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Saxenda vs Wegovy: weight loss, dosing, cost and what changes in 2027

Wegovy beat Saxenda in the only head-to-head trial: 15.8% average weight loss on weekly semaglutide against 6.4% on daily liraglutide over 68 weeks. Wegovy is one injection a week, Saxenda one a day. A pharmacy pays almost the same for 30 days of each, and Novo Nordisk is discontinuing Saxenda in the US, with last shipments in late January 2027. Here is the full comparison, the labels side by side, and what Wegovy costs on the programs we track today.

Julian CaraulaniFounder, PriceTracker GLP-1Last checked October 2026

9 min read · published October 2026

Studio still life: two unbranded pen injectors crossed at a shallow angle

Key takeaways

  • 1STEP 8, the only head-to-head trial, found average weight loss of 15.8% on weekly Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4 mg) against 6.4% on daily Saxenda (liraglutide 3 mg) at 68 weeks.
  • 2Saxenda is a daily injection; Wegovy is a weekly injection, and also comes as a daily tablet.
  • 3A US pharmacy pays about the same for 30 days of Saxenda ($1,305.55) as for 28 days of the semaglutide 2.4 mg pen ($1,306.72), per Medicaid's NADAC survey of 28 October 2026.
  • 4Novo Nordisk is discontinuing Saxenda in the US, with last shipments to wholesalers in late January 2027.
  • 5Wegovy is available from $208 a month on the cash programs we track. Neither drug may be combined with another GLP-1.

Wegovy lost more weight than Saxenda in the only trial that put them head to head, and it takes one injection a week instead of one a day. In STEP 8, 338 adults without diabetes were randomized to weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg (the Wegovy dose) or daily liraglutide 3 mg (the Saxenda dose). After 68 weeks the average weight change was -15.8% on semaglutide and -6.4% on liraglutide, a gap of 9.4 percentage points.1 Novo Nordisk, which makes both, is now discontinuing Saxenda in the US, with last shipments to wholesalers in late January 2027.7

That is the short answer. The rest of this page is the detail that decides whether it applies to you: the two labels side by side, the trial numbers, what each costs, and what to do if you are on Saxenda today. Which drug suits you is a decision for your prescriber.

15.8% vs 6.4%

Average weight change at 68 weeks in STEP 8: weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg against daily liraglutide 3 mg, with diet and activity counseling in both groups. Placebo: -1.9%.1

If Wegovy is where you are headed, here is what it costs on the cash programs we track today, cheapest first:

Saxenda vs Wegovy at a glance

SaxendaWegovy
Active drugLiraglutideSemaglutide
How oftenOne injection every day4One injection every week; also a once-daily tablet6
Label maintenance dose3 mg a day, reached by raising the dose weekly from 0.6 mg42.4 mg a week by injection, reached from 0.25 mg over steps of 4 weeks; 25 mg a day for the tablet6
Weight-management labelAdults, and ages 12 and up above 60 kg, with obesity; adults with overweight and a weight-related condition4Adults and ages 12 and up with obesity; adults with overweight and a weight-related condition5
Other labeled usesNone listed in its weight-management label4Reducing major cardiovascular events in adults with established heart disease and obesity or overweight; MASH with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis5
Averages in the pivotal trial-8.4 kg at week 56 against -2.8 kg on placebo (SCALE)2-14.9% at week 68 against -2.4% on placebo (STEP 1)3
Head-to-head (STEP 8, 68 weeks)-6.4%1-15.8%1
Status in the USBeing discontinued; last shipments late January 20277Marketed
With another GLP-1?Not recommended4Not recommended5

The head-to-head trial: STEP 8 in numbers

Every comparison of the two drugs rests on one study, so it is worth reading closely. STEP 8 was a randomized, open-label, 68-week phase 3b trial at 19 US sites in adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with a weight-related condition, and without diabetes.1 Both drugs were given with diet and activity counseling.

Outcome at 68 weeksWeekly semaglutide 2.4 mgDaily liraglutide 3 mg
Average weight change-15.8%-6.4%
Lost 10% or more70.9%25.6%
Lost 15% or more55.6%12.0%
Lost 20% or more38.5%6.0%
Stopped treatment for any reason13.5%27.6%
Any gastrointestinal side effect84.1%82.7%

All figures from STEP 8.1

Three things to read into that table. First, the gap is not a few percentage points of noise: the difference was -9.4 percentage points with a 95% confidence interval of -12.0 to -6.8.1 Second, side effects were not the difference. Gastrointestinal events were reported by about four in five people on either drug, so Wegovy's larger effect did not come with a higher rate of stomach trouble in this trial.1 Third, twice as many people stopped liraglutide as semaglutide, which fits a daily injection being harder to keep up than a weekly one, though the trial does not say why people stopped.1

Two limits belong beside the headline. The study was open-label for the comparison between the two drugs, and Novo Nordisk, which sells both, ran it.1 And these are averages: a person on either drug can lose more or less than the group did.

