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Key takeaways
Saxenda and Wegovy have different active ingredients but belong to the same category of drugs (GLP-1 agonists), which delay gastric emptying to deter appetite and encourage weight loss.
People taking Saxenda may want to switch to Wegovy because there are fewer injections needed (once weekly versus once daily), and Wegovy may be more effective at aiding weight loss.
You don’t need to wait long when switching from Saxenda to Wegovy because Saxenda has a short half-life. However, you need to wait longer when switching from Wegovy to Saxenda.
Both drugs can cause GI side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, but these side effects may be more noticeable with long-acting Wegovy than with short-acting Saxenda.
For people interested in medication to help them decrease their weight or improve their risk profile for weight-related problems like Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, there’s no shortage of medication options on the market. The most prominent category of drugs designed to assist with weight loss is glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, which include the increasingly popular Ozempic but also Saxenda (liraglutide) and Wegovy (semaglutide).
Saxenda and Wegovy are injectable medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of obesity and obesity-related health conditions. Although they work similarly to one another, they contain two different active ingredients and have different dosing schedules. Saxenda is taken daily, while Wegovy is only taken once per week, making Wegovy an attractive option for anyone wanting to inject themselves less frequently at home.
But is it possible to switch from Saxenda to Wegovy? The short answer is yes, you can switch from Saxenda to Wegovy if your healthcare provider approves. There may also be insurance coverage issues with changing medications. There are things to consider when doing so, though, including differences in side effects and effectiveness. You also need to know how to transition from one drug to the other safely.
What are the benefits of switching from Saxenda to Wegovy?
Saxenda and Wegovy both cost similar amounts, so you won’t save much money by choosing one over the other unless one is covered by insurance. However, there are several other benefits to switching from Saxenda to Wegovy, including convenience, effectiveness, and cardiovascular risk reduction.
Convenience
According to J. Omatseye Jr., MD, aesthetic and regenerative medicine provider at Signature Rejuvenation MD in Coral Springs, Florida, it’s much easier to comply with your medication’s dosing schedule when the injection is once per week instead of daily.
The actual method of using Saxenda and Wegovy pens is different, too. Wegovy is sold as a prefilled, single-dose pen with a set dose, so you can simply inject all the medication in your pen and throw it away when you’re done. Saxenda is sold as a prefilled, multi-dose pen that requires attaching and removing a single-use needle, selecting your own dose before injection, and safely storing the pen after use until it’s empty.
Effectiveness
Another benefit of switching from Saxenda to Wegovy is its increased effectiveness. While both drugs have been shown in studies to help people lose weight, Wegovy may lead to higher overall weight loss. For example, a recent study found that participants were far more likely to lose 10% or more of their body weight on Wegovy while experiencing roughly the same likelihood of the gastrointestinal side effects that are common with GLP-1 drugs.
RELATED: Wegovy results: First month and beyond
Cardiovascular benefits
In early 2024, the FDA expanded Wegovy’s approval for weight management, acknowledging that it can also be used to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke in adults with obesity or who are overweight and have existing heart disease. The approval came after a five-year SELECT trial funded by Wegovy’s manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, found that a weekly dose of 2.4 milligrams (mg) of semaglutide may be effective at lowering the risk of morbidity from heart disease and stroke in people who are overweight or with obesity but do not have diabetes.
Saxenda vs. Wegovy comparison chart |
||
|---|---|---|
| Saxenda | Wegovy | |
| Dose | 0.6 mg to start, increasing to up to 3 mg maximum | 0.25 mg to start, increasing to either 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg |
| Frequency | Daily | Weekly |
| Results | About 33% of people will lose 10% or more of their body weight over 56 months | About 66% of people will lose 10% or more of their body weight over 68 months |
| Cost without insurance | $1,802 | $1,810 |
| SingleCare cost | $1,192* | $1,197* |
| Who can use it | Adults and children ages 12 and older | Adults and children ages 12 and older |
*Cost at time of publication. Drug prices fluctuate and vary by pharmacy.
How to switch from Saxenda to Wegovy
“Saxenda has a relatively short half-life of 11 hours,” Dr. Omatseye says, which means 50% of the drug will be cleared from your system 11 hours after you take your last dose. Because the half-life is so short, you don’t have to wait a long time before starting Wegovy or even taper your dose down to a lower amount first.
