Liraglutide Results: What to Expect at 1, 3, 6 and 12 Months
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: a quick look
Its half-life is about 13 hours: after 13 h half of it is gone, and five half-lives (2.7 d) leave about 3% behind.
The SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes, 56 weeks trial reported 7.4% of body weight, compared with 3% for the placebo group.
Listed sources: FDA DailyMed label.
Liraglutide results: 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 who have obesity or are overweight, with no type 2 diabetes |
Source listed: SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes (FDA label (DailyMed)).
What the average means in pounds
Across three starting weights, the trial's average was 7.4%. These numbers come from arithmetic, not from a prediction for any one person: some people lose more, some lose 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 |
Listed sources: FDA DailyMed label.
Week-by-week view
- Most often, stomach side effects show up early, while the dose stays low and keeps rising. After every dose increase, they often come back for a few days.
- Week 56 is where SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes ended, and that is the point when the average loss above was measured.
Sources cited here: health.clevelandclinic.org, PubMed.
Why progress stalls, and what helps
- Check where you are in the dose steps. In every trial above, people taking lower doses lost less weight.
- For the past month, count the doses taken late or missed.
- Keep a record of what you eat and drink for a few days. When portions shrink, liquid calories and grazing add up.
- If your weight stops moving for months, discuss thyroid or blood sugar testing and changing medicines with your prescriber.