Page data last changed: . Chemistry registry snapshot: . Registry refreshes and identity assessments are separate from scientific content review.
A once-daily GLP-1 analog engineered for a longer half-life than native GLP-1.
Also known as: Victoza · Saxenda
Part of the Metabolic & GLP-1 peptides cluster
Overview
Liraglutide is a once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist peptide: human GLP-1(7-37) with one substitution (Lys34→Arg) and a C16 palmitic acid attached to Lys26 through a γ-glutamate spacer. The fatty acid binds serum albumin, stretching the hormone's two-minute half-life to about 13 hours. Approved as Victoza (2010, type 2 diabetes) and Saxenda (2014, weight management); generic liraglutide launched in 2024.
Source & context
Biological / chemical source: Synthetic analog of human GLP-1 with a fatty-acid side chain
Primary research or clinical context: Prescription medicine approved in Canada, the US and EU
What liraglutide is — and yes, it is a peptide
Liraglutide is a 31-amino-acid peptide that differs from human GLP-1(7-37) at a single position (arginine replaces lysine at 34) and carries a 16-carbon fatty acid on lysine 26. It was the first GLP-1 analog designed around albumin binding rather than sequence changes, and it established the lipidation strategy that semaglutide, tirzepatide and retatrutide all use. Its molecular formula is C172H265N43O51 and its average mass is about 3,751 Da — roughly 15% heavier than native GLP-1 because of the palmitoyl-γ-glutamate side chain.
Sequence and the two changes from GLP-1
Only two things separate liraglutide from the hormone. The Lys34→Arg substitution exists purely so that the fatty acid can be attached at one defined lysine (position 26) during manufacturing instead of two. The C16 palmitate is joined to that lysine through a γ-glutamic acid spacer, which positions the lipid so it can reach albumin's fatty-acid pockets without blocking receptor binding. Position 8 keeps the native alanine, so liraglutide remains a DPP-4 substrate in principle — its protection comes from being bound to albumin more than 98% of the time and from forming heptamers in the subcutaneous depot, which slows both absorption and enzymatic access.
| Position (proglucagon numbering) | GLP-1 | Liraglutide | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Ala | Ala | Unchanged; DPP-4 site remains |
| 26 | Lys | Lys(γGlu-palmitoyl) | Albumin binding; slow release from depot |
| 34 | Lys | Arg | Single, defined acylation site |
| All others | — | Identical | 97% identity keeps full receptor potency |
Why liraglutide lasts 13 hours, not a week
A C16 mono-acid binds albumin well enough to extend the half-life from minutes to about 13 hours, which supports once-daily injection. To reach once-weekly dosing, Novo Nordisk's later work replaced the palmitate with a C18 fatty diacid (a second carboxylic acid at the far end of the chain) and added two OEG spacers, which roughly tripled albumin affinity, and swapped position 8 for Aib so DPP-4 could no longer cleave the N-terminus at all. That molecule is semaglutide. Liraglutide's shorter half-life also means it washes out within two to three days of stopping, which matters for switching between analogs.
Clinical evidence in brief
The LEAD programme (type 2 diabetes) supported approval as Victoza in 2009–2010, and the SCALE programme supported the 3.0 mg weight-management dose approved as Saxenda in 2014. In SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes, 56 weeks of liraglutide 3.0 mg produced a mean weight change of about −8.0% versus −2.6% with placebo. The LEADER cardiovascular outcomes trial (2016) showed a 13% relative reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events in people with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk. Later head-to-head data (SUSTAIN 10, STEP 8) showed semaglutide produces larger reductions in HbA1c and weight than liraglutide.
Liraglutide vs semaglutide
Both are human-GLP-1-based, lipidated analogs from the same company, which makes the comparison unusually clean. Semaglutide's Aib substitution and C18 diacid give it a half-life about 13 times longer (7 days vs 13 hours) and once-weekly dosing; in the STEP 8 trial, 68 weeks of semaglutide 2.4 mg produced about 15.8% weight loss versus 6.4% with liraglutide 3.0 mg. Liraglutide's advantages are a longer safety record, faster washout, daily dosing that some clinicians prefer for titration, and — since 2024 — generic pricing. The dedicated comparison guide goes through the receptor and trial data side by side.
