Semaglutide vs Liraglutide

Should I care about liraglutide now that semaglutide exists?

Both are FDA-approved GLP-1 agonists from the same company, and semaglutide is the more effective of the two on weight and the more convenient on schedule — weekly rather than daily. Liraglutide's continued relevance is not clinical superiority: it is that generic versions now exist, which makes it the cheapest legitimately-prescribed GLP-1 in the pharmacy, and price is the reason most people abandon this class.

Head-to-head evidence

STEP and SCALE are separate programs, so the 15% and the 8% are not a direct measurement. Semaglutide and liraglutide were, however, compared directly in diabetes trials (the SUSTAIN program), and semaglutide produced the greater glycaemic and weight effect there too.

A common mistake

Assuming the older drug is obsolete. Obsolete is a marketing word; liraglutide is an approved medicine with cardiovascular outcomes data and a generic price.

Educational use only, never medical advice. No doses.