“The most effective way to transition from Saxenda to Wegovy is to wait at least one day if you are taking the lowest dose of Saxenda (0.6 mg) or two days if you’re taking the highest dose,” Dr. Omatseye says. “Then you can start the first dose of Wegovy the following day.”
However, the process for switching from Wegovy to Saxenda is different. Dr. Omatseye says you should wait at least two weeks if you’re taking the lowest Wegovy dose of 0.5 mg and at least 2 ½ weeks if you’re taking the highest dose of 2.4 mg. That’s because Wegovy’s half-life is much longer than Saxenda’s—approximately one week, according to Danielle Kelvas, MD, a primary care physician with The HCG Institute in Tennessee and CEO and Founder of DKMD Consulting.
As far as what to keep in mind when switching from Saxenda to Wegovy, it’s important to note that Wegovy can interact with more medications than Saxenda does. Wegovy can also complicate the timing of medical procedures.
“Wegovy can slow down how quickly your stomach empties, making intubation [during surgical procedures] risky because you could aspirate while sedated,” Dr. Kelvas says. “Depending on the surgeon, you may have to wait several weeks for Wegovy to wash out of your system before [they will intubate you] for surgery.”
Although Saxenda also slows down gastric emptying, Dr. Kelvas says Wegovy does so in a more long-term way, potentially slowing down the absorption rate of some medications, like oral thyroid drugs and birth control pills. Make sure you ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about how to correctly time all your medications when injecting yourself with a once-weekly dose of Wegovy.
RELATED: How long does Wegovy stay in your system?
Side effects from stopping Saxenda and starting Wegovy
As GLP-1 agonists, Saxenda and Wegovy both slow gastric emptying and typically cause gastrointestinal side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain. Because Saxenda is short-acting and Wegovy is designed to last for one week, Dr. Kelvas says people tend to have fewer side effects with the once-daily dosing than the weekly dosing—and that might mean you notice an increase in gastrointestinal (GI) side effects when switching from Saxenda to Wegovy.
She adds that this can become especially noticeable if you’re slowly increasing your dose of Wegovy. “If a higher dose of Wegovy makes you nauseous, then you very well could be nauseous for the whole week waiting for the drug to wear off.”
How to minimize Wegovy side effects
If you had GI side effects like nausea or diarrhea while taking Saxenda, you can use the same tricks to minimize those side effects on Wegovy. Novo Nordisk recommends avoiding high-fat and high-sugar foods, staying hydrated, eating smaller meals, eating bland foods like toast and rice, and avoiding lying down right after eating.
It’s also important, though, to communicate with your healthcare provider about any side effects you’re experiencing so they can work with you to find the right dose.
“Keep in mind that being on the maximum dose may not be optimal for you,” Dr. Kelvas says. “If you tolerate a starter or medium dose better than the maximum, then tell your doctor—it’s perfectly okay to be on a lighter dose if it saves you suffering from the side effects.”
Can you take Wegovy and Saxenda together?
No, you shouldn’t take Wegovy and Saxenda together. While they are technically different ingredients, they are both GLP-1 agonists, and Dr. Kelvas says taking them together can lead to overdose. (That’s why it’s important to wait several weeks before switching from Wegovy to Saxenda; its longer half-life means it needs more time to be eliminated from your system). Symptoms of GLP-1 agonist overdose may include severe GI symptoms, fainting, dehydration, gallstones, and acute pancreatitis.
“[Saxenda and Wegovy together] is a dangerous combination, and titrating or switching between these drugs needs to be done with the help of a licensed medical professional,” Dr. Kelvas says.
Sources
- The Wegovy® Pen, Novo Nordisk
- Using the Saxenda® Pen, Novo Nordisk
- Effect of weekly subcutaneous semaglutide vs daily liraglutide on body weight in adults with overweight or obesity without diabetes: The STEP 8 Randomized Clinical Trial, JAMA (2022)
- Semaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in obesity without diabetes, New England Journal of Medicine (2023)
- Weight Loss With Saxenda®, Novo Nordisk
- Why Wegovy®, Novo Nordisk
- Common Side Effects of Wegovy®, Novo Nordisk
- FDA alerts health care providers, compounders and patients of dosing errors associated with compounded injectable semaglutide products, U.S. Food & Drug Administration (2024)