Liraglutide FDA-Approved for Obesity
The drug liraglutide (trade name Saxenda) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment for obesity. It had previously been approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Liraglutide is taken as a daily injection and is meant to be used alongside a calorie-reduced diet and increased physical activity. Liraglutide works by mimicking a peptide (GLP-1) that regulates appetite and calorie intake.
Recommended dosage is 3 mg/day, but should begin at 0.6 mg/day for the first week and gradually increase by 0.6mg each week to reduce the likelihood of gastrointestinal side effects.
In three clinical trials, participants who were overweight or obese, some of whom had weight-related conditions such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol, either received training about following a reduced-calorie diet and increasing physical activity or had already lost up to 5% of their body weight by engaging in these practices.
Among those participants who did not have diabetes or a weight-related condition, 62% lost up to 5% of their body weight after a year of taking liraglutide, compared to 34% of those who were given a placebo injection.
Of the participants who had type 2 diabetes, 49% lost up to 5% of their body weight after a year of liraglutide, compared to 16% of those who received placebo.
Of those who had a weight-related condition other than diabetes, 42% lost up to 5% of their body weight compared to 21.7% who took placebo.
