Two approved generic GLP-1s exist, and both are liraglutide
A generic referencing Victoza was approved in December 2024 and one referencing Saxenda in August 2025. It is the cheapest approved route and the least effective.
Liraglutide is the only GLP-1 with FDA-approved generics on the US market. That makes it the cheapest approved option, and the reason is patent timing rather than clinical merit.
In STEP-8, the only trial comparing them directly, daily liraglutide produced roughly 6.4% mean weight loss against approximately 15.8% for weekly semaglutide over 68 weeks — and seven injections a week instead of one.
The pattern is worth noting because semaglutide will follow it: a US generic is not expected before 2032, by which time whatever is in phase 3 today will have reported. The cheapest approved option is consistently the least effective one, and that is a predictable consequence of how patents expire. Full analysis: liraglutide generics.
Filed by the Peptides Editorial research desk. Corrections: the corrections log.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a generic GLP-1?
Yes, for liraglutide — one referencing Victoza approved December 2024 and one referencing Saxenda August 2025. There is no approved generic semaglutide or tirzepatide.