Victoza (liraglutide) is a prescription drug used to help manage type 2 diabetes and reduce the risk of certain diabetes-related heart problems. Victoza is given as a daily injection under the skin.
Victoza is prescribed to:
- help manage type 2 diabetes in adults and some children
- lower the risk of severe heart or blood vessel problems in adults with heart disease and type 2 diabetes
To learn more about Victoza’s uses, see the “What is Victoza used for?” section.
Victoza basics
Victoza contains the active ingredient liraglutide. It belongs to a group of diabetes drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists.
Victoza is a brand-name medication that also comes in a generic liraglutide injection. It’s also available as the brand-name injection Saxenda, which is approved for weight loss.
Victoza has a boxed warning. A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For details, see the “What should be considered before taking Victoza?” section.
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Victoza is prescribed for people who have type 2 diabetes. It can be used to:
- help manage blood sugar levels in adults and children ages 10 years and older, when prescribed with a healthy diet and exercise
- help prevent severe heart or blood vessel problems in adults who also have heart disease
Diabetes affects your metabolism. It causes high blood sugar due to problems making or using insulin in your body. With type 2 diabetes, your body doesn’t effectively use the insulin that your pancreas produces.
Note: Victoza cannot be used for type 1 diabetes. And your doctor won’t prescribe Victoza with other drugs that contain liraglutide, such as Saxenda.
How does Victoza work?
Victoza works to lower your blood sugar and maintain healthy levels by:
- stimulating your pancreas to release insulin (a hormone that lowers your blood sugar)
- limiting the release of glucagon (a hormone that raises your blood sugar)
- slowing down the rate at which food digests, which can make you feel more full after eating
To learn more about how Victoza and similar drugs may work for your condition, talk with your doctor.
Using Victoza for weight loss
The active ingredient in Victoza, liraglutide, can cause weight loss. It does this by:
- slowing digestion, which can cause you to feel full for longer periods
- mimicking your body’s naturally occurring GLP-1 hormone, which suppresses hunger signals in the brain
In addition, Victoza is typically prescribed in combination with diet and exercise. These lifestyle changes can also contribute to weight loss during treatment.
It’s important to note that Victoza is not approved for this use. Because of this, your doctor is unlikely to prescribe Victoza for weight loss. Instead, they may prescribe Saxenda, which is FDA approved for weight management.
For more information about how these drugs compare, see this Victoza vs. Saxenda article.
Like most drugs, Victoza may cause mild or serious side effects. The following lists describe some of Victoza’s more common side effects. These lists don’t include all possible side effects.
Keep in mind that side effects of a drug can depend on:
- your age
- other health conditions you have
- other medications you take
Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about the potential side effects of Victoza. They can also suggest ways to help reduce side effects.
Mild side effects
Here’s a list of some of the mild side effects Victoza can cause. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist, or read Victoza’s prescribing information.
Mild side effects of Victoza that have been reported include:
- nausea, vomiting, or upset stomach
- loss of appetite
- diarrhea or constipation
- hives (raised, itchy patches on your skin)
- low blood sugar
- headache
Mild side effects of many drugs may go away within a few days to a couple of weeks. But if they become bothersome, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Serious side effects
Serious side effects from Victoza can occur, but they aren’t common. If you have serious side effects from Victoza, call your doctor right away. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, you should call 911 or your local emergency number.
Serious side effects of Victoza that have been reported include:
- pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
- severely low blood sugar (also known as diabetic shock)
- gallbladder disease
- kidney failure
- boxed warning: risk of thyroid cancer
Allergic reaction
For some people, Victoza can cause an allergic reaction. But this side effect was rare in the drug’s studies.
In general, symptoms of allergic reaction can be mild or serious.
What might help?
If you have mild symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as a mild rash, call your doctor right away. They may suggest a treatment to manage your symptoms and can determine whether you should keep using Victoza.
If you have symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling or trouble breathing, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. These symptoms could be life threatening and require immediate medical care.
If your doctor confirms you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to Victoza, they may have you switch to a different treatment.
Your doctor will recommend the dosage of Victoza that’s right for you. The following are commonly used dosages, but always take the dosage your doctor prescribes.
Form and strengths
Victoza comes as a solution in a prefilled pen. It contains 6 milligrams (mg) of liraglutide in every milliliter (mL) of solution. Each pen contains 3 mL of solution.
A Victoza pen should only be used by one person.
Recommended dosage
Victoza is a once-daily injection. At the start of treatment, your doctor will likely prescribe a daily dose of 0.6 mg. This starting dosage of Victoza helps reduce the risk of digestive side effects, including nausea and vomiting. After 1 week, your doctor will increase your dose to 1.2 mg per day.
