Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsUnderstanding Type 2 DiabetesWhat Is Victoza?What Is Ozempic?Dosing ComparisonGuidelines for Safe UseEfficacyAlternative TreatmentsSide EffectsInteractionsStorage RequirementsFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Understanding Type 2 Diabetes
What Is Victoza?
What Is Ozempic?
Dosing Comparison
Guidelines for Safe Use
Efficacy
Alternative Treatments
Side Effects
Interactions
Storage Requirements
Frequently Asked Questions
Victoza (liraglutide)andOzempic (semaglutide)are two prescription-based, injectable drugs used to treathyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels)associated withtype 2 diabetes. Both drugs have been used forweight-loss managementinobese individuals.
While viewed as similar, Victoza and Ozempic carry some differences. For example, Victoza and Ozempic carry different active ingredients, are available in different dosages, and carry differences in efficacy and cardiovascular benefit.
Also, Victoza is given daily, while Ozempic is given only once weekly. Additionally, Victoza can be used in children as young as 10, while Ozempic is only approved for adults 18 and older.
This article will offer an in-depth analysis of Victoza and Ozempic, emphasizing important safety information potential users should know.
Bloomberg / Getty Images
Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases globally, affecting up to 19.3% of people 65 and older–translating to over 135 million worldwide.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body’s cells stop responding as they should toinsulinor fail to produce enough insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels.
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes may include excessive thirst, frequent urination, and extreme fatigue.
Many different factors contribute to developing type 2 diabetes. If you have a family history of type 2 diabetes, are not physically active, and are overweight or have obesity, you are most at risk for developing the chronic condition.
Extra weight, especially around the abdominal area, can cause insulin resistance. Diabetes treatment often includes taking insulin or other medications.
However, a healthy diet and regular physical activity are essential to managing the condition.
Victoza (liraglutide), aglucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist, is a medication injectedsubcutaneously (beneath the skin)once daily.
Victoza is used with diet and exercise to lower blood sugar levels in adults and children at least 10 years old with type 2 diabetes. Additionally, it may also help lower the risk of heart attack orstrokein people who also have heart disease.
Victoza is not Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for weight loss. However, it may cause a minor decrease in weight when prescribed for people with obesity as an off-label treatment option (a use that the FDA has not approved).
However, know that Saxenda is dosed differently than Victoza; therefore, they are not interchangeable.
How Does Victoza Work?
As a GLP-1 agonist, Victoza tells your body to produce insulin after you eat and tells the liver to stop producing extra sugar, keeping your blood sugar in check.
These medications also slow the speed at which food moves through your stomach, making you feel full longer and potentially contributing to weight loss.
Ozempic (semaglutide), also a GLP-1 agonist, is a medication injected subcutaneously to treat type 2 diabetes. It is given just once weekly, unlike daily Victoza.
Ozempic is also meant to be combined with diet and exercise to control blood sugar levels in adults 18 years and older. It may also help reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke in adults with heart disease.
Just like Victoza (liraglutide) has a related product in Saxenda, Ozempic (semaglutide) has a related brand-name product,Wegovy (semaglutide), that is approved for weight loss.
While the dosing guidelines and form of administration are similar between these two medications, Ozempic and Wegovy are not interchangeable drugs.
How Does Ozempic Work?
Ozempic continues working for much longer, around seven days after injection, compared to the 13-15 hours that Victoza lasts.
This is why Ozempic is only a weekly injection, whereas Victoza must be given daily.
This table summarizes the differences and similarities in how exactly Victoza and Ozempic are taken:
Medications like Victoza and Ozempic are somewhat more complicated than those drugs that just come in a pill bottle for you to swallow with water.
The following are some tips to help you use Victoza and Ozempic safely:
A Guide to Your Ozempic Dosage
Comparing Efficacy
The starting dose of Victoza is 0.6 mg daily and can be adjusted up to a maximum of 1.8 mg daily.
The average reduction inhemoglobin A1Cranges from 0.8% to 1.5% as the dose increases and based on what other diabetes medications you may be taking.
Ozempic has been found to provide a 26% risk reduction, but only in people with established heart disease.
