Wegovy, RybelsusVictoza, Saxenda
MakerSame for both
Acts onThe hormone receptors the drug switches onSame for both
GLP-1 receptor
Approved to treat
  • Ozempic: Type 2 diabetes; lowering the risk of major heart events in adults with type 2 diabetes (injection: those with established heart disease; tablets: those at high risk); lowering kidney-disease and heart-death risk in adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (injection only)
  • Wegovy: Chronic weight management (injection from age 12; tablets in adults); lowering heart-event risk in adults with established heart disease and obesity or overweight (injection and tablets); noncirrhotic MASH with moderate to advanced fibrosis in adults (injection only, accelerated approval)
  • Rybelsus: Type 2 diabetes; lowering the risk of major heart events in adults with type 2 diabetes at high risk (oral tablet)
  • Victoza: Type 2 diabetes (adults and children aged 10 years and older); also to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease
  • Saxenda: Chronic weight management with diet and physical activity (adults with obesity, or overweight with at least one weight-related condition; adolescents 12 years and older with obesity and body weight above 60 kg)
How it is takenApproved as a once-weekly subcutaneous injection (Ozempic, Wegovy) or as a once-daily oral tablet co-formulated with SNAC (Rybelsus, Ozempic tablets, Wegovy tablets), prescribed and supervised by a clinician.Subcutaneous injection, once daily (pre-filled pen, used under a prescriber's supervision)
Half-lifeHow long until half the drug has left the bloodAbout 1 week (elimination half-life); the drug stays in the blood for about 5 weeks after the last injection[src]About 13 hours after subcutaneous administration[src]
Molecule sizeNot in our verified data
  • Molecular weight. 3751.2 Da (formula C172H265N43O51)[src]
Evidence and safety
Evidence levelSame for both
Approved. Approved by a major regulator after large trials.
Approvals and filings
  • FDA approval, Ozempic. Original FDA approval on 5 December 2017 (injection, type 2 diabetes).[src]
  • FDA approval, Wegovy. Original FDA approval on 4 June 2021 (injection, chronic weight management).[src]
  • FDA approval for MASH. On 15 August 2025 the FDA granted Wegovy accelerated approval for noncirrhotic MASH with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis; a study to confirm clinical benefit is ongoing.[src]
  • EMA authorisation, Ozempic. Authorised in the European Union on 8 February 2018 for type 2 diabetes.[src]
  • First EU authorisation (Victoza). 30 June 2009, type 2 diabetes; Novo Nordisk A/S is the authorisation holder[src]
  • First FDA approval (Victoza). 25 January 2010, for blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes[src]
  • FDA approval for weight management (Saxenda). 23 December 2014; Novo Nordisk described it as the first once-daily GLP-1 analogue for obesity[src]
  • EU authorisation of Saxenda. Authorised 23 March 2015; the current EU indication covers adults, adolescents (12 years and older) and children (6 to under 12 years) with obesity, and adults with overweight plus a weight-related condition[src]
Key trial resultsTrials test the molecule, not a brand; each result names its population
  • STEP 1 weight result. Mean weight change at 68 weeks was -14.9% with semaglutide versus -2.4% with placebo (1,961 adults, plus lifestyle intervention).[src]
  • SELECT heart outcomes. Major cardiovascular events occurred in 6.5% on semaglutide versus 8.0% on placebo (hazard ratio 0.80; 17,604 adults with heart disease and overweight or obesity, no diabetes).[src]
  • LEADER cardiovascular trial. Major cardiovascular events in 13.0% (608/4,668) vs 14.9% (694/4,672) on placebo; HR 0.87 (95% CI 0.78-0.97)[src]
  • SCALE weight trial (56 weeks). Mean weight loss 8.4 kg vs 2.8 kg on placebo; 63.2% vs 27.1% lost at least 5% of body weight[src]
Known safety signals
  • Boxed warning: in rodents semaglutide caused dose- and duration-dependent thyroid C-cell tumours at clinically relevant exposures. Whether it does so in humans is unknown. It is contraindicated in people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or with MEN 2.[src]
  • Gastrointestinal effects are the most common adverse reactions. In the pooled weight-management trials of Wegovy injection versus placebo, nausea occurred in 44% versus 16%, diarrhoea 30% versus 16%, vomiting 24% versus 6% and constipation 24% versus 11%.[src]
  • The label warns of acute pancreatitis, acute gallbladder disease (cholelithiasis in 1.6% of adults on Wegovy injection versus 0.7% on placebo in weight-reduction trials), acute kidney injury from volume depletion, and hypersensitivity reactions.[src]
  • In SUSTAIN-6, diabetic retinopathy complications were higher with semaglutide than placebo (hazard ratio 1.76; 95% CI 1.11 to 2.78) in people with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk.[src]
  • Because semaglutide delays gastric emptying, there are rare post-marketing reports of pulmonary aspiration during general anaesthesia or deep sedation in people taking GLP-1 receptor agonists.[src]
  • Compounded semaglutide products are not FDA-approved. As of 31 May 2026 the FDA had received 990 adverse-event reports associated with compounded semaglutide. The FDA notes these events are likely underreported, because federal law does not require state-licensed pharmacies that are not outsourcing facilities to report them.[src]
  • Boxed warning: liraglutide causes thyroid C-cell tumours in rats and mice at clinically relevant exposures; whether it does so in humans, including medullary thyroid carcinoma, is unknown. It is contraindicated in people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2.[src]
  • In adult weight-management trials the most frequent adverse reactions were nausea (39.3% vs 13.8% placebo), diarrhoea (20.9% vs 9.9%), constipation (19.4% vs 8.5%) and vomiting (15.7% vs 3.9%).[src]
  • 9.8% of adults on the weight-management version stopped because of adverse reactions vs 4.3% on placebo; nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea were the most common reasons.[src]
  • Label warnings include acute pancreatitis, acute gallbladder disease, hypoglycaemia when combined with insulin or insulin secretagogues, increased heart rate, acute kidney injury from volume depletion, severe gastrointestinal reactions, hypersensitivity, suicidal behaviour and ideation (weight-management label), and pulmonary aspiration during general anaesthesia or deep sedation.[src]
  • In the 56-week adolescent trial (251 participants aged 12-17), gastrointestinal adverse events occurred in 64.8% with liraglutide vs 36.5% with placebo, and 10.4% vs 0% stopped treatment because of adverse events.[src]
  • The Saxenda label states that it may cause fetal harm and that treatment should be discontinued when pregnancy is recognised; it also delays gastric emptying, which may affect absorption of oral medicines.[src]
Legal status
United States
Approved