The maximum recommended dosage of Victoza is 1.8 mg per day. Your doctor may prescribe this dosage if the typical 1.2-mg dose isn’t effective for managing your blood sugar.
How to inject Victoza
Victoza comes as a solution that you’ll inject under your skin.
Victoza can be injected into the thigh, upper arm, or abdomen. However, you should avoid the area around your belly button.
Using Victoza with other drugs
Your doctor may prescribe other medications with Victoza to help you manage your blood sugar. Combining medications that work in different ways can help better manage your diabetes. Some other diabetes drugs include:
It’s important to tell your doctor about all medications you’re taking with Victoza. Certain drugs can interact with Victoza. And Victoza can affect medications that you take by mouth. See this article about Victoza’s interactions for more details.
Questions about Victoza’s dosage
- What if I miss a dose of Victoza? If you miss a daily injection of Victoza, skip the dose. The next day, you can take your usual dose at your scheduled time. Do not take more than one dose of Victoza in 24 hours. If you’re unsure what to do after missing a Victoza injection, ask your doctor or pharmacist. If you miss more than three doses in a row, talk with your doctor. You’ll likely need a lower dose of Victoza for a while.
- Will I need to use Victoza long term? Diabetes is a long-lasting medical condition. So you’ll likely take Victoza long term. Your doctor can tell you how long you’ll likely need to take it.
- How long does Victoza take to lower blood sugar levels? Victoza starts working to lower blood sugar levels within a few hours after injection. But you may only notice the long-term benefits of Victoza after several months.
- How long does Victoza stay in your system? Victoza stays in your body for about 52 to 65 hours after taking a dose, but the drug’s effects don’t last this long.
Overdose
Do not take more Victoza than your doctor prescribes. Using more than this can lead to serious side effects.
Symptoms of overdose
Symptoms caused by taking too much Victoza can include severe nausea or vomiting and severely low blood sugar levels.
What to do in case you take too much Victoza
Call your doctor if you think you’ve taken too much Victoza. You can also call 800-222-1222 to reach America’s Poison Centers or use its online resource. However, if you have severe symptoms, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number. Or go to the nearest emergency room.
Some important things to discuss with your doctor when considering Victoza include your overall health and all medical conditions you have. Also tell your doctor if you’re taking other medications. This is important because some drugs can affect how Victoza works.
Interactions
Taking a medication with certain vaccines, foods, and other things can affect how the medication works. These effects are called interactions.
Before taking Victoza, be sure to tell your doctor about all medications you take, including prescription and over-the-counter types. Also describe any vitamins, herbs, or supplements you use. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you about any interactions these items may cause with Victoza.
Interactions with drugs or supplements
Victoza can interact with several types of drugs. Victoza slows down the movement of food from the stomach to the intestine, so it may interact with any medications you take by mouth. But studies didn’t show any effect on how other drugs were absorbed during Victoza treatment.
If you take any medications by mouth, ask your doctor how to space these out from your Victoza doses, if needed.
Drugs that may interact with Victoza include:
- insulin products, such as insulin degludec (Tresiba) and insulin glargine (Lantus)
- a type of diabetes drug called sulfonylureas, including glyburide (Diabeta) and glimepiride (Amaryl)
This list does not contain all types of drugs that may interact with Victoza. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about these interactions and any others that may occur with use of Victoza.
Boxed warning
Victoza has a boxed warning about the risk of thyroid cancer. A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the FDA.
Victoza caused thyroid tumors in animal studies. The tumors occurred at doses that are typically used in humans. In these studies, the higher the Victoza dose or the longer the treatment lasted, the more likely tumors were to occur. But animal studies don’t always predict what will happen in people.
Thyroid cancer was not reported in human studies of Victoza. Since the drug was approved, a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) has been reported with Victoza. But it’s not yet clear whether Victoza causes this or other types of thyroid cancer in humans.
If you have a personal or family history of MTC, your doctor will typically not prescribe Victoza. This drug may also not be prescribed if you have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (a genetic disease that causes MTC).
Other warnings
Victoza can sometimes cause harmful effects in people who have certain conditions. This is known as a drug-condition interaction. Other factors may also affect whether Victoza is a good treatment option for you.
Talk with your doctor about your health history before you take Victoza. Be sure to tell them if any of the following factors apply to you:
- kidney problems
- low blood sugar
- digestive problems, including existing gastroparesis (delayed stomach emptying)
- gallbladder problems, including gallstones
- pancreatitis
- upcoming medical procedure requiring sedation or general anesthesia
- previous allergic reaction to Victoza or any of its ingredients
Victoza and alcohol
Before starting Victoza, if you drink alcohol, ask your doctor or pharmacist if it’s safe to drink it during your treatment. Victoza isn’t known to interact with alcohol. But alcohol can cause low blood sugar. This can affect how well your blood sugar levels are managed.