Regulatory and market status
Liraglutide is an approved prescription medicine in the United States, Canada, the European Union and most other markets, under the brand names Victoza (type 2 diabetes, including paediatric use from age 10) and Saxenda (chronic weight management, including adolescents 12 and over). The first US generic liraglutide launched in 2024 after patent expiry. Material sold online as “research liraglutide” is not a pharmacy product and is not covered by these approvals; see the regulatory notice above and the research-peptides guide for what a certificate of analysis does and does not tell you.
Sequence
One-letter sequence commonly cited for Liraglutide (educational; isoforms and modifications may differ):
HAEGTFTSDVSSYLEGQAAKEFIAWLVRGRG
Residues plotted ~100° apart around an α-helix — clustering of one color reveals an amphipathic face.
Structure & chemistry
Molecular identity & reference confidence
Source-supported reference
Reference values are taken from the cited molecular record or curated profile. A database match is not independent laboratory verification; modifications, counter-ions, and formulations can change the measured mass.
- Molecular form
- Human GLP-1(7-37), 31 residues, 97% sequence identity with the native hormone
- Species
- Not established by this molecular identity audit
- Termini (N / C)
- Not specified / Free acid (Gly37)
Average reference mass
Reference policy updated: 2026-10-05
- IUPHAR/BPS source snapshot · 2026-10-01
- PubChem molecular record · 2026-10-01
H-A-E-G-T-F-T-S-D-V-S-S-Y-L-E-G-Q-A-A-K(γGlu-C16 palmitoyl)-E-F-I-A-W-L-V-R-G-R-G
- Molecular formula
- C172H265N43O51
- Average reference mass
- ≈ 3,751.2
- Plasma half-life
- ≈ 13 h (once-daily dosing)
- Receptors
- GLP-1 receptor (full agonist; GLP-1R affinity ~0.1 nM in the discovery assays)
- Backbone
- Human GLP-1(7-37), 31 residues, 97% sequence identity with the native hormone
- Lipidation
- Palmitic acid (C16, mono-acid) on Lys26 via a single γ-glutamate spacer
- C-terminus
- Free acid (Gly37)
- Status
- Approved: Victoza (2010, T2D), Saxenda (2014, weight); generics available since 2024
| Position | Native | Analog | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lys34 → Arg34 (pos 28) | K | R | Removes the second lysine so acylation happens at one site only |
| Lys26 (pos 20) | K | K(γGlu-C16) | Palmitoyl side chain binds albumin, slows absorption and shields the peptide from DPP-4 and renal filtration |
| Ala8 (pos 2) | A | A (unchanged) | Still DPP-4-cleavable — protection is indirect, via albumin binding and heptamer self-association at the injection site |
- PubChem CID: 16134956
- IUPHAR ligand: 1133
- ChEMBL: CHEMBL1201866
- DrugBank: DB06655
- CAS RN: 204656-20-2
- UNII: 839I73S42A
Chemistry values: curated profile, IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology · fetched 2026-10-01.
Clinical development snapshot
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 514 registered studies with “Liraglutide” as an intervention (snapshot 2026-10-01). A registry footprint is not evidence of efficacy or approval.
