Important safety information
What you should know before taking Saxenda.
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Saxenda
(liraglutide) injection
Saxenda is a brand-name version of the generic medication liraglutide. Saxenda is FDA-approved and clinically proven to help with weight loss and belongs to a group of drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. These drugs limit your appetite by acting like a hormone that slows down your gut, making you feel less hungry. People on Saxenda lost an average of 9% of their body weight after one year.*
Saxenda works for weight loss by mimicking the hormone GLP-1, which reduces appetite and slows down the movement of food through your stomach. This may make you feel full longer and therefore eat less, which can lead to weight loss. When paired with healthy food choices and regular exercise, Saxenda can assist you in reaching and maintaining your long-term weight goals.
Saxenda is a clear liquid that comes in prefilled injection pens. Each pen contains multiple doses. If prescribed, you (or someone in your household) will administer the injection once daily under the skin of your stomach, thigh, or arm. You’ll also receive clear instructions on using the injection pen, and your Ro-affiliated provider can offer additional advice.
Safety info: Saxenda treats obesity or overweight (with weight-related problems), along with diet and exercise. Saxenda may have serious side effects, including possible thyroid tumors. Do not use if you or your family have a history of a type of thyroid cancer called MTC or MEN 2. Do not use if you are pregnant. Read more about serious warnings and safety info.
Which GLP-1 is right for you?
Semaglutide injection was first approved under the brand name Ozempic in 2017 as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. In 2021, the FDA approved the drug at a different dosage under the brand name Wegovy as a weight loss medication. Doctors often, using their medical judgment and discretion, prescribe both for weight loss. Liraglutide injection was FDA approved for weight loss in 2014 under the brand name Saxenda.
All three medications are GLP-1s, but there are some key differences between them.
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Share your health history and weight loss goals with us online to get started.
A Ro-affiliated provider will review your answers and get back to you within a few days.
In four days
If you’re a good fit for the program, your provider will order a metabolic lab test. The test will help you understand how your body’s working right now.
You can use your insurance to test at any Quest location (most insurance accepted), or purchase an at-home blood collection kit through Ro for an additional cost.
If you live in a state where Quest is not available, we’ll automatically send you an at home collection kit for no charge.
Typically in one week
After reviewing your results, your provider will determine if you’re eligible for medication. If you are, they’ll tailor a program with prescription treatment best suited to your unique biology.
In 1-3 weeks
If you move forward with treatment, our partner pharmacy will ship out your medication, and you’ll have your first dose in 1–3 weeks.
Looking ahead
You’ll have everything you need during treatment, including on-demand provider access, medication management, and ongoing refill support.
“I started losing weight almost immediately. To me, truly, this has been a game-changer.”
Dr. Pepper Ro Ambassador who inspired the Body Program, after taking GLP-1 medication
“I have never felt better. I have never had more energy. This medication changed my life.”
Mary Ro Ambassador who inspired the Body Program, after taking GLP-1 medication
Meet our expert
From diagnosis to delivery, our healthcare providers are with patients every step of the way.
Ro Body Program members taking branded GLP-1 medications were paid for their testimonials.
Sonia
Ro member
“I’ve had some pretty amazing success. I’m down 15 pounds and I couldn’t be happier."
James
Ro member
“It's really helping handle my cravings better, which is what I really like about this program."
Chaleeta
Ro member
“It was like a switch once I started the medication, I just wasn’t so obsessed with food.”
Due to significant demand, Novo Nordisk — the manufacturer of Wegovy, Ozempic, and Saxenda — expects supply shortages of some of these medications. Novo Nordisk is anticipating that demand for Wegovy will continue to outpace supply. Patients may have difficulty filling Wegovy prescriptions at the lower doses of 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, and 1 mg and Saxenda prescriptions through the remainder of 2023 and potentially beyond. We’ve seen that around half of patients are still unable to get access to the impacted Wegovy doses or Saxenda doses after 1 month of waiting.
Ro and Ro-affiliated providers are taking additional steps to support new and existing patients on their weight loss journeys. If you’re prescribed a GLP-1 medication and there’s more than a 30-day delay from the time your prescription is sent to the pharmacy to when it is filled, we’ll issue a credit to your account so that your next month of the Body Program is free. Read eligibility requirements here.
For patients who are prescribed Wegovy or Saxenda and are on their pharmacy's waitlist, our concierge is contacting your pharmacy periodically to check on the status of your prescription.
A provider may also make adjustments to a treatment plan for a patient on Wegovy or Saxenda if they determine it’s clinically appropriate. These adjustments may include prescribing alternate GLP-1 medications (if appropriate), working with you to create a personalized treatment plan, or recommending adjustments to diet, lifestyle, and current fitness activities.