FDA-approved as Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy; compounded copies lost their shortage cover in 2025 and 503B is proposing a formal exclusion[src]

Full detail →
Generics available

Brand Victoza and Saxenda plus several FDA-approved generics; liraglutide is still on FDA's shortage list and Saxenda is being discontinued[src]

Full detail →
United Kingdom
Approved

Licensed in the UK: Ozempic and Rybelsus for type 2 diabetes, Wegovy for weight management (now also as a tablet)[src]

Full detail →
Generics available

Licensed in the UK (Saxenda, plus generic liraglutide for weight management and type 2 diabetes since 2024)[src]

Full detail →
European Union
Approved

Authorised EU-wide for type 2 diabetes, weight management and MASH (Ozempic, Rybelsus, Wegovy, Kayshild)[src]

Full detail →
Approved

Authorised EU-wide (Victoza, Saxenda) plus two STADA liraglutide products authorised in July 2026[src]

Full detail →
Australia
Approved

Approved on the ARTG as Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy. PBS covers Ozempic for type 2 diabetes; Wegovy is not yet PBS-listed. Compounded copies barred since 1 Oct 2024.[src]

Full detail →
Generics available

Approved as Victoza and Saxenda; generic liraglutide pens were added to the ARTG from March 2025. Compounded versions barred since 1 October 2024.[src]

Full detail →
Canada
Generics available

Approved as Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy; generic semaglutide approved from April 2026 and on sale since May 2026[src]

Full detail →
Approved

Approved as Victoza (type 2 diabetes) and Saxenda (weight management); no generic listed yet, 11 submissions pending[src]

Full detail →

Trial results come from separate studies unless a row says it is a head-to-head trial. Populations, durations and methods differ, so compare numbers across columns with care.

Go deeper

Educational information only. Not medical advice, not a recommendation to use any substance, and not an offer to supply. Talk to a licensed clinician about your own care.

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