Alternative Treatment Options
Taking medications is not the sole way you should maintain healthy blood sugars andbody composition.
As shown in the clinical trials for these drugs, overall results are much better for those who added exercise and an improved diet than for those who used GLP-1 agonists alone.
If your healthcare provider mentions a diagnosis ofprediabetes, there are specific measures you can take to prevent the progression into diabetes and potentially prevent needing to go on medication.
The National Diabetes Prevention Program, or National DPP, is a national effort spanning public and private organizations that offers programs and education to help prevent type 2 diabetes across the US.
Plenty of habits and lifestyle choices promote the reduction of blood sugar and a healthier overall body composition.
Side Effects & Precautions
Both Victoza and Ozempic come with aboxed warning(the FDA’s strictest warning) regardingthyroid C-cell tumors. This is because GLP-1 agonists have been found to cause these tumors in rats and mice.
The risk in humans is unknown, but you shouldn’t take Victoza, Ozempic, or any GLP-1 agonist if you have a family history of thyroid cancer.
Other potential severe effects of GLP-1 agonists like Victoza and Ozempic include:
Pancreatitis and gallbladder problems may feel similar to more common but less stomach-related severe side effects of these medications, specificallynausea,vomiting,diarrhea,constipation, orabdominal pain.
If the symptoms seem severe, inform your healthcare provider immediately.
How Long Do Ozempic Side Effects Last?
Precautions
GLP-1 agonist medications are not appropriate for everyone.
You should avoid both of these drugs if you:
Potential for Interaction
Medications like Victoza and Ozempic do not have pervasive drug interactions, but there are a few to be aware of, such as the following:
Before first use, store Victoza in the fridge (between 36-46 F). After you use a pen for the first time, you can store it for up to 30 days at room temperature (between 59 -86 F) or continue storing it in the refrigerator.
Ozempic comes as a single pen containing four doses per pen, each lasting one month. Before first use, please keep it in the refrigerator (36-46 F).
After first use, you can keep storing it in the fridge, or it can be stored at room temperature (59-86 F) for up to 56 days.
Do not freeze either medication and protect from excessive heat and light. Remove and safely discard the needle after each injection with either medicine.
Store pens without the needle attached and use a new needle for each injection.
Summary
Victoza and Ozempic are two GLP-1 agonists that work similarly to treat type 2 diabetes and to modestly lower the risk of heart-related events such as stroke or heart attack.
Both are given as subcutaneous injections. Victoza is given once daily, while Ozempic is given just once weekly.
The main differences between Victoza and Ozempic include dosage strengths and packaging, plus minor differences in efficacy and cardiovascular benefit.
Deciding between Victoza and Ozempic will likely come down to you and your healthcare provider’s preference, cost, and insurance coverage.
Whenever you finish a dose of Victoza or Ozempic, cap your used needle and throw it in your sharps container. Pens should also be discarded in your sharps container when empty or if you need to dispose of them for another reason.Your pharmacy should provide containers; if not, you can use a household container made of heavy-duty plastic that can be closed with a tight-fitting and puncture-resistant lid, such as a milk jug.When your sharps disposal container is almost complete, you must follow your community guidelines for the right way to dispose of your sharps disposal container.
Whenever you finish a dose of Victoza or Ozempic, cap your used needle and throw it in your sharps container. Pens should also be discarded in your sharps container when empty or if you need to dispose of them for another reason.
Your pharmacy should provide containers; if not, you can use a household container made of heavy-duty plastic that can be closed with a tight-fitting and puncture-resistant lid, such as a milk jug.
When your sharps disposal container is almost complete, you must follow your community guidelines for the right way to dispose of your sharps disposal container.
Neither Victoza, Ozempic, or any GLP-1 agonist is appropriate for treating type 1 diabetes. This is because type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where your body has stopped producing insulin. After all, the pancreas cells that usually produce insulin have been destroyed.