For patients just getting started, the first steps in the Body Program are unaffected by the supply shortages — including taking a metabolic lab test and connecting with a provider to review their health history. If a provider ultimately determines Wegovy or Saxenda is a good fit, the sooner a patient joins the program, the sooner our team can get to work trying to find medication in stock at a pharmacy nearby.
There are no specific foods you must avoid while taking Saxenda and there are no known food-medication interactions you have to be aware of. That said, some foods and drinks can cause nausea and fullness, which are symptoms similar to Saxenda’s side effects. These same foods—highly processed, sugary and fried foods—may also make weight loss more challenging.
Generally, you’ll want to limit your intake of high-calorie foods like candy, sugary drinks, and fried foods. It also makes sense to eat slowly and eat smaller meals.
The most common side effects of Saxenda often improve within the first few weeks of treatment. Side effects tend to occur when you start the medication or increase the dose. Over time, these side effects should subside once a steady dose is reached.
Some of the most common side effects include:
Nausea
Diarrhea
Constipation
Vomiting
Injection site reactions
Headache
Low blood sugar
Stomach discomfort
Fatigue
Dizziness
Stomach pain
Increased in lipase
Upper abdominal pain
Fever
Inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract
More severe side effects are rarer but possible. Serious side effects include:
Thyroid cancer—The FDA has issued its most serious warning (called a Boxed Warning) that GLP-1 medications like Saxenda may be associated with a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). So far, this side effect has primarily been seen in laboratory studies using rodents. However, during the post-marketing period, cases of MTC in people treated with liraglutide (the active ingredient in Saxenda and Victoza) have been reported; this data is insufficient to determine the risk in people.
Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
Severe hypoglycemia (very low blood sugar)
Kidney and gallbladder problems
Fast heartbeat
Serious allergic reactions
Suicidal thoughts or behaviors
For complete safety information, read more here.
Unused Saxenda injection pens have to be stored in the refrigerator between 36°F and 46°F. After first use, you can either put it back in the refrigerator or keep it at room temperature between 59°F and 86°F. It is important to not freeze Saxenda, because you can’t use it anymore and have to throw away the pen once it has been frozen.
The price of Saxenda may vary depending on your insurance plan, and our insurance concierge partner is here to provide assistance.
Ro does not accept insurance for the Body Program, which is cash pay only. Our partner will work directly with your insurance provider to help with the process of determining coverage for your GLP-1 medication, which is paid for separately from the Body Program. These insurance concierge services for the cost of medication are provided through the Body Program.
Unfortunately, you cannot join the Body Program if you have government insurance (regardless of whether you have additional commercial/employer insurance or are willing to pay cash out of pocket). This includes those with any form of government healthcare coverage (including programs such as Medicare, Medicare Supplement Plans, Medicaid, or TRICARE), whether it’s your primary or secondary coverage. Certain federal government insurance programs impose mandatory billing requirements on providers when they treat beneficiaries. Because of this, Ro-affiliated providers are unable to work with beneficiaries of these programs.
Federal employees who receive their health insurance through the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHB) may participate in the Body Program.
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What you should know before taking Saxenda.
Saxenda is a brand-name version of the generic medication liraglutide. Saxenda is FDA-approved and clinically proven to help with weight loss and belongs to a group of drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. These drugs limit your appetite by acting like a hormone that slows down your gut, making you feel less hungry. People on Saxenda lost an average of 9% of their body weight after one year.*
Saxenda works for weight loss by mimicking the hormone GLP-1, which reduces appetite and slows down the movement of food through your stomach. This may make you feel full longer and therefore eat less, which can lead to weight loss. When paired with healthy food choices and regular exercise, Saxenda can assist you in reaching and maintaining your long-term weight goals.
Yes. If appropriate, adults can get Saxenda (liraglutide) through the Body Program. Currently, the Body Program is only available for adults 18 years and older.
Yes, Saxenda is FDA approved for weight loss in adults with a BMI of ≥30 or a BMI of ≥27 and at least one weight-related condition, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Saxenda is supposed to be taken in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and greater physical activity.
Saxenda is a clear liquid that comes in prefilled injection pens. Each pen contains multiple doses. If prescribed, you (or someone in your household) will administer the injection once daily under the skin of your stomach, thigh, or arm. You’ll also receive clear instructions on using the injection pen, and your Ro-affiliated provider can offer additional advice.
Like other GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy (active ingredient semaglutide), dosing gradually increases with Saxenda. The typical Saxenda dosing schedule starts with 0.6 mg once daily for one week. After that, your dose will increase each week until you reach the max amount of 3 mg per day, also called the maintenance dose.
Non-diabetic patients who completed the 56-week clinical trial lost an average of 9% of their body weight.
*In a 56-week clinical trial of 3,731 non-diabetic patients with obesity (BMI ≥30) or with overweight (BMI ≥27) and at least one weight-related condition, the 1,812 patients that completed the trial lost an average of 9.2% of their body weight, when Saxenda was paired with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.