| NCT | Title | Phase | Status | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT07225829 | A Trial to Investigate the Safety and Efficacy of Intra-articular 4P004 Injection in Subjects With Knee Synovi | Phase 2 | active not recruiting | 2026-09-21 |
| NCT06836284 | The Evira Study: Additional Support During Obesity Treatment | Not applicable | recruiting | 2026-09-10 |
| NCT07787936 | GLP-1/GIP Receptor Agonists in Obesity-Related HFpEF: The GLIDE-HF Registry | — | not yet recruiting | 2026-08-26 |
| NCT05965908 | Effect of Liraglutide in Obese Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome | Phase 3 | completed | 2026-08-25 |
| NCT05220917 | Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Four Second Line Pharmacological Strategies in Type 2 Diabetes Study | — | active not recruiting | 2026-08-13 |
| NCT03883412 | Effect of Exercise and/or Liraglutide on Vascular Dysfunction and Insulin Sensitivity in Type 2 Diabetes ( ZQL | Phase 4 | recruiting | 2026-08-12 |
The incretin & metabolic co-agonist class at a glance
| Peptide | Receptors | Length | Mass (Da) | Half-life | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GLP-1 | GLP-1R | 30 aa | ≈ 3,297.6 | ≈ 1–2 min (DPP-4 cleavage + renal clearance) | Endogenous hormone — not a product |
| Liraglutide (this page) | GLP-1R | 31 aa | ≈ 3,751.2 | ≈ 13 h (once-daily dosing) | Approved: Victoza (2010, T2D), Saxenda (2014, weight) |
| Semaglutide | GLP-1R | 31 aa | ≈ 4,113.6 | ≈ 7 days (≈ 145–165 h in clinical PK studies) | Approved: Ozempic (2017, T2D), Rybelsus (2019, oral T2D), Wegovy (2021, weight) |
| Tirzepatide | GIPR + GLP-1R | 39 aa | ≈ 4,813.5 | ≈ 5 days (≈ 117 h) | Approved: Mounjaro (2022, T2D), Zepbound (2023, weight; 2024, obstructive sleep apnoea) |
| Retatrutide | GIPR + GLP-1R + GCGR | 39 aa | ≈ 4,731 | ≈ 6 days | Investigational (phase 3) |
| Cagrilintide | Amylin / calcitonin | 37 aa | ≈ 4,409 | ≈ 7–8 days (159–195 h across doses in the phase 1b study) | Investigational (phase 3, as CagriSema with semaglutide) |
| Survodutide | GCGR + GLP-1R | 29 aa | ≈ 4,232 | Supports once-weekly dosing (published population estimates are on the order of several days) | Investigational (phase 3: SYNCHRONIZE obesity programme; MASH programme) |
| Mazdutide | GCGR + GLP-1R | 34 aa | ≈ 4,476 | Supports once-weekly dosing (published estimates are on the order of several days) | Approved in China (NMPA): chronic weight management (27 June 2025) and type 2 diabetes (2025) |
| Amycretin | GLP-1R + amylin | — | — | Supports once-weekly subcutaneous dosing | Investigational (phase 2 results published 2025; later-phase trials under way) |
Verified from PubChem, IUPHAR and the primary discovery papers cited on each profile. Half-lives are approximate population means from published pharmacokinetics.
Liraglutide — reconstitution calculator
Enter how much peptide is in the vial and how much diluent (e.g. bacteriostatic water) is added. The tool returns the resulting solution concentration — and, for any amount you type, the volume it corresponds to. This is educational arithmetic, not a dosing recommendation.
Reference form: Human GLP-1(7-37), 31 residues, 97% sequence identity with the native hormoneAverage reference mass: 3,751.2 Da
Enter an amount to see the volume it corresponds to.
Educational concentration mathematics only. This tool does not recommend a dose, amount, or protocol, and nothing here is medical advice. Many peptides are not authorized by Health Canada for human use — see our reconstitution and bacteriostatic-water guides for context.
Change log
Dated observations from the data pipeline (registry flags, trial footprints, identifiers) and editorial reviews of this profile.
- EditorialProfile content reviewed and updated by the editorial team.
FAQ about Liraglutide
What is Liraglutide?+
Liraglutide is a once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist peptide: human GLP-1(7-37) with one substitution (Lys34→Arg) and a C16 palmitic acid attached to Lys26 through a γ-glutamate spacer. The fatty acid binds serum albumin, stretching the hormone's two-minute half-life to about 13 hours. Approved as Victoza (2010, type 2 diabetes) and Saxenda (2014, weight management); generic liraglutide launched in 2024.