For details on type 2 diabetes and alcohol, talk with your doctor.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
If you can become pregnant, are breastfeeding, or using birth control, it’s important to consider whether Victoza is a safe option for you.
You can refer to this Victoza reproductive health article for more information. If you have additional questions, talk with your doctor.
Find answers to some commonly asked questions about Victoza.
Can I use Victoza for weight loss?
The active ingredient in Victoza, liraglutide, can cause weight loss. But Victoza isn’t approved for weight loss.
Victoza is prescribed in combination with a healthy diet and exercise to help manage blood sugar. So it’s possible to lose weight while taking Victoza due to exercising and eating more healthily. Because of the way the drug works, it may also reduce hunger cravings and help you feel full for longer periods of time.
Since this isn’t an approved use of Victoza, there’s no dosage for weight loss. And there’s no best time to take Victoza for weight loss. If you’d like to learn more about how liraglutide can help with weight loss, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
How should I store Victoza? Does it need to be refrigerated?
When you get a Victoza pen, you’ll keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to start using it. It should be refrigerated at a temperature of 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C).
After you start using a pen, you can store it at room temperature (59°F to 86°F or 15°C to 30°C) for up to 30 days. You can also keep it in the refrigerator.
When you’re not using your pen, keep the cap on. And keep it away from direct and excessive sunlight or heat when you’re keeping the pen at room temperature.
Do not store Victoza with a needle attached to the pen. Storing the pen without a needle attached prevents leaking and helps keep germs from getting onto the needle.
Is Victoza used for PCOS?
Liraglutide, the active drug in Victoza, can be prescribed off-label for polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
PCOS is a hormone disorder that increases your risk of certain other conditions, including obesity and diabetes. Liraglutide may be prescribed to reduce weight and help reduce other PCOS symptoms.
In one study, people with obesity and PCOS lost more weight when they took metformin and liraglutide together, compared with either drug by itself. Metformin is a drug that’s used for PCOS and diabetes.
If you have PCOS, your doctor might prescribe Victoza either by itself or with metformin to help manage your condition.
Is Victoza similar to Januvia or Jardiance?
Yes, in some ways. Victoza is used in people with type 2 diabetes to help manage blood sugar levels. It’s also used to lower the risk of severe heart and blood vessel problems in adults who have heart disease as well as type 2 diabetes.
Januvia (sitagliptin) and Jardiance (empagliflozin) are two other medications used to lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Jardiance can also be used to lower risk of severe heart and blood vessel problems in adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
All three drugs belong to different groups of diabetes drugs. They each come in different forms: Victoza is an injectable solution, while Januvia and Jardiance are both tablets that you swallow.
If you’d like to know more about Januvia or Jardiance, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Whether you have health insurance or not, cost may be a factor when you’re considering Victoza. What you’ll pay for Victoza may depend on several things, such as your treatment plan and the pharmacy you use.
Here are a few things to consider regarding cost:
- Cost information and savings coupons: You can visit Optum Perks to get price estimates of what you’d pay for Victoza. See the coupon options on this page. (Note: Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with insurance copays or benefits.)
- Generic form: Victoza is available as the generic drug liraglutide. Generics usually cost less than brand-name drugs. Talk with your doctor if you’d like to know whether generic liraglutide injections could be an option for you.
- Savings program: If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. You may qualify for a patient assistance program from the drug’s manufacturer.
Learn more about saving on your prescriptions.
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You may wonder how Victoza compares with alternative drugs, such as Saxenda.
Victoza and Saxenda both contain the active ingredient liraglutide, but they’re used for different conditions. Victoza is used to help manage blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. It’s also used to lower the risk of severe heart or blood vessel problems in people with type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Saxenda is used for weight management.
See this comparison article to learn more about the differences and similarities of Victoza and Saxenda. Read on to find out more about other drugs. Make sure to talk with your doctor about which treatment option is right for you.
Victoza vs. Ozempic
Ozempic is another diabetes medication. It’s in the same group of drugs as Victoza, called GLP-1 receptor agonists. And it’s given as an injection under your skin, like Victoza. But these medications contain different active drugs.
If you’d like, check out this comparison between Victoza and Ozempic.
Victoza vs. Trulicity
Trulicity (dulaglutide) is another medication used to manage blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. It’s in the same group of drugs as Victoza, called GLP-1 agonists. Trulicity and Victoza are both given as an injection under your skin. But Trulicity has a different active drug.
To learn more about Victoza and Trulicity, see this detailed comparison.
Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.