Peptide Monographs

Liraglutide and Semaglutide side by side

Liraglutide and Semaglutide are both indexed under Incretin receptor agonists. Every cell below carries the record it came from, and an axis with no retrieved value reads Unknown rather than being filled by inference.

Summary

Both are single-receptor GLP-1 receptor agonists and both are placed in that class by the cited 2024 BMJ systematic review and network meta-analysis. The retrieved literature for both is dominated by large cardiovascular outcome trials, reported for liraglutide in 2016 and for semaglutide in 2016 and again in 2023 in a population without diabetes.

[1, 2, 3]

Side by side

Curated comparison axes for Liraglutide and Semaglutide
AxisLiraglutideSemaglutide
Reported mechanismAgonist at the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor.[9, 1] (derived value: Derived: the receptor mechanism is taken from the cited 2024 GLP-1 receptor review, and this compound is placed in that class by the cited 2024 BMJ network meta-analysis of GLP-1 receptor agonists. No retrieved title for this compound states the receptor directly.)Agonist at the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor, the single-receptor mechanism of the incretin receptor agonist class.[9, 1] (derived value: Derived: the retrieved citation metadata for this compound does not state the receptor in a title. The receptor mechanism is taken from the cited 2024 GLP-1 receptor review, and this compound is placed in that class by the cited 2024 BMJ network meta-analysis of GLP-1 receptor agonists.)
Molecular weight3751 g/mol[4]4114 g/mol[10]
Amounts reported in the cited literature3 mg (human trial)[3]Unknown
FDA application registerA query of the FDA Drugs@FDA application register on 2026-10-09 returned 11 application record(s) for this compound name (including ANDA214568, ANDA217063, ANDA215421, NDA022341, ANDA217590, marketed as LIRAGLUTIDE, VICTOZA). Material supplied as a research chemical is not the subject of those applications and is not an FDA-approved product.[5]A query of the FDA Drugs@FDA application register on 2026-10-09 returned 1 application record(s) for this compound name (including NDA213051, marketed as OZEMPIC, RYBELSUS). Material supplied as a research chemical is not the subject of those applications and is not an FDA-approved product.[11]

Where the two literatures diverge

The clearest divergence in the retrieved metadata is administration interval: the cited liraglutide trial reports describe once-daily administration against a once-weekly comparator, while the cited semaglutide trials are once-weekly. Dosing provenance also diverges in this dataset: a study-reported figure is recorded for liraglutide because the cited 2015 trial states it in its title, whereas the semaglutide record carries no study-reported dose and renders as Unknown. The FDA application register returned eleven application records for liraglutide, including generic applications, against one for semaglutide.

[1, 2, 3]

Where this page sits

Full pages: Liraglutide and Semaglutide.

Shared class: Incretin receptor agonists.

Other pairs in the same class

All side-by-side pages: index.

Sources

  1. Comparative effectiveness of GLP-1 receptor agonists on glycaemic control, body weight, and lipid profile for type 2 diabetes: systematic review and network meta-analysis. BMJ (2024). pmid:38286487
  2. Liraglutide once a day versus exenatide twice a day for type 2 diabetes: a 26-week randomised, parallel-group, multinational, open-label trial (LEAD-6). Lancet (2009). pmid:19515413
  3. A Randomized, Controlled Trial of 3.0 mg of Liraglutide in Weight Management. N Engl J Med (2015). pmid:26132939
  4. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 16134956, Liraglutide. PubChem, National Library of Medicine (2026). pubchem:16134956
  5. Drugs@FDA application register query for this compound, 11 application(s) returned: ANDA214568, ANDA217063, ANDA215421, NDA022341, ANDA217590. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, openFDA drugsfda endpoint (2026). fda:liraglutide
  6. Liraglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes. N Engl J Med (2016). pmid:27295427
  7. Liraglutide and Renal Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes. N Engl J Med (2017). pmid:28854085
  8. Liraglutide safety and efficacy in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (LEAN): a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled phase 2 study. Lancet (2016). pmid:26608256
  9. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor: mechanisms and advances in therapy. Signal Transduct Target Ther (2024). pmid:39289339
  10. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 56843331, Semaglutide. PubChem, National Library of Medicine (2026). pubchem:56843331
  11. Drugs@FDA application register query for this compound, 1 application(s) returned: NDA213051. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, openFDA drugsfda endpoint (2026). fda:semaglutide
  12. Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. N Engl J Med (2016). pmid:27633186
  13. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity. N Engl J Med (2021). pmid:33567185
  14. Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes. N Engl J Med (2023). pmid:37952131
  15. A Placebo-Controlled Trial of Subcutaneous Semaglutide in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis. N Engl J Med (2021). pmid:33185364
  16. Effects of Semaglutide on Chronic Kidney Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. N Engl J Med (2024). pmid:38785209
  17. Tirzepatide versus Semaglutide Once Weekly in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. N Engl J Med (2021). pmid:34170647

On each stated value was matched to the record cited for it. That is record matching, not an appraisal of the research. Compiled and checked by: Peptide Monographs editorial desk. No qualified clinical reviewer.

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