Liraglutide dosage in published studies and labels

These are the doses used for Liraglutide in FDA labelling and published clinical studies, reported as each source states them, one row per regimen. They describe what was studied or approved for a specific population. They are not a recommendation, and none of them is a dose for any individual.

Research and educational reference only. This is not medical advice, and no figure on this page is a dosing recommendation.

Last checked against primary sources: September 5, 2026

Studied regimens and sources

Liraglutide has an FDA-approved human dosage. For weight management as Saxenda it is escalated weekly from 0.6 mg to a 3 mg once-daily subcutaneous maintenance dose. Unlike the once-weekly GLP-1 agonists it is grouped with, liraglutide is dosed once daily, and generic versions are now approved alongside the originator products.

FDA Approved

Dosage evidence summary for Liraglutide
Human dosing established	Yes
Studied dose range	0.6–3 mg once daily
Route	Subcutaneous
Frequency	Once daily, at any time of day, independent of meals
Duration studied	Continuous; maintenance reached in week 5
Titration	0.6 mg week 1, 1.2 mg week 2, 1.8 mg week 3, 2.4 mg week 4, then 3 mg from week 5.
Half-life	Approximately 13 hours
Evidence level	FDA Approved
Last reviewed	2026-09-05

Research-reported dosing

Doses as studied, one row per regimen. Different trials used different regimens; they are listed separately rather than averaged.

Research-reported dosing for Liraglutide, one row per studied regimen
Study / context	Population	Dose	Route	Frequency	Duration	Outcome studied	Source
FDA label — Saxenda, weight managementFDA-approved label · FDA prescribing information	Adults with obesity or overweight with a weight-related comorbidity, and patients aged 12+ over 60 kg with obesity	3 mg maintenance, escalated weekly from 0.6 mg	Subcutaneous, abdomen, thigh or upper arm	Once daily	Continuous, alongside reduced calorie diet and increased activity	Chronic weight management	SAXENDA (liraglutide) injection — FDA prescribing information, DailyMed
FDA label — generic liraglutide injectionFDA-approved label · FDA prescribing information, generic	Per the referenced listed drug's approved indications	As per the originator labelling	Subcutaneous	Once daily	—	Same indications as the reference product	LIRAGLUTIDE injection — FDA prescribing information (Meitheal Pharmaceuticals), DailyMed
NCT01117350 — phase 4, results postedClinical trial · Phase 4 randomised trial with posted results	Adults with type 2 diabetes (n=978)	Per trial protocol	Subcutaneous	Once daily	Per trial protocol	Glycaemic control versus insulin glargine after oral therapy failure	NCT01117350 — Efficacy Assessment of Insulin Glargine Versus Liraglutide After Oral Agent Failure

Where sources disagree

Liraglutide has two distinct approved dose ceilings by indication: 3 mg once daily under the Saxenda label for weight management, and a lower ceiling under the type 2 diabetes labelling. Quoting a single maximum without naming the product and indication is not meaningful.
Liraglutide is dosed once daily, not once weekly. Dosing intuition carried over from semaglutide or tirzepatide does not transfer, and the escalation schedule runs in weekly steps of daily doses.