Liraglutide
Brand names: Liraglutide, Victoza 2-Pak, Victoza 3-Pak
Part of: GLP-1 drugs
At a glance
- Medicare prescriptions, 2024
- 85,962
- Medicare drug cost
- $71.5M
- Average cost per prescription
- $832
- Clinicians who prescribed it
- 3,971
Where it is prescribed
List the prescribers in any state, county, city or ZIP code →
What it is used for
Liraglutide Injection is indicated: as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults and pediatric patients aged 10 years and older with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Limitations of Use: Liraglutide Injection contains liraglutide. Coadministration with other liraglutide-containing products is not recommended.
From the FDA-approved prescribing information (label dated July 2026). Full labels on DailyMed (opens in a new tab)
Boxed warning
WARNING: RISK OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORS Liraglutide causes dose-dependent and treatment-duration-dependent thyroid C-cell tumors at clinically relevant exposures in both genders of rats and mice. It is unknown whether liraglutide causes thyroid C-cell tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), in humans, as the human relevance of liraglutide-induced rodent thyroid C-cell tumors has not been determined. Liraglutide is contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of MTC and in patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). Counsel patients regarding the potential risk for MTC with the use of liraglutide and inform them of symptoms of thyroid tumors (e.g., a mass in the neck, dysphagia, dyspnea, persistent hoarseness). Routine monitoring of serum calcitonin or using thyroid ultrasound is of uncertain value for early detection of MTC in…
The FDA’s strongest warning on a label. It doesn’t mean the drug is unsafe for most people; talk to your doctor or pharmacist before stopping or changing any medicine.
Who prescribes it
- Family Medicine 28.6%
- Internal Medicine 23.0%
- Pharmacists 15.4%
- Endocrinology & Diabetes 15.0%
- Nurse Practitioners 12.2%
- Physician Assistants 3.6%
- Geriatric Medicine 0.5%
- General Practice 0.4%
- Hospitalist 0.3%
- Nephrology (Kidney) 0.2%
- Pediatrics 0.1%
- Obesity Medicine 0.1%
All prescribers, by place, name or specialty →
Share of Medicare prescriptions written by each specialty. Select one to list its prescribers.
Trend, 2019–2024
Medicare prescriptions fell 78% from 2019 to 2024.
Biggest change by state since 2019
- California −37%
- Hawaii −41%
- Minnesota −58%
- Washington −59%
- Oregon −66%
- Texas (smallest change) −88%
- Alabama (smallest change) −87%
From CMS’s yearly state and national Part D summaries, which count every prescriber, including those CMS leaves out of its per-clinician data (fewer than 11 prescriptions). That is why these totals are higher than the count at the top of this page. Prescriptions include refills.
Industry payments about this drug
Drug makers reported $246,208 in payments to clinicians that named this drug in 2025 (meals, speaking, consulting and similar).
- Novo Nordisk Inc $246,208
Source: CMS Open Payments, general payments (not research), program year 2025. A payment is not evidence of wrongdoing. Payments by doctor
Recalls and shortages
On the FDA shortage list now
- Liraglutide, Injection, 6 mg/1 mL (NDC 0143-9144-02) (Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.)
- Liraglutide, Injection, 6 mg/1 mL (NDC 0143-9144-03) (Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.)
- Liraglutide, Injection, 6 mg/1 mL (NDC 0480-3667-20) (Novo Nordisk, Inc.)
- Liraglutide, Injection, 6 mg/1 mL (NDC 0480-3667-22) (Novo Nordisk, Inc.)
- Saxenda, Injection, 6 mg/1 mL (NDC 0169-2800-15) (Novo Nordisk, Inc.)
- Victoza, Injection, 6 mg/1 mL (NDC 0169-4060-12) (Novo Nordisk, Inc.)
- Victoza, Injection, 6 mg/1 mL (NDC 0169-4060-13) (Novo Nordisk, Inc.)
- Liraglutide, Injection, 6 mg/1 mL (NDC 71288-563-84) (Meitheal Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)
2 recalls since 2020
- Apr 2026 · Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. · Class II
Presence of particulate matter: a white thread-like structure in the cartridge - Mar 2021 · Novo Nordisk Inc · Class II
Temperature Abuse: product samples were stored at temperatures below 32* F which is not in accordance with storage requirements that could cause a lack of efficacy and damage to the cartridge and pen-injectors.
Recalls usually affect specific lots from one maker, not every version of a drug. Class I is the most serious; most drug recalls are Class II. FDA recalls (opens in a new tab)
Sources: CMS Medicare Part D Prescribers by Provider and Drug (2024; prescriptions include refills, and CMS hides counts under 11 per prescriber); U.S. Food and Drug Administration, openFDA (drug labels, NDC directory, enforcement reports, drug shortages); CMS Open Payments 2025; ClinicalTrials.gov. General information only, not medical advice; not yet reviewed by our medical reviewer.