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Weight lossTwo labels compared

Wegovy vs Saxenda

Wegovy and Saxenda are the closest pair in this category: both are GLP-1 receptor agonists approved for chronic weight management, in adults and in pediatric patients aged 12 and older. The differences sit in the details: the molecule, the dosing rhythm, and one indication that only Wegovy holds. This page compares the two labels.

Wegovy

Ingredient
Semaglutide
Approved for
Weight management, and cardiovascular risk in heart diseasecovers weight loss
Supply
Prescription
Boxed warning
WARNING: RISK OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORS
Pharmacy cost
$653.23 per milliliter, brandwhat pharmacies pay to buy it, not the price at the counter
A-S Medication Solutions. Label version 6, effective 23 April 2024.

Saxenda

Ingredient
Liraglutide
Approved for
Weight managementcovers weight loss
Supply
Prescription
Boxed warning
WARNING: RISK OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORS
Pharmacy cost
$87.16 per milliliter, brandwhat pharmacies pay to buy it, not the price at the counter
Novo Nordisk Pharmaceutical Industries, LP. Label version 22, effective 25 February 2026.
01From the FDA label

Side by side, straight from the labels

Generated from the two source labels, not typed out by hand, so it cannot drift from what the regulator approved. Rows where both labels say exactly the same thing are marked.