What Canadian product status is recorded for Liraglutide?+
Canadian product status for Liraglutide has not been verified in this profile. No verified record here does not mean no authorization exists. Status depends on the product, formulation and use; consult Health Canada's product records.
What is the typical length of Liraglutide?+
Liraglutide is commonly described as approximately 31 amino acids (GLP-1 receptor agonist (acylated peptide)).
Is liraglutide a peptide?+
Yes. It is a 31-amino-acid peptide analog of human GLP-1 with one substitution (Lys34→Arg) and a C16 palmitic acid side chain on Lys26. Molecular formula C172H265N43O51, average mass about 3,751 Da.
What is the amino acid sequence of liraglutide?+
HAEGTFTSDVSSYLEGQAAKEFIAWLVRGRG, with the lysine at position 20 of that string (Lys26 in proglucagon numbering) carrying a γ-glutamate-palmitoyl side chain. It is identical to GLP-1(7-37) except for Arg at position 34.
What is liraglutide's half-life?+
About 13 hours after subcutaneous injection, which is why it is dosed once daily. Semaglutide, its once-weekly successor, has a half-life of about 7 days.
How is liraglutide different from semaglutide?+
Semaglutide adds an Aib residue at position 8 (blocking DPP-4) and swaps the C16 palmitate for a C18 fatty diacid with two OEG spacers (stronger albumin binding). Those two changes turn a 13-hour half-life into a 7-day one and, in head-to-head trials, produce roughly twice the weight loss.
What are Victoza and Saxenda?+
Both are liraglutide. Victoza is the type 2 diabetes product (up to 1.8 mg daily); Saxenda is the chronic weight-management product (3.0 mg daily). Generic liraglutide has been available in the US since 2024.
Further reading
- ComparisonSemaglutide vs Liraglutide: A Mechanistic GLP-1 ComparisonAn educational comparison of semaglutide and liraglutide—two approved GLP-1 receptor agonists—covering structure, half-life, dosing cadence, and approval status. Not medical advice.
- PharmacologyGLP-1 and Incretin Peptide Half-Lives Compared: From 2 Minutes to 8 DaysA sourced table of the plasma half-lives of native GLP-1, exenatide, liraglutide, dulaglutide, semaglutide, tirzepatide, retatrutide, cagrilintide and the newer co-agonists — and the three engineering strategies (DPP-4 resistance, albumin binding, Fc fusion) that stretch minutes into a week.
- Metabolic peptidesGLP-1 Peptides Explained: GLP-1, Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, RetatrutideFrom endogenous GLP-1 to dual and triple agonists—an educational map of incretin peptide science and metabolic drug design.
Related peptides
References & further reading
- 1.Guo et al. (2023). Liraglutide attenuates type 2 diabetes mellitus-associated non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by activating AMPK/ACC signaling and inhibiting ferroptosis. Mol Med
- 2.Zhang et al. (2024). Liraglutide Promotes Diabetic Wound Healing via Myo1c/Dock5. Adv Sci (Weinh)
- 3.Davies et al. (2015). Efficacy of Liraglutide for Weight Loss Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: The SCALE Diabetes Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA
- 4.Patel et al. (2025). Comparative Effectiveness of Semaglutide, Liraglutide, Orlistat, and Phentermine for Weight Loss in Obese Individuals: A Systematic Review. Cureus
- 5.Chen et al. (2024). GLP-1R-positive neurons in the lateral septum mediate the anorectic and weight-lowering effects of liraglutide in mice. J Clin Invest
- 6.Mathieu et al. (2016). Efficacy and Safety of Liraglutide Added to Insulin Treatment in Type 1 Diabetes: The ADJUNCT ONE Treat-To-Target Randomized Trial. Diabetes Care
- 7.Maselli et al. (2022). Effects of liraglutide on gastrointestinal functions and weight in obesity: A randomized clinical and pharmacogenomic trial. Obesity (Silver Spring)
- 8.Drucker et al. (2010). Liraglutide. Nat Rev Drug Discov
- 9.PubChem — compound summary for Liraglutide (CID 16134956)
- 10.Wikipedia — Liraglutide