When you compare Victoza vs. Saxenda, you’re looking at two different drugs with the same active ingredient: liraglutide. That said, these two medications are approved for vastly different uses. Saxenda is approved for weight management, while Victoza is approved for treating Type 2 diabetes.
This article will take a look at Saxenda vs Victoza: the difference you need to be aware of and any similarities.
How Victoza and Ozempic Work?
When comparing Victoza vs. Ozempic, it’s important to understand that the two medications work in incredibly similar ways. That’s because they both have the same active ingredient. Both of these medications help to slow the rate at which your body absorbs food, which is why they can be useful for managing weight gain. Both medications also help to lower blood sugar levels, which is why they’re used to help manage diabetes. Both of these drugs are classified as GLP-1 agonists or glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists. They mimic the GLP-1 agonist that the body naturally releases after eating. By increasing the amount of this chemical, the medications help to convince the body that it is no longer hungry. The chemical also suppresses the formation of Glucagon which helps to keep blood sugar levels within a healthy range. In both cases, the medications mimic natural processes to help the body process food and sugars.
A Note About Type 2 Diabetes
A Note About Type 2 Diabetes
Liraglutide was originally developed as a way to help treat type 2 diabetes. The weight loss aspect, and other positive effects of the medication were unintentional but beneficial byproducts of the drug.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. It affects your body’s abilities to turn food into energy.
Some of the most common causes of this type of diabetes includes insulin resistance, pancreatic problems, obesity, and genetic risk factors.
Some of the symptoms include the following:
- Frequent urination
- Increased thirst
- Extreme hunger
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
- Blurred vision
- Slow-healing sores
- Frequent infections
The best way to manage this disorder is through taking a range of different steps and precautions. For instance, a healthy, balanced diet combined with regular exercise. Medications like Liraglutide also help to manage the condition by improving the body’s ability to process sugars into energy.
Victoza vs. Saxenda Dosage and Administration
Where dosages are concerned, Victoza may be given in one of three dosages once a day: 0.6 mg, 1.2 mg, or 1.8 mg.
The recommended dosage for Saxenda is considerably higher, at around 3 mg per day. However, this eventual dosage is achieved by slowly increasing the dosage over the first five weeks of treatment.
In either drug, administration happens through subcutaneous injection via the use of a pen. The pens contain 18 mg of Liraglutide, allowing users to dose multiple times from each injection pen.
Saxenda vs. Victoza: Uses and Effectiveness
As mentioned earlier, both of these medications have been approved for different uses.
Saxenda is specifically approved for use in the management and control of body weight. As a result, it would definitely be the safer option when you’re looking for a weight loss drug. It’s never a good idea to use drugs in applications for which they haven’t been approved.
Victoza, on the other hand, has been approved for a range of different uses but not for weight loss. It is greatly effective as a treatment for managing blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. It’s also approved to help treat cardiovascular disease in patients who suffer from both conditions.
That said, while it isn’t approved for weight loss management, there are limited clinical guidelines for the treatment of obesity.
Saxenda Prerequisites
No matter how you intend to use a medication, there are certain prerequisites that you need to meet before you can take the medication. In the case of Saxenda, there are various requisites that you need to meet before you can use the drug.
- First, you need to suffer from Type 2 Diabetes. The drug isn’t approved for use in non-diabetes-related conditions.
- Second, you need to be an adult or over the age of ten before you can take this medication.
- Third, you can only take the medication in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise regime. It has limited effectiveness when used as a stand-alone treatment option.
Victoza Prerequisites
While Victoza is a weight loss drug and not intended for use controlling life-threatening conditions, it has a relatively strenuous range of requisites before you can get a prescription.
- In adults, it may be taken only when you have a BMI (Body Mass Index) equal to or greater than 30 kilograms per square meter.
- Alternatively, the adult may suffer from a weight-related condition (like an underactive thyroid or Cushing syndrome) and a body mass index of at least 27 kilograms per square meter.
- In children, at least twelve years of age, with a weight of over 60 kilograms.
- In children with a body mass index that is considerably higher than it should be (based on their age, height, and weight) as a result of obesity.
Weight Loss Benefits
As mentioned earlier, Saxenda is approved for use in managing weight loss while Victoza isn’t. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Victoza doesn’t have any positive effects on weight loss.