Cost: the pharmacy pays the same, so compare what you pay

Medicaid's NADAC survey publishes what retail pharmacies pay, on average, for each drug. As of 28 October 2026, Saxenda is $87.03696 per mL and the semaglutide 2.4 mg pen is $435.57199 per mL.89 Applying each label's dose:

ProductQuantity for the periodWhat a pharmacy pays
Saxenda, 3 mg a day for 30 days0.5 mL a day, 15 mL$1,305.558
Semaglutide 2.4 mg, one dose a week for 28 daysFour doses of 0.75 mL, 3 mL$1,306.729

Method: each NADAC rate times the volume of drug in the period, using the pen sizes in the NADAC product names. A 30-day Saxenda month and a four-week Wegovy month are not the same length, so the semaglutide figure is for 28 days. Your counter price adds the pharmacy's markup and fee, and your insurer's copay or a manufacturer card changes it again.

The pharmacy-cost line is the point: at acquisition cost the two brands are about the same, so price is not a reason to choose the drug that lost less weight. What changes your bill is the route. Saxenda is going away, so the price that matters going forward is Wegovy's, and the board above is the same ranking the rest of this site serves, with $208 a month the lowest we verify for Wegovy today. If you want the generic-liraglutide side of this, including every approved generic and its cost, read generic liraglutide; for the Wegovy price routes, see Wegovy cost.

Is Saxenda being discontinued?

Yes. Novo Nordisk told prescribers it will stop making Saxenda for the US market, with the last shipments to wholesalers in late January 2027. Its stated reasons are that more FDA-approved treatment options have become available and fewer patients use Saxenda, and it says the decision is not the result of any safety or quality concern.7

For someone on Saxenda that means a prescription change is coming whatever you prefer. The options are generic liraglutide, if you want to stay on the same molecule and daily schedule, or a switch to another drug, including Wegovy. We do not give a switching schedule: it is your prescriber's call, and the Wegovy label's own starting dose and step schedule is the thing to read.6 Do not use the two together, because both labels say combining either drug with another GLP-1 is not recommended.45

Who might still pick Saxenda, and who should look at Wegovy

  • Looking at the evidence alone, the head-to-head trial favors Wegovy for weight loss, so a first-time starter has little reason to choose Saxenda, especially with its US exit date set.17
  • Heart disease with obesity or overweight: only Wegovy's label lists reducing major cardiovascular events.5
  • Liver fibrosis from MASH: only Wegovy's label lists it.5
  • Teenagers: both labels reach ages 12 and up, with Saxenda's limited to those above 60 kg.45
  • Needle-averse: Wegovy also comes as a daily tablet, which Saxenda does not.6
  • Staying on liraglutide: some people tolerate it well or have coverage that names it. Generic liraglutide exists; see generic liraglutide.

If you are comparing semaglutide with the other weekly option, the head-to-head there is covered in tirzepatide vs semaglutide, and if you are shopping around Wegovy, Wegovy alternatives lays out the routes.

