What is Saxenda?

Saxenda® (Liraglutide) is an injectable weight loss drug for people with a BMI over 30. It’s also available for people with a BMI over 27 with additional weight-related health concerns, like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and raised cholesterol.

How does Saxenda work?

Saxenda® is similar to a natural hormone in the gut that helps to control your appetite and make you feel fuller.

How to use Saxenda

Saxenda® is an injectable medication that comes in a pre-filled pen. It needs to be used once daily. The pen itself is simple to use and the needles are very small, so it’s relatively pain-free and easy to get used to.

Saxenda® can be injected in the abdomen, thigh or upper arm at any time during the day, with or without food. It’s recommended that you take it around the same time each day, which will regulate the medication’s effectiveness. 

You’ll receive clear instructions with your first order, and the Saxenda® website has lots of useful information, too. 

How to calculate your dosage

Your treatment will start at a low dose which you’ll gradually increase over the first five weeks. When you first start using Saxenda®, the starting dose is 0.6 mg, once a day, for at least one week. The dose will then be increased on a weekly basis by 0.6 mg until you reach the recommended dose of 3 mg a day.

This chart shows how your dosage will increase over five weeks: 

After 16 weeks, we’ll review your weight to see how much you’ve lost in that time. For us to continue prescribing Saxenda® to you, you’ll need to have lost around 5% of your initial body weight and submit your results when we check in with you.

Saxenda® is one of the most effective weight loss treatments available. Studies have shown over 85% of people using it have lost weight. 60% of participants lost more than 12lb (5.4 kg) and 33% lost more than 23lb (over 10kg) over a year.

First time orders

When you order Saxenda® for the first time, we’ll provide you with two pens that’ll cover the first 25 days of your treatment,It’s important to store these in a refrigerator between 2–8°C. You will also receive:

• Needles for your pen
• A sharps bin
• An instruction leaflet
• A dosing chart
• Extra tips that can help you to lose weight
  

To get started, complete a consultation for an injectable weight loss pen and select the starter pack.

After your first two pens, you’ll move on to a continuation pack, which contains five pens. Here’s a chart that shows you how long each pen lasts as your dosage begins to increase:   

How to re-order Saxenda

When you’ve been using Saxenda® for 3 weeks, it’s time to think about ordering your next continuation pack from us. At this time, we’ll send you a reminder to log on and complete a weight loss consultation. 

If all is well, we’ll prescribe and send you 5 further pens in temperature-controlled delivery packaging. It’s important to store these in a refrigerator between 2–8°C. This pack will last you 30 days. As you start your last pen, remember to return to MedExpress to reorder supplies so you can continue treatment uninterrupted.

Once you’ve been taking the maintenance dose for 16 weeks, we’ll need to reassess your weight to make sure we can continue to prescribe to you. Under the terms of the Saxenda® licence, we need to see 5% weight loss from your initial weight.   

Where to dispose needles

You’ll receive a sharps bin with your first order. This is a special waste bin that’s used to store sharps material, like needles, until it can be safely disposed of. When full, your sharps bin can be collected for disposal by your local council. Once you’ve started treatment, you’ll be able to purchase further sharps bins with new orders.  

About your Saxenda delivery

Saxenda must be stored between 2–8°C. Outside of this temperature, it’ll only last 28 days before it can no longer be used. We’ll send your prescription in temperature-controlled packaging that’s designed to keep your Saxenda® at the correct temperature during delivery. To ensure that it doesn’t exceed its storage temperature, it’ll arrive within 48 hours, and need to be put straight into the fridge once you have it.

Like all medicines, Saxenda® can cause side effects, including nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhoea. Not everybody experiences them, but if you do, they usually settle after a few weeks once you get used to the medication. Your dose is increased gradually to reduce the chances of this happening. Please refer to the patient information leaflet for more information regarding side effects.

The Saxenda® pen system is very easy to use and virtually painless. However, we understand injections aren’t for everyone, so we also prescribe weight loss treatments in tablet form.

Always read the patient information leaflet before starting treatment.

View patient information leaflet