Liraglutide (Saxenda) Before and After: Results Month by Month
In SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes, people on liraglutide 3.0 mg daily lost 7.4% of their body weight on average over 56 weeks, against 3% on placebo.
- Average loss, top dose
- 7.4%
- On placebo
- 3%
- Trial length
- 56 weeks
- Trial
- SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes
Saxenda in brief
The half-life is about 13 hours: half is gone by 13 h, and after five half-lives, or 2.7 d, about 3% is left.
The SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes, 56 weeks trial found a 7.4% drop in body weight; people on placebo dropped 3%.
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed).
Liraglutide before and after: the numbers first
| Trial | Dose group | Average weight lost | Placebo or comparison | Weeks | Who was in it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes | Liraglutide 3.0 mg daily | 7.4% | 3% | 56 | Adults with obesity or overweight, without type 2 diabetes |
Source: the SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes (FDA label (DailyMed)).
Liraglutide before and after: the numbers first
The trial average of 7.4% was applied to three starting weights. This is arithmetic, not a prediction about any one person: some people lose more, others less.
| Starting weight | Average loss on liraglutide 3.0 mg daily | Average loss on placebo |
|---|---|---|
| 180 lb | about 13 lb | about 5 lb |
| 220 lb | about 16 lb | about 7 lb |
| 260 lb | about 19 lb | about 8 lb |
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed).
Week by week
- Stomach side effects are most common in the first weeks, when the dose is low and still rising. After every dose increase, they often come back for a few days at a time.
- In Week 56 the SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes study ends, and that is where the average loss above was measured.
Sources: health.clevelandclinic.org, PubMed.
What makes progress stall, and what helps
- See where you are in the dose steps. Every trial above shows less weight lost at the lower doses.
- Count the doses you missed or took late over the past month.
- Write down what you eat and drink for a few days. Liquid calories and grazing build up when portions shrink.
- If progress has stalled for months, ask your prescriber about switching medicines and about getting a thyroid or blood sugar check.