Active ingredientWegovySemaglutideGLP-1 receptor agonistSaxendaLiraglutideGLP-1 receptor agonist
Approved forWegovyWeight management, and cardiovascular risk in heart diseaseSaxendaWeight management
Supplysame in bothWegovyPrescriptionSaxendaPrescription
What pharmacies payAcquisition cost, not retailWegovy$653.23 per milliliter, brandSaxenda$87.16 per milliliter, brand
Boxed warningsame in bothWegovyWARNING: RISK OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORSSaxendaWARNING: RISK OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORS
What the FDA approved it forWegovy
  • to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or non-fatal stroke) in adults with established cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight.
  • to reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction long term in: Adults and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with obesity; Adults with overweight in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition.
  • Coadministration with other semaglutide-containing products or with any other GLP-1 receptor agonist is not recommended.
Saxenda
  • Adults and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with body weight greater than 60 kg and obesity.
  • Adults with overweight in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition.
  • Coadministration with other liraglutide-containing products or with any other GLP-1 receptor agonist is not recommended.
  • The safety and effectiveness of SAXENDA in pediatric patients with type 2 diabetes have not been established.
Forms and strengthsWegovy
  • 2.4 mg/0.75 mL Injection: pre-filled, single-dose pen that delivers doses of 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg.
Saxenda
  • Injection: 6 mg/mL clear, colorless solution in a 3 mL prefilled, single-patient-use pen that delivers doses of 0.6 mg, 1.2 mg, 1.8 mg, 2.4 mg, or 3 mg.
How the label says it is takenWegovy
  • Administer WEGOVY once weekly as an adjunct to diet and increased physical activity, on the same day each week, at any time of day, with or without meals.
  • Inject subcutaneously in the abdomen, thigh or upper arm.
  • In patients with type 2 diabetes, monitor blood glucose prior to starting and during WEGOVY treatment.
  • Initiate at 0.25 mg once weekly for 4 weeks. Then follow the dosage escalation schedule, titrating every 4 weeks to achieve the maintenance dosage.
  • The maintenance dosage of WEGOVY in adults is either 2.4 mg (recommended) or 1.7 mg once weekly.
  • The maintenance dosage of WEGOVY in pediatric patients aged 12 years and older is 2.4 mg once weekly. Important Monitoring and Administration Instructions
Saxenda
  • Inject SAXENDA subcutaneously in the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm once daily at any time of day, without regard to the timing of meals.
  • The recommended dose of SAXENDA is 3 mg daily.
  • Initiate at 0.6 mg per day for one week. In weekly intervals, increase the dose until a dose of 3 mg is reached.
  • If pediatric patients do not tolerate an increased dose during dose escalation, the dose may also be lowered to the previous level. Dose escalation for pediatric patients may take up to 8 weeks.
  • Pediatric patients who do not tolerate 3 mg daily may have their dose reduced to 2.4 mg daily.
  • Adult patients with type 2 diabetes should monitor blood glucose prior to starting SAXENDA and during SAXENDA treatment. Important Administration Instructions
Most common adverse reactionsWegovy
  • Most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥ 5%) in adults or pediatric patients aged 12 years and older are: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, headache, fatigue, dyspepsia, dizziness, abdominal distension, eructation, hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes, flatulence, gastroenteritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and nasopharyngitis.
  • most common adverse reactions leading to discontinuation were nausea (1.8% versus 0.2%), vomiting (1.2% versus 0%), and diarrhea (0.7% versus 0.1%) for WEGOVY and placebo, respectively.
Saxenda
  • Most common adverse reactions, reported in greater than or equal to 5% are: nausea, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, injection site reactions, headache, hypoglycemia, dyspepsia, fatigue, dizziness, abdominal pain, increased lipase, upper abdominal pain, pyrexia, and gastroenteritis.
  • most common adverse reactions leading to discontinuation were nausea (2.9% versus 0.2% for SAXENDA and placebo, respectively), vomiting (1.7% versus less than 0.1%), and diarrhea (1.4% versus 0%).
Warnings and precautionsWegovy
  • Acute Pancreatitis: Has occurred in clinical trials. Discontinue promptly if pancreatitis is suspected. Do not restart if pancreatitis is confirmed.
  • Acute Gallbladder Disease: Has occurred in clinical trials. If cholelithiasis is suspected, gallbladder studies and clinical follow-up are indicated.
  • Hypoglycemia: Concomitant use with insulin or an insulin secretagogue may increase the risk of hypoglycemia, including severe hypoglycemia. Reducing the dose of insulin or insulin secretagogue may be necessary. Inform all patients of the risk of hypoglycemia and educate them on the signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia.
  • Acute Kidney Injury: Has occurred. Monitor renal function when initiating or escalating doses of WEGOVY in patients reporting severe adverse gastrointestinal reactions or in those with renal impairment reporting severe adverse gastrointestinal reactions.
  • Hypersensitivity Reactions: Anaphylactic reactions and angioedema have been reported postmarketing. Discontinue WEGOVY if suspected and promptly seek medical advice.
  • Diabetic Retinopathy Complications in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Has been reported in trials with semaglutide. Patients with a history of diabetic retinopathy should be monitored.
  • Heart Rate Increase: Monitor heart rate at regular intervals.
  • Suicidal Behavior and Ideation: Monitor for depression or suicidal thoughts. Discontinue WEGOVY if symptoms develop. Risk of Thyroid C-Cell Tumors In mice and rats, semaglutide caused a dose-dependent and treatment-duration-dependent increase in the incidence of thyroid C-cell tumors (adenomas and carcinomas) after lifetime exposure at clinically relevant plasma exposures.
Saxenda
  • Acute Pancreatitis: Has been observed in patients treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists, including SAXENDA. Discontinue if pancreatitis is suspected.
  • Acute Gallbladder Disease: If cholelithiasis or cholecystitis are suspected, gallbladder studies are indicated.
  • Hypoglycemia: Can occur in adults when SAXENDA is used with an insulin secretagogue (e.g. a sulfonylurea) or insulin. The risk may be lowered by a reduction in the dose of concomitantly administered insulin secretagogues or insulin. In the pediatric clinical trial, patients did not have type 2 diabetes. Hypoglycemia occurred in SAXENDA-treated pediatric patients.
  • Heart Rate Increase: Monitor heart rate at regular intervals.
  • Acute Kidney Injury Due to Volume Depletion: Monitor renal function in patients reporting adverse reactions that could lead to volume depletion.
  • Severe Gastrointestinal Adverse Reactions: Use has been associated with gastrointestinal adverse reactions, sometimes severe. SAXENDA is not recommended in patients with severe gastroparesis.
  • Hypersensitivity Reactions: Postmarketing reports of serious hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., anaphylactic reactions and angioedema). Discontinue SAXENDA and other suspect medications and promptly seek medical advice.
  • Pulmonary Aspiration During General Anesthesia or Deep Sedation: Has been reported in patients receiving GLP-1 receptor agonists undergoing elective surgeries or procedures. Instruct patients to inform healthcare providers of any planned surgeries or procedures.
ContraindicationsWegovy
  • Personal or family history of MTC or in patients with MEN 2.
  • Known hypersensitivity to semaglutide or any of the excipients in WEGOVY.
Saxenda
  • Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2.
  • Hypersensitivity to liraglutide or any excipients in SAXENDA.
Drug interactionsWegovy
  • WEGOVY delays gastric emptying.
  • May impact absorption of concomitantly administered oral medications.
  • Use with caution.
Saxenda
  • SAXENDA delays gastric emptying.
  • May impact absorption of concomitantly administered oral medications.
  • Use with caution.
Label versionWegovy23 April 2024Saxenda25 February 2026
02Written by us

