Liraglutide is a daily-injection GLP-1 receptor agonist made by Novo Nordisk and sold as Victoza (type 2 diabetes) and Saxenda (chronic weight management). It is a fully approved prescription medicine in the UK, US and EU. It was the first GLP-1 widely used for weight loss, but in head-to-head comparisons newer weekly drugs — semaglutide and tirzepatide — typically produce more weight loss. The first US generic launched in 2024.
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist made by Novo Nordisk and sold as Ozempic (type 2 diabetes), Wegovy (chronic weight management) and Rybelsus (oral tablet for diabetes). It is a fully approved prescription medicine in the UK, US and EU, with large randomised trials showing meaningful weight loss and reduced cardiovascular and kidney events. It is not a research chemical.
Both peptides share an evidence grade of A. The right choice depends less on the data and more on what you're trying to do — Liraglutide for type 2 diabetes, Semaglutide for type 2 diabetes.
FDA-approved as Victoza in 2010 and EMA-approved in 2009 as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycaemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Now also licensed for children aged 10 years and older with T2D.
Saxenda (liraglutide 3.0 mg) is FDA-approved (2014) and EMA-approved (2015) for chronic weight management in adults with obesity, or overweight with at least one weight-related comorbidity. NICE recommends it within specialist weight-management services (TA664) for a defined subset of patients.
Following the LEADER trial (2016), Victoza is approved to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes plus established cardiovascular disease. This is on-label.
FDA-approved 2017 and EMA-approved 2018 as Ozempic; oral Rybelsus approved 2019. Indicated alongside diet and exercise to improve glycaemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes.
Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4 mg) is FDA-approved (2021) and EMA-approved (2022) for chronic weight management in adults with obesity, or overweight with at least one weight-related comorbidity. NICE recommends it within specialist services for up to two years.
Approved to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes plus established cardiovascular disease (Ozempic), and — based on SELECT — in adults with obesity or overweight plus established cardiovascular disease without diabetes (Wegovy, 2024).
The commonest side effects are gastrointestinal — nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain — typically worst during dose escalation and easing over time. Most are mild to moderate; a minority of patients discontinue because of them. More serious risks on the label include pancreatitis (rare), gallbladder disease (the SCALE programme showed an increased rate of cholelithiasis at the 3.0 mg dose), and acute kidney injury, usually mediated by dehydration from vomiting. The FDA label carries a boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumours based on rodent data; whether this translates to humans is unresolved, but the medicine is contraindicated in anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2 syndrome. Not for use in pregnancy or breastfeeding. Injection-site reactions are common. The shorter half-life means that, unlike semaglutide, side effects resolve within a few days of stopping.
The commonest side effects are gastrointestinal — nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain — typically worst during dose escalation and easing over time. Most are mild to moderate; a minority of patients discontinue because of them. More serious risks on the label include pancreatitis (rare), gallbladder disease (semaglutide modestly increases the rate of cholelithiasis), and acute kidney injury usually mediated by dehydration from vomiting. The FDA label carries a boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumours based on rodent data; whether this translates to humans is unresolved, but the medicine is contraindicated in anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2 syndrome. The EMA confirmed in 2025 that NAION (a rare optic-nerve condition causing sudden vision loss) is a very rare side effect. Not for use in pregnancy or breastfeeding. Counterfeit semaglutide and unregulated compounded versions have caused serious harm — only use a regulated pharmacy supply.
Both peptides share an evidence grade of A. The right choice depends less on the data and more on what you're trying to do — Liraglutide for type 2 diabetes, Semaglutide for type 2 diabetes.
Pepwyse comparison pages are generated from the same structured data behind each peptide profile. Want a different head-to-head? Use the compare picker or ask Liraglutide directly via the Ask-Peppy button. Not medical advice — see how we grade evidence.