Short answer: Both are liraglutide, injected once daily. Victoza is for type 2 diabetes in adults and children 10 and older, up to 1.8 mg a day, and lowers heart-event risk in adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease.1 Saxenda is for weight loss in adults and children 12 and older, stepped up weekly to 3 mg a day.2 Using them together is not recommended.
| Saxenda | Victoza | |
|---|---|---|
| Approved for | Weight reduction in adults, and in children 12 and older over 60 kg with obesity2 | Blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes from age 10; lower heart-event risk in adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease1 |
| Daily dose steps | 0.6 mg, then 1.2, 1.8 and 2.4 mg at weekly steps; 3 mg from week 52 | 0.6 mg for one week, then 1.2 mg; 1.8 mg after at least a week if needed1 |
| Maximum | 3 mg daily2 | 1.8 mg daily1 |
| When to stop for lack of effect | Adults: less than 4% weight loss after 16 weeks2 | No such rule1 |
| Missed dose | Resume with the next dose; after more than 3 days, restart at 0.6 mg2 | Resume with the next dose; after more than 3 days, restart at 0.6 mg1 |
| Nausea in adult trials | 39.3% vs 13.8% on placebo2 | 18% on 1.2 mg and 20% on 1.8 mg vs 5% on placebo1 |
| Boxed warning | WARNING: RISK OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORS2 | WARNING: RISK OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORS1 |
They are the same drug. The Victoza label says using it with other liraglutide products is not recommended, and the Saxenda label says the same about other liraglutide products and any other GLP-1 receptor agonist.12 Both are injected under the skin of the belly, thigh or upper arm at any time of day, without regard to meals.21
The warnings are shared: pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, low blood sugar with insulin or a sulfonylurea, kidney injury from fluid loss, raised heart rate and food in the lungs under anesthesia. Gallstones were 2.2% on Saxenda vs 0.8% on placebo; in Victoza's LEADER trial, acute gallbladder events were 3.1% vs 1.9%. These numbers come from separate trials with different people, lengths and methods, so they are not a head-to-head comparison.
Which, if either, fits is for your prescriber. More detail: Saxenda side effects, Victoza side effects, the Saxenda and Victoza dosing schedules, the Saxenda and Victoza missed-dose pages, the liraglutide guide, and Saxenda vs Wegovy: how do the two weight-loss injections differ?.