The overlap is real: both are approved for weight management

The Wegovy label covers reducing excess body weight and maintaining that reduction long term, in adults with obesity or with overweight plus at least one weight-related condition, and in pediatric patients aged 12 and older with obesity.

The Saxenda label covers the same ground with its own boundaries: adults with obesity or with overweight plus a weight-related comorbid condition, and pediatric patients aged 12 and older with body weight above 60 kg and obesity.

Wegovy then adds an indication Saxenda does not have: reducing the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with established cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight.

03Written by us

A weekly molecule against a daily one

Wegovy contains semaglutide and is injected once weekly, on the same day each week, with a maintenance dosage in adults of 2.4 mg, or 1.7 mg where that is the tolerated dose. Saxenda contains liraglutide and is injected once daily, starting at 0.6 mg and increasing weekly to the recommended 3 mg.

Both escalate the dose in steps, and both labels describe that escalation as a way to reduce gastrointestinal reactions.

04Written by us

The warnings read as one class

Both labels carry the boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumors seen in rodents and the contraindication for people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2.

Each also warns against combining its product with any other GLP-1 receptor agonist, which covers the other product of this pair: the two are not to be used together.

05Written by us

What this page does not tell you

It does not say which product loses more weight. The two were approved on separate trial programs, and their labels do not compare them against each other; reading trial numbers across two different documents as a ranking would misrepresent what the evidence supports. It also does not advise on switching between them, which is a prescriber's decision.

06Written by us

Common questions

Are Wegovy and Saxenda the same medication?
No. Wegovy contains semaglutide and is injected once weekly; Saxenda contains liraglutide and is injected once daily. Both are GLP-1 receptor agonists approved for chronic weight management, each under its own label.
Can Wegovy and Saxenda be taken together?
Both labels state that coadministration with any other GLP-1 receptor agonist is not recommended, which rules out the combination of these two products.
Which one covers cardiovascular risk?
Wegovy. Its label includes reducing the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with established cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight. The Saxenda label carries no cardiovascular indication.
Do both cover patients under 18?
Both labels include pediatric patients aged 12 and older: Wegovy for obesity, Saxenda for obesity with body weight above 60 kg. The Saxenda label separately notes that safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients with type 2 diabetes have not been established.
07

Sources

Every fact above comes from one of these documents. The date is the effective date of the label version this page was built from.

Each stripe is one section of the label, each division in a stripe one entry in that section. The red bar marks a boxed warning.

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Other comparisons in this category

Page last updated 23 August 2026

Compiled by the HealthyStudy editorial team from FDA source documents. No medical reviewer is credited on this page, because none reviewed it.