Diabetic patients who use Victoza to manage blood sugar levels may also experience weight loss benefits. However, since Victoza is taken in considerably lower doses, the effects won’t be nearly as pronounced.
Neither drug is a miracle cure for weight loss, even though they contain the same active ingredient which contributes toward weight loss. To be truly effective, the drug needs to be combined with a change in diet as well as regular exercise.
Side Effects
It’s essential to note that, when comparing Victoza vs. Saxenda, both have the same active ingredients but the dosages differ significantly. As a result, the side effects can differ between the two medications.
The following tables will compare the potential side effects for both medications.
Mild Side Effects
Most medications have a host of mild side effects that may be inconvenient but are generally easy to manage. In the case of Saxenda and Victoza, these may include the following:
| Side Effect | Saxenda | Victoza | Both |
| Fatigue | X | | |
| Dizziness | X | | |
| Abdominal Pain | X | | |
| Upper Respiratory Tract Infection | | X | |
| Back Pain | | X | |
| Headache | | | X |
| Nausea and Vomiting | | | X |
| Reduced Appetite | | | X |
| Constipation | | | X |
| Diarrhea | | | X |
| Indigestion | | | X |
| Injection Site Reaction | | | X |
Severe Side Effects
Some medication side effects may be more severe, leading to larger problems. In severe cases, patients may even need to change medications. Side effects can vary significantly among patients, with some patients experiencing many, and others experiencing none.
| Side Effect | Saxenda | Victoza | Both |
| Increased Heart Rate | X | | |
| Suicidal Thoughts or Behaviors | X | | |
| Thyroid Cancer | | | X |
| Pancreatitis | | | X |
| Kidney Problems | | | X |
| Gallbladder Disease | | | X |
| Hypoglycemia | | | X |
| Severe Allergic Reactions | | | X |
Thyroid Tumors
It’s critical to note that both these medications have a warning for thyroid cancer on the label. The warning is categorized as a boxed warning, which is the FDA’s most severe warning and indicates that the medication can be dangerous under the right circumstances.
While both of these drugs are proven to increase the risk of thyroid tumors in animals, however there has been no proof that it has a similar effect in human beings. However, to ensure your own safety, you should never take Saxenda or Victoza if you or another family member have ever been diagnosed with a medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2.
It’s critical that you see your physician if you start to experience any of the symptoms of thyroid cancer while taking either of these medications. Common symptoms include the following:
- Difficulty breathing
- Finding it hard to swallow
- Swollen lymph nodes and glands in the neck
- A sore neck or throat
- A hoarse voice
Precautions
If you have suffered from, or are experiencing, certain conditions, then it’s best to avoid these medications entirely. That way, you can safely avoid the likelihood of certain side effects.
In some cases, your physician will give you permission to use the medication, but you should always check with them first. The following table lists the relevant conditions:
| Precaution | Saxenda | Victoza |
| Allergy to drug or ingredients | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pregnancy or potential pregnancy | ✓ | ✓ |
| Breastfeeding or considering breastfeeding | ✓ | ✓ |
| Kidney problems | ✓ | ✓ |
| Gastroparesis | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pancreatitis | ✓ | ✓ |
| Gallbladder problems | ✓ | ✓ |
| Diabetes or diabetes medication | ✓ | ✓ |
| Liver problems | ✓ | |
| Mental health conditions (depression, suicidal thoughts) | ✓ | |
| Heart problems | ✓ | |
Saxenda Vs Victoza Price
When comparing the Saxenda vs. Victoza cost, it’s important to note that both of these medications are brand-name, and that neither of them have generics. This means that, by nature, these medications will be relatively costly. However, the exact costs will vary based on the dosage and treatment plan prescribed, the pharmacy where you purchase the medication, and your insurance coverage.
A Saxenda pen can cost anywhere between $1,300 and $1,500 at current prices, with Victoza generally coming in at between $800 and $900.
Switching Between Medications
Many people think that, since Saxenda vs. Victoza are so similar when you compare them, you can easily switch between these two medications. However, this is not a recommended course of action even though they share the same active ingredients.
The main reason for this is that they’re approved for vastly different uses. Saxenda isn’t approved for treating diabetes, and Victoza isn’t approved for weight loss. Not only do they accomplish significantly different things, but there’s a major difference between their dosages.
Neither medication can successfully fulfill the role of the other, and you wouldn’t be able to keep the dosages consistent if you switched drugs.
