Has anyone compared Saxenda and Contrave in the same trial?

No head-to-head trial has compared these two drugs. Saxenda's figures come from SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes (56 weeks) and Contrave's from COR-BMOD (56 weeks), which enrolled different people for different lengths of time. Numbers from separate trials can be read side by side, but they are not a measured difference.

How much weight did people lose on each?

In clinical trials, participants taking liraglutide lost on average up to 8% of their starting body weight (SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes, 56 weeks), and participants taking naltrexone / bupropion ER lost on average up to 9.3% (COR-BMOD, 56 weeks). Both figures are averages in each drug's main trial; individual results in those trials varied widely.

What does each one cost per month?

Saxenda is listed at $1,000–$1,349/month. Contrave is listed at $100–$400/month. The full price note for each is set out in the cost section above. What you pay depends on your insurance, your dose and your pharmacy.

Can I switch from Saxenda to Contrave?

Switching between weight-loss medicines is a decision for the prescriber who knows your history, your other medicines and how you have responded so far — this site cannot make it for you. What switching involves in practice, including dose steps and the gap between drugs, is set out on the switching page.

Which side effects were reported most often?

In SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes (56 weeks), the reaction reported most often with liraglutide was nausea — 40% of participants. In COR-I (56 weeks), the reaction reported most often with naltrexone / bupropion ER was nausea — 33% of participants. Rates come from different trials with different participants, and a rate is not a prediction for any one person.

Saxenda vs Contrave: trials compared

At a glance

Saxenda and Contrave compared on form, trial results, cost and reported side effects
Attribute	Saxenda	Contrave
Form	Daily injection	Twice-daily tablet
How often	Daily injection	Twice-daily oral tablet — no injection
Weight loss in trials	Up to 8% — SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes (56 weeks)	Up to 9.3% — COR-BMOD (56 weeks)
FDA approved	2014	2014
Made by	Novo Nordisk	Currax Pharmaceuticals
How it works	A GLP-1 analogue with a half-life of approximately 13 hours (requiring daily injection).	Bupropion activates appetite-suppressing nerve cells in the brain's hunger control centre (the hypothalamus).
Monthly cost, self-pay	$1,000–$1,349/mo	$100–$400/mo
Most reported reaction	Nausea 40% (SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes)	Nausea 33% (COR-I)

Every figure in this table is read from the same trial and label records used everywhere else on this site.

Weight loss in each drug's main trial

No head-to-head trial has compared these two drugs.

Saxenda(liraglutide)8%

SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes (56 weeks)

Contrave(naltrexone / bupropion ER)9.3%

COR-BMOD (56 weeks)

In clinical trials, participants taking liraglutide lost on average up to 8% of their starting body weight, and participants taking naltrexone / bupropion ER lost on average up to 9.3%. Those numbers come from two different studies: SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes enrolled 3,731 adults with obesity or overweight with comorbidities over 56 weeks against placebo, while COR-BMOD enrolled adults with obesity, with intensive behaviour therapy over 56 weeks against placebo + intensive behaviour therapy. Who took part, how long each trial ran and what each drug was measured against all move the percentage, so the two figures are not a measured difference between the drugs.

Monthly cost, self-pay

The bar spans the range in each drug's price record — lowest listed price to highest.

Saxenda$1,000–$1,349/mo

Brand (Saxenda) ~$1,000–$1,349/month. Generic liraglutide is typically $135–$200 less than brand.

Contrave$100–$400/mo

~$100–$400/month (brand). Generic available in some markets.

Self-pay prices are what the manufacturer or the pharmacy lists, not what most people end up paying. Saxenda: $1,000–$1,349/month. Contrave: $100–$400/month. Insurance, dose and pharmacy all change both figures.

Side effects reported in the trials

Both trials reported 3 reactions in common. Each rate is the percentage of participants who reported it in the trial named beside it, so the two columns are not from the same study.

Nausea

Saxenda · SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes40%

Contrave · COR-I33%

Constipation

Saxenda · SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes19%

Contrave · COR-I19%

Vomiting

Saxenda · SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes16%

Contrave · COR-I11%

A rate is the share of trial participants who reported that reaction, not a prediction for any one person.

How they differ in practice

How you take it

Saxenda — Once-daily subcutaneous injection
Contrave — Oral extended-release tablet, twice daily

Dose build-up

Saxenda — 0.6 mg → 3.0 mg, escalated over 4 weeks
Contrave — titrated to 32/360 mg/day over 4 weeks

Where a drug is not listed here, its prescribing information sets out its own dose steps.

How soon it acts

Saxenda — Effects visible within 4–8 weeks; maximum benefit typically by 56 weeks
Contrave — Appetite and craving changes typically within 4–8 weeks; significant weight loss by 16–24 weeks

Heart and metabolic findings

Saxenda — The LEADER trial, in type 2 diabetes, showed cardiovascular benefit.
Contrave — The LIGHT cardiovascular outcomes trial was stopped early, because of a protocol violation.

As stated in each drug’s trial record — not a claim about which drug protects the heart more.

Other findings recorded

Saxenda — Approved for adolescents aged 12 and over (SCALE teens programme); generic liraglutide now available (Teva, August 2025) — reducing out-of-pocket cost
Contrave — May help specifically with emotional eating and food cravings; bupropion's antidepressant effect may be beneficial if low mood contributes to overeating

If you stop taking it

Saxenda — Weight regain after stopping is expected, as with other GLP-1 drugs.
Contrave — Weight regain after stopping is expected.

Common questions

Written and maintained by one person · Built with agentic AI tools · Every number checked against the cited trial · Not medical advice

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Next step most people take

Compare all optionsEvery approved drug side by side, plus the other head-to-head pages Saxenda in fullSaxenda — results, side effects, cost and how it is taken Contrave in fullContrave — results, side effects, cost and how it is taken Take the option finder quizAnswer a few questions and see which options fit your situation

Built with agentic AI tools and not a substitute for medical advice

Last reviewed: September 2026

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Medical disclaimer: This website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any treatment. Prices shown are United States self-pay or list prices and vary by insurance and country.