Sexenda and Wegovy are injections healthcare providers prescribed for weight loss and lasting weight loss management. Wegovy (semaglutide) is used once a week, while Saxenda (liraglutide) is prescribed for daily use.
If you are going to use one of these drugs or can’t make a decision on which one is better for you. This article will provide satisfactory facts about the differences and similarities between Saxenda and Wegovy.
Major Differences between Saxenda and Wegovy
The major differences between Saxenda and Wegovy are there that you should be considered primarily!
Use and Age Limits: Both Saxenda and Wegovy can be used for weight loss and long-term weight management by certain children and adults.
Conditions treated: Wegovy is approved to minimize the risk of stroke and heart attack in adult people with heart illness, overweight, and obesity. We will discuss this afterward in detail.
Generic Status of Saxenda and Wegovy
After understanding the key differences between Saxenda and Wegovy, it’s time to delve into their generic status and active ingredients. The essential facts about these medications are:
Both medications are injections approved by the FDA for weight loss.
Saxenda (liraglutide) and Wegovy (semaglutide) belong to a class of specified drugs known as glucagon-like-peptide 1 (GP-1) agonists.
The key distinction between the two is that Saxenda is used once a day while Wegovy is injected once a week.
How Do These Injectables Work?
To decide which drug will suit you for weight loss according to your medical history, it’s crucial to understand the facts about “How does Saxenda and Wegovy work?”. So, get ready to acquire in-depth knowledge about these drugs and stay connected with us.
What is Wegovy?
Before discussing how Wegovy works it’s crucial to understand what is Wegovy. So the fact that Wegovy is a brand name called semaglutide and comes as a pen injector. Health experts suggest, injecting under the skin. It was approved in 2021 by the Food and Drug Administration. Wegovy was the first drug approved for weight loss while Saxanda was approved in 2014.
Afterwards in 2024, the Food and Drug Administration approved it to lessen the risk of severe heart issues in adults with overweight and obesity. Health experts suggest that Wegovy should be used with increased physical activities and a low-calorie diet.
How Does Wegovy Work?
As Wegovy and Saxanda fall in the same class of drugs, they work similarly. GLP-1 agonists have the ability to suppress your appetite and aid in feeling full for longer. The plus point of Wegovy is that it can continue its work for a longer period as compared to Saxanda. Wegovy remains active for about 165 hours after injecting it. While Saxanda can active around for just 13-15 hours. That’s why Saxenda is prescribed for a daily dose.
What is Saxenda?
Saxenda is a brand name of liraglutide. This injection is prescribed once a day. It is available in pen injection form and it is injected under the skin.
Saxenda was approved in 2014 and it was declared as the first GLP-1 agonist for weight loss for patients with diabetes.
For best results, Saxenda should be used along with exercise (or physical activities) and a healthy diet in people with BMI (body mass index) above or at 20 kg per meter square. Kilogram/height in meters squared.
For younger (12-17) population FDA approved Saxenda who weigh more than 60 kg (132 pounds).
How Does Saxenda Work?
As we discussed above, Saxenda is a GLP-1 agonist medication, which mimics GLP-1 a naturally produced hormone. GLP-1 induces insulin production and suppresses your appetite, this causes you to feel full for longer. These all conditions cause healthy weight loss.
Do Saxenda and Wegovy Exchangeable?
As we discussed earlier Saxenda used for once a day while Wegovy used for once a week, they are not exchangeable.
Which one is more Effective?
According to a study, Saxenda and Wegovy were compared for weight loss outcomes. Patients who took Wegovy experienced more significant weight loss than those on Saxenda. After 86 weeks of using both drugs, the average weight loss was around 6.4% on Saxenda and approximately 15.8% on Wegovy.
These results came with daily exercise and a low-calorie diet.
Read also: 6 week plan ozempic weight loss results
Dosage Comparision: Saxenda Vs. Wegovy
Here we will describe the main differences between Saxenda and Wegovy according to their availability, suggested dosage, generic availability, and dosage according to age.
Available strength and pen size:
Saxenda: 3 milliliters prefilled pen that can deliver doses of 0.6 mg, 12 mg. 1.8. 2.4 mg or 3 mg; the same pen will be used for multiple days.
Wegovy: 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, and 2.4 mg dosage of single-dose pens. A new pen can be used for each dose each week.
Recommended dosing: Recommended doses per week are:
- Week 1: 0.6 mg daily
- Week 2: 1.2 mg daily
- Week 3: 1.8 mg daily
- Week 4: 2.4 mg daily
- Afterwards: 3 mg daily
Wegovy:
- Weeks 1-4: 0.25% mg weekly
- Weeks 5-8: 0.5 mg weekly
- Weeks 9-12: 1 mg weekly
- Weeks 13-16: 1.7 mg weekly
- Weeks 17 on: 2.4 mg weekly
Generic availability:
Saxenda: No
Wegovy: No
Age limits:
Saxenda: Saxenda is approved for people 12 years and older, with the same aim of maintaining a dose of 3 mg daily, which may be reduced to 2.4 mg daily if 3 mg is not endured.
Wegovy: Wegovy is approved for kids 12 years and older, with the same goal to maintain a dose of 2.4 mg weekly; it may be reduced to 1.7 mg weekly if 2.4 mg is not tolerated.
Medication Interactions
If you have diabetes and taking medicine such as glipizide or glyburide may interact with Saxends or Wegovy it can lead to hypoglycemia in which your blood glucose level is shallow than normal. As a result risks of hypoglycemia get higher.
Note: It’s better to discuss with your healthcare provider before using one of these drugs (Saxenda or Wegovy), they may suggest you lower the diabetes medication.
Precautions and Risks
Saxenda and Wegovy are available with a warning in the pack about thyroid C-cell tumors. Since GLP-1 have the ability to lead C-cell tumors in mice and rats.
However c-cell tumor risks in humans are unknown, you must not use Saxenda or Wegovy if you have a personal or family history of thyroid cancer or disease.
Other severe side effects of GLP-1 agonists such as Saxenda and Wegovy are:
- Gallbladder illness
- Inflammation of thyroid or acute pancreatitis
- Very low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia)
- Complications of retinopathy if you have type 2 diabetes
- Elevated heart rate
- Acute kidney injury
- Thoughts of suicide
Who Should Avoid Saxenda or Wegovy
Like any drug Saxenda and Wegovy also are n’t suitable for anyone. You need to avoid these drugs if you have
- Had a severe previous reaction such as difficulty breathing, or swelling, to Saxenda and Wegovy or any of the inactive ingredients in the medicine
- A personal or family history of thyroid cancer
- History of suicidal behavior or thoughts, as these medications have the potential to worsen mental health situation.
- Breastfeeding or pregnancy, as a risk to developing fetuses not well unstated.
- Are planning to become pregnant in the next 2 months
Conclusion
Saxenda and Wegovy are both GLP-1 agonists that aid in losing weight by regulating your appetite and increasing feelings of fullness. These medications are self-injectable, but Wegovy is administered once a week while Saxenda is taken daily.
In clinical trials, people using Wegovy lost nearly double the weight on average compared to those using Saxenda. For best outcomes, these drugs should be combined with dietary changes and exercise, such as integrating more fiber and vegetables into your diet, and ensuring sufficient protein intake.
In addition to Saxenda, semaglutide is available in other brand-name products such as Ozempic and Rybelsus, which are approved for treating type 2 diabetes. It’s important to note that the dosing for these other brands differs from that of Wegovy.
