Saxenda® Injectable daily Pen

Saxenda is taken as a once-daily injection, at the same time each day. The dose is increased gradually over several weeks. This step-up approach helps your body adjust and reduces the risk of side effects, particularly nausea.

Dose Schedule

• Week 1: 0.6 mg once daily
• Week 2: 1.2 mg once daily
• Week 3: 1.8 mg once daily
• Week 4: 2.4 mg once daily
• Week 5 onwards: 3.0 mg once daily (full maintenance dose)

Your prescriber may advise staying on a lower dose for longer if side effects occur, but 3.0 mg daily is the target dose for weight management.

How Long Do Saxenda Pens Last?

Because the dose increases over time, pens last for different lengths:

• Pen 1: approximately 17 days
• Pen 2: approximately 8.5 days
• Pen 3: approximately 6.5 days
• Pen 4 and onwards: approximately 6 days per pen at the full dose

Important Review Point

Treatment effectiveness should be reviewed after 12 weeks on the full 3.0 mg dose.
If at least 5% weight loss has not been achieved by this point, Saxenda should usually be discontinued, as ongoing benefit is unlikely.

How the Saxenda Pen Changes Dose

The Saxenda pen is a multi-dose, pre-filled injection pen that allows the dose to be adjusted using a dose selector dial.

• Each pen contains the same medicine, but the dose is changed by turning the dial on the end of the pen.
• The dial clicks as it turns and stops at fixed dose settings (0.6 mg, 1.2 mg, 1.8 mg, 2.4 mg, and 3.0 mg).
• The number shown in the dose window is the exact dose that will be injected.
• Once the dose is selected, the injection button is pressed to deliver that dose under the skin.

Key Reminders

• Saxenda is injected under the skin (abdomen, thigh, or upper arm).
• It can be taken with or without food.
• If you miss a dose, do not take a double dose to make up for it.
• Always follow your prescriber’s instructions.

Saxenda® contains the active ingredient liraglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist used as a prescription daily injectable medicine for weight management.

It is licensed for adults with a BMI ≥30 (obesity) or ≥27 with at least one weight-related condition such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or obstructive sleep apnoea.

Saxenda mimics a natural hormone that helps reduce appetite and increase feelings of fullness, supporting decreased calorie intake alongside diet and exercise.

Given once daily by subcutaneous injection with gradual dose escalation to 3.0 mg to improve tolerability and reduce gastrointestinal side effects.

Clinical use shows average weight reduction and improved weight-related health markers when used consistently with lifestyle changes; treatment response should be assessed regularly by a clinician.

Clinical studies show that Saxenda can help patients achieve average weight loss of around 5–10% of starting body weight when combined with diet and lifestyle changes. Ongoing treatment is dependent on an adequate response.

When used as prescribed alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, Saxenda helps suppress appetite and support clinically meaningful weight loss. Treatment response is assessed after 12 weeks at the full 3.0 mg dose. If at least 5% of initial body weight has not been lost by this point, treatment should be discontinued, as ongoing benefit is unlikely.

In clinical trials over 56 weeks, Saxenda demonstrated significantly greater weight loss compared with placebo injections. Results showed that:

• 63% of patients lost at least 5% of their starting body weight
• 33% of patients lost at least 10% of their starting body weight
• 15% of patients lost at least 15% of their starting body weight

These results demonstrate Saxenda’s ability to support sustained weight loss in appropriate patients when used consistently and under medical supervision.

Common side effects
The most common side effects of Saxenda are related to digestion and are more likely when starting treatment or increasing the dose. These include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation. Some people may also experience headache, dizziness, tiredness, stomach pain or discomfort, indigestion, acid reflux, bloating, or mild reactions at the injection site such as redness, itching or bruising. These effects often improve as your body adjusts to treatment.

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Serious or less common side effects
Less commonly, Saxenda may cause gallstones (particularly during rapid weight loss), dehydration, or an increase in heart rate. Low blood sugar can occur, especially in people with type 2 diabetes who use insulin or certain diabetes medicines. Rare but serious side effects include inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), which may cause severe and persistent abdominal pain, and serious allergic reactions such as swelling of the face or throat or difficulty breathing. Saxenda slows digestion, which may affect absorption of oral medicines; vomiting or severe diarrhoea could reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptive pills. Saxenda should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and medical advice should be sought if concerning symptoms occur.

Saxenda does not directly reduce the effectiveness of hormonal contraception. However, because it slows digestion, vomiting or severe diarrhoea may reduce the absorption of oral contraceptive pills, and standard missed-pill guidance should be followed. Saxenda must not be used during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Women who could become pregnant should use effective contraception while taking Saxenda and stop treatment immediately if pregnancy occurs or is planned.

Saxenda can slow digestion, which may affect how some oral medicines are absorbed. If you take blood-thinning medicines such as warfarin, additional monitoring (for example, INR checks) may be needed when starting or changing Saxenda treatment. Always tell your prescriber about all medicines you are taking.