Has anyone compared Wegovy and Saxenda in the same trial?

No head-to-head trial has compared these two drugs. Wegovy's figures come from STEP 1 (68 weeks) and Saxenda's from SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes (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 semaglutide lost on average up to 14.9% of their starting body weight (STEP 1, 68 weeks), and participants taking liraglutide lost on average up to 8% (SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes, 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?

Wegovy is listed at ~$1,350/month. Saxenda is listed at $1,000–$1,349/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 Wegovy to Saxenda?

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 STEP 1 (68 weeks), the reaction reported most often with semaglutide was nausea — 44% of participants. In SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes (56 weeks), the reaction reported most often with liraglutide was nausea — 40% of participants. Rates come from different trials with different participants, and a rate is not a prediction for any one person.

Wegovy vs Saxenda: trials compared

At a glance

Wegovy and Saxenda compared on form, trial results, cost and reported side effects
	Wegovy	Saxenda
Form	Weekly injection	Daily injection
How often	Injection: once-weekly	Daily injection
Weight loss in trials	Up to 14.9% — STEP 1 (68 weeks)	Up to 8% — SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes (56 weeks)
FDA approved	2021	2014
Made by	Novo Nordisk	Novo Nordisk
How it works	A GLP-1 analogue with an extended half-life of approximately one week.	A GLP-1 analogue with a half-life of approximately 13 hours (requiring daily injection).
Monthly cost, self-pay	~$1,350/mo	$1,000–$1,349/mo
Most reported reaction	Nausea 44% (STEP 1)	Nausea 40% (SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes)

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.

Wegovy(semaglutide)14.9%

STEP 1 (68 weeks)

Saxenda(liraglutide)8%

SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes (56 weeks)

In clinical trials, participants taking semaglutide lost on average up to 14.9% of their starting body weight, and participants taking liraglutide lost on average up to 8%. Those numbers come from two different studies: STEP 1 enrolled 1,961 adults with obesity or overweight with comorbidities, no type 2 diabetes over 68 weeks against placebo, while SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes enrolled 3,731 adults with obesity or overweight with comorbidities over 56 weeks against placebo. 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.

Wegovy~$1,350/mo

Injection: ~$1,350/month list price. Novo Nordisk NovoCare programme available. The Wegovy pill is priced separately (see the oral pill entry).

Saxenda$1,000–$1,349/mo

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

Self-pay prices are what the manufacturer or the pharmacy lists, not what most people end up paying. Wegovy: ~$1,350/month. Saxenda: $1,000–$1,349/month. Insurance, dose and pharmacy all change both figures.

Side effects reported in the trials

Both trials reported 4 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

Wegovy · STEP 144%

Saxenda · SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes40%

Diarrhoea

Wegovy · STEP 130%

Saxenda · SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes21%

Vomiting

Wegovy · STEP 124%

Saxenda · SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes16%

Constipation

Wegovy · STEP 124%

Saxenda · SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes19%

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

Wegovy — Two forms: once-weekly injection (2.4 mg) OR once-daily pill (25 mg). Same drug, similar results, very different cost and convenience.
Saxenda — Once-daily subcutaneous injection

Dose build-up

Saxenda — 0.6 mg → 3.0 mg, escalated over 4 weeks

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

How soon it acts

Wegovy — Noticeable effects within 4–8 weeks; maximum weight loss typically reached by 60–68 weeks
Saxenda — Effects visible within 4–8 weeks; maximum benefit typically by 56 weeks

Heart and metabolic findings

Wegovy — The SELECT trial (n=17,604) demonstrated a 20% reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE — heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death) vs. placebo in adults with established cardiovascular disease and obesity, without diabetes.
Saxenda — The LEADER trial (type 2 diabetes) showed cardiovascular benefit.

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

Other findings recorded

Wegovy — 20% reduction in heart attacks and strokes (SELECT trial, established CVD); improved blood pressure and cholesterol across STEP trials
Saxenda — Approved for adolescents aged 12 and over (SCALE teens programme); generic liraglutide now available (Teva, August 2025) — reducing out-of-pocket cost

If you stop taking it

Wegovy — In STEP 4, stopping semaglutide after a 20-week run-in led to significant weight regain.
Saxenda — Weight regain after stopping is expected, as with other GLP-1 drugs.

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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Last reviewed: September 2026

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.