Short answer: The label says to start Saxenda at 0.6 mg once daily for one week, then raise the daily dose each week: 1.2 mg in week 2, 1.8 mg in week 3, 2.4 mg in week 4 and 3 mg from week 5 onward. For adults, 3 mg daily is the recommended dose and the lower doses are for titration only.
This is what the FDA label says. Follow your prescriber. Your prescriber may use a different dose or pace than the label's standard schedule.
What Saxenda is approved for: The label says Saxenda is approved, with a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity, to reduce excess body weight and keep it off long term in adults and children 12 and older with obesity and a body weight over 60 kg, and in adults with overweight who have at least one weight-related medical condition.
Source
SAXENDA (liraglutide) injection, for subcutaneous use, prescribing information and Medication Guide. Novo Nordisk. DailyMed, version published June 15, 2026. DailyMed setid 3946d389-0926-4f77-a708-0acb8153b143
Saxenda is injected under the skin of the abdomen, thigh or upper arm once a day, at any time of day, without regard to meals. Changing the site or timing does not require a dose change.
It is used together with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. The label says to rotate sites within the same region to reduce the risk of cutaneous amyloidosis, a skin condition.
Patients are trained on injection technique before starting, and the solution should be clear and colorless with no particles.
The table below is the label's schedule, from the Dosage and Administration section. Numbers are copied exactly; the section is in brackets.
| Week | Daily Dose |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.6 mg |
| 2 | 1.2 mg |
| 3 | 1.8 mg |
| 4 | 2.4 mg |
| 5 and onward | 3 mg |
Adults: the recommended dose is 3 mg daily; lower doses are for titration only. The label says to stop Saxenda if 3 mg cannot be tolerated.
Adults: if an increased dose is not tolerated during escalation, the label says delaying the next step by about one more week may be considered.
Adults: body weight is checked 16 weeks after starting. The label says to stop Saxenda if at least 4% of starting body weight has not been lost.
Children 12 and older: the maintenance dose is 3 mg daily, which may be reduced to 2.4 mg daily if 3 mg is not tolerated. Saxenda is stopped if 2.4 mg cannot be tolerated.
Children 12 and older: if an increased dose is not tolerated, it may be lowered to the previous level, and escalation may take up to 8 weeks. BMI is checked after 12 weeks on the maintenance dose, and Saxenda is stopped if BMI has not dropped by at least 1%.
In adults with type 2 diabetes, the label says to check blood sugar before starting and during treatment.
Using Saxenda with other liraglutide products or any other GLP-1 receptor agonist is not recommended.
If a dose is missed, resume the once-daily schedule with the next scheduled dose. Do not take an extra dose or increase the dose to make up for it. If more than 3 days have passed since the last dose, restart at 0.6 mg daily and follow the escalation schedule in Table 1.
More on this: missed a dose of Saxenda.
In Dose Track you set up Saxenda as a protocol with the dose and schedule your prescriber gave you. A protocol can hold dose steps, each with its own dose and length in days or weeks, so a step-up plan like the one on the label can be entered once and the app moves to the next step on its own. Reminders follow the schedule, and every dose is logged with the date and time, so you can see which step you are on and when your last dose was. The app follows what you enter; it does not choose or change a dose.
This page is what the FDA label says, in plain words. It is not medical advice. Follow your prescriber, and ask them or your pharmacist about anything here.