Over-the-Counter Liraglutide: What Exists, What Doesn't

Saxenda in brief

How long it lasts in the body

Its half-life is about 13 hours: after 13 h half is gone, and after five half-lives (2.7 d) about 3% is left.

How much weight came off in the main trial

For Obesity and Prediabetes, 56 weeks, the SCALE trial showed 7.4% of body weight, compared with 3% for the placebo group.

Sources: FDA label (DailyMed).

Every legitimate way to get liraglutide, ranked

Ways to get it, lowest price first
Route	Who it is for	What you pay
Compounded copy: Henry Meds	Not FDA approved; ranked last for that reason	$179 a month

Prices checked November 2026. Every price takes you to the page it came from.

Sources: Novo Nordisk pricing, NovoCare, api.fda.gov, henrymeds.com.

Who can qualify

In the US, every GLP-1 sold needs a prescription. For an approved use on the label, a prescriber writes it:

Victoza: For people with type 2 diabetes, it lowers blood sugar in adults and children aged 10 and older, along with diet and exercise.
Victoza: It lowers the risk of heart-related death, heart attack or stroke in adults who have type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Saxenda: For weight loss and keeping weight off long term, with diet and activity. Adults with obesity qualify, and so do children 12 and older with obesity when body weight is over 60 kg. Adults who have overweight and a weight-related condition qualify as well.

Source: FDA label (DailyMed).

Comparing telehealth options

Liraglutide telehealth programs
Program	Medicine option	Medicine price	All in
Henry Meds	Compounded liraglutide (daily injection) (not FDA approved)	$179 a month	Included

Every price comes from the pricing page of the program itself. We get no money from any of them.

Source: henrymeds.com.

Shortage situation

Liraglutide: Still on the current shortage list. Victoza pens: limited availability; generics are available; in January 2027, Saxenda is being discontinued.

Liraglutide supply for each product
Product	FDA status	Availability
Victoza 6 mg/mL pen (2-pack and 3-pack)	Current	Limited Availability
Victoza back order	Current	Back order
Saxenda 6 mg/mL pen (5-pack)	To Be Discontinued	Available until January 2027
Generic liraglutide (Meitheal, Teva)	Current	Available

July 18, 2023: the first time it showed up on the FDA shortage list

Sources: api.fda.gov, ashp.org.

Warning signs of a scam

No prescription required: sellers who skip the prescription are not licensed US pharmacies.
Compounded drugs sold as the brand: the FDA has not approved compounded drugs, so none of them is Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Zepbound.
Claims of matching the brand: the FDA sent 30 warning letters about misleading claims to telehealth companies.
A monthly price that excludes the drug: the FTC took action against one program over this; see the NextMed review.

Sources: Novo Nordisk pricing, NovoCare, FDA.

Where to get it in your state

Hims & Hers: You cannot get it in all 50 states
Noom Med: Not offered in all 50 states
NovoCare Pharmacy: A delivery network covering the 50 states, and also DC, Puerto Rico

Medicaid rules have the biggest effect on which route you take for weight loss, GLP-1s are covered by 10 state Medicaid programs today Choose your state to see its drug list and prior authorization rules:

Sources: hims.com, noom.com, NovoCare.