The comparison has a short answer in September 2026. One of the two is being withdrawn from the market, with last shipments to wholesalers late January 2027. The maker states that the decision follows declining use and the arrival of alternatives, and that it is not the result of any safety or quality-related concern[1].
| Saxenda | Wegovy pen | |
|---|---|---|
| Molecule and schedule | Liraglutide, once daily | Semaglutide, once weekly |
| Maintenance dose on the label | 3 mg daily | 2.4 mg weekly |
| What the maker publishes | A list price of $1,349.02, with no pack size stated | A self-pay price of $349 a month |
| Introductory offer | None published | $199 for 2 fills, to December 31, 2026 |
| High-dose option | None | $399 for the 7.2 mg pen |
| Commercial copay card | Not published on the list-price page | As little as $25, capped at $100 saved a month |
| Still being made | Last shipments to wholesalers late January 2027 | Yes |
Why the two prices cannot simply be subtracted
Novo publishes the Saxenda figure as a list price, on a page whose own point is that most people do not pay it[2]. The page names no pack size.
Without a pack size, the figure cannot be turned into a month. It is what the maker lists, not what a person at a counter pays.
The Wegovy figure is a different kind of number. It is a self-pay price with the pack spelled out: one month is 4 pens over 28 days[3].
That ladder has three rungs. New self-pay patients pay $199 for the first 2 fills at the two starting doses, then $349, and $399 for the 7.2 mg pen.[3] The introductory rung runs to December 31, 2026[3].
A daily injection against a weekly one
Saxenda is injected subcutaneously once daily, at any time of day, without regard to meals[4]. The recommended adult dose is 3 mg daily, reached by escalating weekly from 0.6 mg[4].
Its pen holds 6 mg/mL in 3 mL and delivers 0.6, 1.2, 1.8, 2.4 or 3 mg[4]. Lower doses on that pen are titration steps, not maintenance[4].
The Wegovy pen is once weekly[5]. For anyone counting injections, that is 365 against 52 a year, which is a difference in what a month actually involves rather than in what it costs.
What the head-to-head trial found
The two molecules were compared directly in a 68-week randomized trial at 19 US sites, in 338 adults with overweight or obesity and without diabetes[6].
Participants received once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide 2.4 mg or once-daily subcutaneous liraglutide 3.0 mg, each against matched placebo, with diet and physical activity[6].
| Group | Mean weight change |
|---|---|
| Semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly (n = 126) | −15.8% |
| Liraglutide 3.0 mg daily (n = 127) | −6.4% |
| Pooled placebo (n = 85) | −1.9% |
More participants reached each weight threshold on semaglutide: 70.9% against 25.6% for 10% or more, 55.6% against 12.0% for 15% or more, and 38.5% against 6.0% for 20% or more[6].
Discontinuation for any reason ran 13.5% on semaglutide and 27.6% on liraglutide, while gastrointestinal adverse events were reported by 84.1% and 82.7%[6].
The trial was funded by the maker of both products, and the comparison between the two active arms was open-label[6]. Both conditions belong beside the figures.
What replaces a discontinued daily pen
A compounded liraglutide market does exist, built from 3 sellers publishing a monthly figure as of September 2026, which is the minimum this site will call a market at all. Its whole spread and the discontinuation notice beside it sit on the liraglutide price board.
Whether a pharmacy may lawfully copy a brand product is a separate question from whether one is available, and it turns on the essentially-a-copy rule. That is set out in is compounded tirzepatide legal and the compounded peptides guide.
For a brand-to-brand alternative, the two weekly products approved for weight management are compared in Zepbound vs Wegovy cost, and the liraglutide side is priced on its own in liraglutide cost.
What a plan will pay toward either is a third question. It is covered in is Wegovy covered by insurance.