What was Saxenda?
Saxenda was a daily injectable GLP-1 receptor agonist containing liraglutide at 3mg. It was one of the first GLP-1 medications approved for weight management in Australia. It produced approximately 8% average body weight loss — effective at the time, but now surpassed by newer medications.
Why was it discontinued?
Novo Nordisk — the manufacturer of both Saxenda and Wegovy — made a strategic decision to shift production capacity toward Wegovy. Semaglutide (Wegovy's ingredient) is a newer-generation molecule that produces roughly double the weight loss of liraglutide (Saxenda's ingredient) with the convenience of weekly rather than daily dosing. The discontinuation reflects the natural progression of the product line.
How Saxenda compared to its replacements
| Saxenda | Wegovy | Mounjaro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Discontinued | Available | Available |
| Frequency | Daily injection | Weekly injection | Weekly injection |
| Avg. weight loss | ~8% | 15–17% | ~21% |
| Ingredient | Liraglutide | Semaglutide | Tirzepatide |
What should former Saxenda patients do?
- Talk to your doctor about switching to Wegovy or Mounjaro
- Expect to restart dose escalation — even if you were on a high dose of Saxenda, you'll start from the beginning of the new medication's escalation schedule
- Discuss timing — your doctor will advise on when to start the new medication after your last Saxenda dose
- Budget for the change — Wegovy and Mounjaro are more expensive than Saxenda was