Everything you need to know about Saxenda dosage

Unlike many medications where you stay at the same dose the entire time, Saxenda dosages start out small and are usually increased over time until you reach a maintenance dose — where you're seeing progress or maintaining a specific weight with minimal or no side effects. But what does that whole process actually look like? Here, experts share their insights on what you can expect with Saxenda dosages.

Typical Saxenda dosing schedule

Saxenda, a brand name for liraglutide, was the first GLP-1 agonist approved by the FDA for weight loss back in 2014. It has five dosages: 0.6 mg, 1.2 mg, 1.8 mg, 2.4 mg, and 3.0 mg. The highest amount is considered a maintenance dose, according to the manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, which means it’s the dose most people will stay on to maintain their weight-loss results.

Unlike some newer GLP-1s that are taken as weekly injections, such as Wegovy and Zepbound, Saxenda is a daily injection. Most people start with the lowest dosage and then increase each week until they reach 3.0 mg. You'd then stay on that dosage unless your healthcare provider suggests discontinuing the medication. "Regular assessment of how you're doing on a medication like Saxenda is important, to see whether the medication is working for you, or if it doesn't seem to be a good fit even at a higher dosage," says Dr. Allison Rhodes, M.D., who has dual board certifications in internal medicine and obesity medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. For example, if you haven’t lost at least four percent of your body weight by 16 weeks, it's considered unlikely that you'll achieve clinically meaningful weight loss on Saxenda and should talk about switching to a different medication.

Potential Saxenda dosage chart

Here’s how a provider might schedule dose increases for someone starting on Saxenda:

What strengths does Saxenda come in?

Each Saxenda pen contains 18 mg of liraglutide in 3 mL of solution. (In addition to the drug liraglutide, the solution contains stabilizers, water, and other inactive ingredients.) You can adjust the pen to deliver doses in any of five strengths: 0.6 mg, 1.2 mg, 1.8 mg, 2.4 mg, and 3.0 mg.

How many doses are in a Saxenda pen?

Each Saxenda pen holds 18 mg of the medication, so the number of doses per pen varies depending on your dosage. If you’re at the highest dosage of 3.0 mg, a single pen will contain six doses (or six days worth of the medication). But if you’re on the lowest dose of 0.6 mg, a pen would hold 30 doses.

Keep in mind, though, that for most people, dosages increase every week until you reach the maximum. That means if you start at 0.6 mg for a week and follow the Saxenda dosing schedule above, your first pen would last for two weeks and three days.

Forms of Saxenda (liraglutide)

Saxenda is available as a clear, colorless liquid in a pre-filled pen intended for use by one person. There are no generic forms of Saxenda available yet on the market. However, its active ingredient, liraglutide, is available in another medication, Victoza, which is FDA approved for treating type 2 diabetes rather than weight loss.

How to use Saxenda

Once your healthcare provider prescribes Saxenda for weight management, here’s what you can expect to do at home. Every day, ideally in the morning, you’ll inject yourself with the medication using the prefilled pen.

To give yourself the injection, you first attach a new needle, then select the dose using a dial on the end of the pen. Next choose a spot — either your stomach, thigh, or back of the upper arm. If doing the injection in the belly, make sure it’s done at least two inches away from the belly button to ensure the medication is absorbed correctly.

Since Saxenda is injected daily, it's best to rotate the injection site every time, says Dr. Alexandra Sowa, M.D., a New York City-based physician double-board certified in internal medicine and obesity medicine, and the author of The Ozempic Revolution. "Because reactions like tenderness or skin irritation sometimes take a day or two to present themselves, it's helpful to change injection sites so you're not creating a more intense reaction in the same spot."

Whatever spot you choose, clean it with an alcohol wipe and let dry before inserting the needle into your skin. Then press the end of the dose counter and count to six. You’ll know you’re done when the dose counter reads zero.

What happens if you miss a dose of Saxenda?

If you accidentally miss a dose of Saxenda, the manufacturer says to just take the next daily dose as usual on the following day, rather than doubling up.

Missing more than three days of Saxenda — for instance, if you're traveling and forget to bring the pen, or if you're having a medical procedure where they ask that you discontinue the medication temporarily — usually means going back to the 0.6 mg starting dose and gradually increasing the dose each week, says Sowa. "This is done so you don't experience disruptive side effects, which can happen if you miss over three days of Saxenda and then try to restart at a higher dosage," she adds. Your provider will give you guidance on how to handle missing multiple doses.

Can you change your Saxenda dose time?

It is preferable to take Saxenda in the morning, and to not change the time of day of your injection.

The bottom line

Saxenda, the first GLP-1 agonist approved by the FDA for weight loss, is given as a daily injection at home. It comes in five different doses, and you’ll likely start on the lowest dose and work your way up every week. Your healthcare provider will monitor how you’re doing on the different doses and let you know if you should make any adjustments or if it seems like Saxenda isn’t the right medication for you.