Sources9
  1. Rubino DM, et al. Weekly Semaglutide vs Daily Liraglutide (STEP 8). JAMA 2022 read October 2026“Randomized, open-label, 68-week, phase 3b trial conducted at 19 US sites ... without diabetes (N = 338) ... once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide, 2.4 mg ... once-daily subcutaneous liraglutide, 3.0 mg ... The mean weight change from baseline was -15.8% with semaglutide vs -6.4% with liraglutide (difference, -9.4 percentage points [95% CI, -12.0 to -6.8]; P < .001); weight change with pooled placebo was -1.9%. Participants had significantly greater odds of achieving 10% or more, 15% or more, and 20% or more weight loss with semaglutide vs liraglutide (70.9% of participants vs 25.6% ... 55.6% vs 12.0% ... and 38.5% vs 6.0% ... all P < .001). Proportions of participants discontinuing treatment for any reason were 13.5% with semaglutide and 27.6% with liraglutide. Gastrointestinal adverse events were reported by 84.1% with semaglutide and 82.7% with liraglutide.” ↩
  2. Pi-Sunyer X, et al. A Randomized, Controlled Trial of 3.0 mg of Liraglutide in Weight Management (SCALE). N Engl J Med 2015 read October 2026“At week 56, patients in the liraglutide group had lost a mean of 8.4±7.3 kg of body weight, and those in the placebo group had lost a mean of 2.8±6.5 kg” ↩
  3. Wilding JPH, et al. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity (STEP 1). N Engl J Med 2021 read October 2026“The mean change in body weight from baseline to week 68 was -14.9% in the semaglutide group as compared with -2.4% with placebo” ↩
  4. Saxenda prescribing information (DailyMed): indication, limitation of use and dosing read October 2026“SAXENDA is indicated in combination with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity to reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction long term in: • Adults and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with body weight greater than 60 kg and obesity. • Adults with overweight in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition. Limitations of Use • SAXENDA contains liraglutide. Coadministration with other liraglutide-containing products or with any other glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist is not recommended. ... Initiate at 0.6 mg per day for one week. In weekly intervals, increase the dose until a dose of 3 mg is reached.” ↩
  5. Wegovy prescribing information (DailyMed): indications, limitation of use and dosing read October 2026“WEGOVY injection is indicated in combination with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity: • to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events (CV death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or non-fatal stroke) in adults with established CV disease and either obesity or overweight. • to reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction long term in: o adults and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with obesity. o adults with overweight in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition. • for the treatment of noncirrhotic metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), formerly known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis ... Limitations of Use Concomitant use of WEGOVY (semaglutide) tablets or WEGOVY (semaglutide) injection with other semaglutide-containing products or with any other GLP-1 receptor agonist is not recommended.” ↩
  6. Wegovy prescribing information (DailyMed): dosing of the injection and the tablet read October 2026“Initiate at 0.25 mg once weekly for 4 weeks. Then follow the dosage escalation schedule in Table 1, titrating every 4 weeks to achieve the maintenance dosage. ( 2.2 ) • The usual recommended maintenance dosage of WEGOVY injection is 2.4 mg once weekly. ... The recommended maintenance dosage of WEGOVY tablets is 25 mg orally once daily for cardiovascular risk reduction and weight reduction in adults.” ↩
  7. Novo Nordisk (NovoMedLink), Saxenda discontinuation notice read October 2026“last shipments to wholesalers taking place in late January 2027. As more alternative FDA-approved treatment options have become available and the number of patients using Saxenda ® has continued to decline, Novo Nordisk has made the strategic portfolio decision to discontinue the brand in the US. This decision is not the result of any safety or quality-related concerns.” ↩
  8. CMS, NADAC 2026, Saxenda, as of 28 October 2026 read October 2026“SAXENDA 18 MG/3 ML PEN ... "ndc":"00169280015","nadac_per_unit":"87.03696","effective_date":"2026-10-21","pricing_unit":"ML"” ↩
  9. CMS, NADAC 2026, Wegovy, as of 28 October 2026 read October 2026“WEGOVY 2.4 MG/0.75 ML PEN ... "ndc":"00169452414","nadac_per_unit":"435.57199","effective_date":"2026-10-21","pricing_unit":"ML"” ↩

Common questions

Is Saxenda or Wegovy better for weight loss?

In the only head-to-head trial, STEP 8, people on weekly Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4 mg) lost an average of 15.8% of body weight over 68 weeks against 6.4% on daily Saxenda (liraglutide 3 mg). More people on Wegovy lost 10%, 15% and 20% or more. Which suits you is a decision for your prescriber.

How does Saxenda dosing differ from Wegovy dosing?

Saxenda is injected once a day, starting at 0.6 mg a day and raised each week until 3 mg a day is reached. Wegovy injection is once a week, starting at 0.25 mg for 4 weeks and stepping up every 4 weeks toward the usual 2.4 mg a week. Wegovy also comes as a once-daily tablet. Follow the label and your prescriber's schedule.

Is Saxenda being discontinued?

Yes, in the US. Novo Nordisk says last shipments to wholesalers take place in late January 2027, because more approved options exist and fewer patients use Saxenda. It says the decision is not the result of any safety or quality concern.

Does Saxenda cost less than Wegovy?

Not at the pharmacy level. As of 28 October 2026, Medicaid's NADAC survey puts a pharmacy's cost at about $1,305.55 for 30 days of Saxenda and about $1,306.72 for 28 days of the semaglutide 2.4 mg pen. What you pay depends on insurance, cards and the program you use, and Wegovy is available from $208 a month on the cash programs we track.

Can I take Saxenda and Wegovy together?

No. Each label says that using the drug with another GLP-1 receptor agonist is not recommended. Saxenda contains liraglutide and Wegovy contains semaglutide, so taking both would put two GLP-1 drugs in one person.

Is there a generic Saxenda?

Yes. FDA has approved generics of Saxenda. Our generic liraglutide guide lists every approval, the pharmacy cost and the shortage status. Generic liraglutide does not change the results comparison above, because the active drug is the same.

Which drug is approved for heart protection?

Wegovy. Its label includes reducing the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, non-fatal heart attack or non-fatal stroke) in adults with established cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight. Saxenda's weight-management label lists no such use.

Choosing a program? See our ranking of the best online GLP-1 programs for every partner side by side, or the Wegovy price page for what the drug itself costs.

Read next

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