Saxenda generic: Availability, cost, and more

In this article:

• Is there a generic for Saxenda?
• What’s the difference between Saxenda and liraglutide?
• Saxenda vs. liraglutide vs. liraglutide-weight management
• How to save on generic liraglutide

In this article

• Is there a generic for Saxenda?
• What’s the difference between Saxenda and liraglutide?
• Saxenda vs. liraglutide vs. liraglutide-weight management
• How to save on generic liraglutide

Saxenda (liraglutide) is a brand-name prescription medication that’s prescribed for chronic weight management along with a reduced-calorie diet and exercise. It’s a medication in the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1) group of drugs, similar to Wegovy (semaglutide) and Zepbound (tirzepatide), which are also used for weight management. GLP-1 injections tend to carry a considerable monthly cost without insurance. On average, Saxenda can cost $1,899 for 5, 18 mg/3 mL 3 mL pens, a monthly supply. That can amount to more than $22,000 in medication costs per year. For this reason, many may look for more affordable options, such as looking into generic versions. 

Is there a generic for Saxenda?

Yes, there is a generic for Saxenda, generic liraglutide for weight management. However, there are two forms of generic liraglutide, approved for different indications. As of August 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved generic liraglutide injections for weight management, the same active ingredient as in brand-name Saxenda. It’s the first generic GLP-1 drug available for weight loss. 

Before this approval, generic liraglutide was only approved to treat people with Type 2 diabetes, as a generic version of brand-name Victoza.

RELATED: Victoza vs. Saxenda

What’s the difference between Saxenda and liraglutide?

Saxenda and generic liraglutide are very similar. Sameer Murali, MD, Medical Director of Obesity Medicine at Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, Texas, explains that patients should expect a “nearly identical effectiveness and safety profile compared to the name brand.” They both come in the same forms and dosages, they’re taken the same way, and they both contain the same active ingredient, liraglutide.

Saxenda and generic liraglutide for weight management are available in prefilled pens with 18 mg per 3 mL that can be dosed at 0.6 mg, 1.2 mg, 1.8 mg, 2.4 mg, or 3 mg. Patients take Saxenda and generic liraglutide the same way: a once-daily injection in the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm.

Both Saxenda and its generic version work the same way in the body. Liraglutide helps regulate appetite and blood sugar levels by mimicking the hormone GLP-1, which is involved in digestion and satiety. While generic medications don’t go through the same full series of clinical trials as brand-name drugs, the FDA requires them to still meet strict standards for bioequivalence. This means generic medications must deliver the same active ingredient in the same amount and work the same way in the body. “For medications like liraglutide, this ensures that the clinical effects, including weight reduction and gastrointestinal side effects, should be essentially identical,” says Michael Genovese, MD, chief medical adviser at AscendantNY in New York City. 

One major difference between the two is the cost. As mentioned above, Saxenda costs an average of $1,899 for 5, 18 mg/3 mL pens without insurance. Generic liraglutide for weight management costs slightly less, on average $1,700 for 5, 18 mg/3 mL pens without insurance. 

Another difference between Saxenda and generic liraglutide is what they’re approved to treat. Saxenda is specifically approved for chronic weight management alongside diet and exercise. However, there are two different generic liraglutide products that are approved for different indications. The generic version of Saxenda, which is approved for weight loss, is simply referred to as liraglutide for weight management. The other is the generic version of Victoza, simply called liraglutide, for managing Type 2 diabetes. The main difference is their dosage, as the maintenance dose of Victoza (liraglutide)  is typically 3, 18 mg/3 mL pens per month, while the maintenance dose of Saxenda (liraglutide for weight management) is 5, 18 mg/3 mL pens per month. 

RELATED: Victoza vs. Saxenda

Prescription drug prices often change. These are the most accurate medication prices at the time of publishing in ZIP code 23666 as of Jan. 16, 2026. 

How to save on generic liraglutide

Although generic medications can be up to 85% cheaper than their brand-name versions, the cost of generic liraglutide isn’t much different from the cost of Saxenda. However, there are ways to save on the full cost of Saxenda and generic liraglutide.

One way to save is to use a prescription discount coupon like SingleCare. A SingleCare coupon is free, and it can save you up to 70% on generic liraglutide for weight management. A one-month supply of generic liraglutide for weight management can go from $1,700 to $496 for 5, 18 mg/3 mL pens with a SingleCare coupon. 

To get a SingleCare coupon, find your prescribed medication on the SingleCare website and choose the pharmacy you want to use it at. SingleCare coupons are accepted at most retail pharmacies, including Walgreens, CVS, and Publix pharmacies. Show your SingleCare coupon to the pharmacist when you’re collecting your prescription to save. 

Another way to save on generic liraglutide is to check whether your insurance plan covers it. While insurance coverage for Saxenda can vary and often requires prior authorization, insurance plans are generally more likely to cover the generic version of a drug over the brand-name. Many insurance companies categorize Saxenda as Tier 3, requiring prior authorization, co-payment, or cost-sharing. Despite this, keep in mind that “many plans still restrict weight management medications overall,” Dr. Genovese says. For example, Medicare and Medicaid plans may not cover any medications when prescribed for weight loss, explains Dr. Murali. “This is a statutory ban that was placed on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in 2003 called the Medicare Modernization Act,” he explains. Medicaid coverage varies by state.

People looking to save on liraglutide may come across compounded liraglutide. Because Saxenda and Victoza have been on the FDA’s drug shortage list since 2023, compounding pharmacies have been permitted to create their own compounded liraglutide to help fill the supply gap for patients who need liraglutide regularly. While compounded forms of GLP-1 drugs can be less expensive, they’re not FDA approved like generic versions produced by licensed pharmaceutical manufacturers. “The variability among compounded products is significant, and patients cannot expect the same safety, efficacy, and bioavailability from compounded products as compounding pharmacies do not have to submit their products for regulatory evaluation and approval,” Dr. Murali says. 

“Work with a clinician to identify the safest and most financially sustainable therapy rather than resorting to unregulated compounds,” Dr. Genovese advises. 

Bottom line

Saxenda, a daily GLP-1 injection for weight loss, is available in a generic form, liraglutide for weight management. Both contain the same active ingredient and are used the same way, though the generic is typically more affordable, especially when combined with prescription discount coupons. Using a SingleCare coupon for a generic liraglutide prescription for weight loss can save you up to 70% without insurance.

The SingleCare prices in this article are the most accurate at the time of publishing in ZIP code 23666 as of Jan. 16, 2026. Prices vary by pharmacy.