Type 1 diabetes requires people to get insulin from outside injections since their bodies cannot be relied upon to produce any.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Liraglutide.MedlinePlus.Semaglutide.DailyMed.Label: Victoza- liraglutide injection.DailyMed.Label: Ozempic- semaglutide injection, solution.Remelli F, Ceresini MG, Trevisan C, Noale M, Volpato S.Prevalence and impact of polypharmacy in older patients with type 2 diabetes.Aging Clin Exp Res. 2022;34(9):1969-1983. doi:10.1007/s40520-022-02165-1National Health Service inform.Type 2 diabetes - Illnesses & conditions.Hendricks EJ.Off-label drugs for weight management.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2017;10:223-234. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S95299DailyMed.Label: Saxenda- liraglutide injection, solution.DailyMed.Label: Wegovy- semaglutide injection, solution.Sandsdal RM, Juhl CR, Jensen SBK, et al.Combination of exercise and GLP-1 receptor agonist treatment reduces severity of metabolic syndrome, abdominal obesity, and inflammation: A randomized controlled trial.Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2023;22(1):41. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2028198Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About the National Diabetes Prevention Program.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.What is diabetes?
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Liraglutide.MedlinePlus.Semaglutide.DailyMed.Label: Victoza- liraglutide injection.DailyMed.Label: Ozempic- semaglutide injection, solution.Remelli F, Ceresini MG, Trevisan C, Noale M, Volpato S.Prevalence and impact of polypharmacy in older patients with type 2 diabetes.Aging Clin Exp Res. 2022;34(9):1969-1983. doi:10.1007/s40520-022-02165-1National Health Service inform.Type 2 diabetes - Illnesses & conditions.Hendricks EJ.Off-label drugs for weight management.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2017;10:223-234. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S95299DailyMed.Label: Saxenda- liraglutide injection, solution.DailyMed.Label: Wegovy- semaglutide injection, solution.Sandsdal RM, Juhl CR, Jensen SBK, et al.Combination of exercise and GLP-1 receptor agonist treatment reduces severity of metabolic syndrome, abdominal obesity, and inflammation: A randomized controlled trial.Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2023;22(1):41. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2028198Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About the National Diabetes Prevention Program.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.What is diabetes?
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Liraglutide.MedlinePlus.Semaglutide.DailyMed.Label: Victoza- liraglutide injection.DailyMed.Label: Ozempic- semaglutide injection, solution.Remelli F, Ceresini MG, Trevisan C, Noale M, Volpato S.Prevalence and impact of polypharmacy in older patients with type 2 diabetes.Aging Clin Exp Res. 2022;34(9):1969-1983. doi:10.1007/s40520-022-02165-1National Health Service inform.Type 2 diabetes - Illnesses & conditions.Hendricks EJ.Off-label drugs for weight management.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2017;10:223-234. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S95299DailyMed.Label: Saxenda- liraglutide injection, solution.DailyMed.Label: Wegovy- semaglutide injection, solution.Sandsdal RM, Juhl CR, Jensen SBK, et al.Combination of exercise and GLP-1 receptor agonist treatment reduces severity of metabolic syndrome, abdominal obesity, and inflammation: A randomized controlled trial.Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2023;22(1):41. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2028198Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About the National Diabetes Prevention Program.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.What is diabetes?
MedlinePlus.Liraglutide.
MedlinePlus.Semaglutide.
DailyMed.Label: Victoza- liraglutide injection.
DailyMed.Label: Ozempic- semaglutide injection, solution.
Remelli F, Ceresini MG, Trevisan C, Noale M, Volpato S.Prevalence and impact of polypharmacy in older patients with type 2 diabetes.Aging Clin Exp Res. 2022;34(9):1969-1983. doi:10.1007/s40520-022-02165-1
National Health Service inform.Type 2 diabetes - Illnesses & conditions.
Hendricks EJ.Off-label drugs for weight management.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2017;10:223-234. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S95299
DailyMed.Label: Saxenda- liraglutide injection, solution.
DailyMed.Label: Wegovy- semaglutide injection, solution.
Sandsdal RM, Juhl CR, Jensen SBK, et al.Combination of exercise and GLP-1 receptor agonist treatment reduces severity of metabolic syndrome, abdominal obesity, and inflammation: A randomized controlled trial.Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2023;22(1):41. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2028198
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About the National Diabetes Prevention Program.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.What is diabetes?
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