Frequently Asked Questions
Teva’s Liraglutide Injection is a prescription medicine used in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity to reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction long term in:
- adults and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with body weight greater than 60 kg and obesity.
- adults with overweight in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition.
Read more information here.
Do not use liraglutide injection if:
- you or a family member have ever had a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).
- you have had a serious allergic reaction to liraglutide or any of the ingredients in liraglutide injection.
Do not share your liraglutide injection pen with others even if the needle has been changed. You may give other people a serious infection or get a serious infection from them.
Serious side effects may happen in people who take liraglutide injection, including:
Possible thyroid tumors, including cancer. Tell your healthcare provider if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath. These may be symptoms of thyroid cancer. In studies with rats and mice, liraglutide injection and medicines that work like liraglutide injection caused thyroid tumors, including thyroid cancer. It is not known if liraglutide injection will cause thyroid tumors or a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in people.
Do not use liraglutide injection if you or any of your family have ever had a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).
Teva’s Liraglutide Injection is the generic version of Saxenda®. It contains the same active ingredient as Saxenda® and has been proven to work in the body the same way Saxenda® does to help support weight management.
Read the Instructions for Use that comes with Teva’s Liraglutide Injection or refer to the “How to Use” section of this website.
Teva’s Liraglutide Injection should be injected under the skin in your stomach area, upper leg (thigh), or upper arm, as instructed by your healthcare provider. Do not inject into a vein or muscle. Rotate your injection site with each injection. Do not use the same site for each injection.
Teva’s Liraglutide Injection is injected 1 time each day, at any time of day, with or without food.
Carefully remove the needle from the pen. The needle cap should not be put back on the needle, and the needle should be placed in a sharps container right away, to reduce the risk of needle sticks. Do not throw away in household trash.
Your pen is compatible with universal fit disposable pen needles up to a length of 8 mm, including NovoFine®. Compatible needles will state ISO11608-2 on the outer packaging. Your pen is not compatible with NovoTwist® disposable needles. Pen needles are not included with your liraglutide injection pen.
NovoFine® and NovoTwist® are registered trademarks of Novo Nordisk A/S
Prior to first use, Teva’s Liraglutide Injection should be stored in a refrigerator between 36ºF to 46ºF (2ºC to 8ºC). Do not store in the freezer or directly adjacent to the refrigerator cooling element. Do not freeze Teva’s Liraglutide Injection and do not use it if it has been frozen.
After the initial use of Teva’s Liraglutide Injection pen, the pen can be stored for 30 days at controlled room temperature (59°F to 86°F; 15°C to 30°C) or in a refrigerator (36°F to 46°F; 2°C to 8°C). Keep the pen cap on when not in use. Protect Teva’s Liraglutide Injection from excessive heat and sunlight. Always remove and safely discard the needle after each injection and store the liraglutide injection pen without an injection needle attached. This will reduce the potential for contamination, infection, and leakage while also ensuring dosing accuracy.
Keep your liraglutide injection pen, pen needles, and all medicines out of the reach of children.
If you have a question about Teva’s Liraglutide Injection, ask your healthcare provider, or contact Teva's Medical Information department, Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm EST at 888-838-2872 or druginfo@tevapharm.com.
Yes. Teva also offers Liraglutide injection, an authorized generic version of Victoza®* injection, for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and to lower the risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (MACE) including heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular-related death. Please view the full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning and Medication Guide, to read the full indication, or visit Teva's Product Catalog to learn more about this product.
*Victoza® is a registered trademark of Novo Nordisk A/S
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
What is the most important information I should know about liraglutide injection?
Serious side effects may happen in people who take liraglutide injection, including:
Possible thyroid tumors, including cancer. Tell your healthcare provider if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath. These may be symptoms of thyroid cancer. In studies with rats and mice, liraglutide injection and medicines that work like liraglutide injection caused thyroid tumors, including thyroid cancer. It is not known if liraglutide injection will cause thyroid tumors or a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in people.
Do not use liraglutide injection if you or any of your family have ever had a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).
Who should not take liraglutide injection?
Do not receive liraglutide injection if:
- you or any of your family have ever had a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).
- you have had a serious allergic reaction to liraglutide or any of the ingredients in liraglutide injection. See “What are the possible side effects of liraglutide injection?” for symptoms of a serious allergic reaction.
Before taking liraglutide injection tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
- have or have had problems with your pancreas
- have severe problems with your stomach, such as slowed emptying of your stomach (gastroparesis) or problems with digesting food.
- are scheduled to have surgery or other procedures that use anesthesia or deep sleepiness (deep sedation).
- have or have had depression or suicidal thoughts, or mental health issues.
- are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if liraglutide passes into your breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will use liraglutide injection or breastfeed.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Liraglutide injection may affect the way some medicines work and some other medicines may affect the way liraglutide injection works.
Tell your healthcare provider if you take diabetes medicines, especially insulin and sulfonylurea medicines. Talk with your healthcare provider if you are not sure if you take any of these medicines. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list to show your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.
What are the possible side effects of liraglutide injection?
Liraglutide Injection may cause serious side effects, including:
- inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Stop using liraglutide injection and call your healthcare provider right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area (abdomen) that will not go away, with or without vomiting. You may feel the pain from your stomach area (abdomen) to your back
- increased risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) in adults with type 2 diabetes especially those who also take medicines to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus such as an insulin or a sulfonylureas and in children who are 12 years of age and older without type 2 diabetes mellitus. Low blood sugar in patients with adults with type 2 diabetes and in children without type 2 diabetes mellitus who receive liraglutide injection can be both a serious and common side effect. Talk to your healthcare provider about how to recognize and treat low blood sugar. You should check your blood sugar before you start taking liraglutide injection and while you take liraglutide injection.
- Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar may include:
- dizziness or light-headedness
- sweating
- confusion or drowsiness
- headache
- blurred vision
- slurred speech
- shakiness
- fast heartbeat
- anxiety, irritability, or mood changes
- hunger
- weakness
- feeling jittery
Talk to your healthcare provider about how to recognize and treat low blood sugar. You should check your blood sugar before you start taking liraglutide injection and while you take liraglutide injection.
- increased heart rate. Liraglutide injection can increase your heart rate while you are at rest. Your healthcare provider should check your heart rate while you take liraglutide injection. Tell your healthcare provider if you feel your heart racing or pounding in your chest and it lasts for several minutes.
- dehydration leading to kidney problems. Diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting may cause a loss of fluids (dehydration) which may cause kidney problems. It is important for you to drink fluids to help reduce your chance of dehydration. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea that does not go away
- severe stomach problems. Stomach problems, sometimes severe, have been reported in people who use liraglutide injection. Tell your healthcare provider if you have stomach problems that are severe or will not go away.
- serious allergic reactions. Stop using liraglutide injection, and get medical help right away if you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction including:
- swelling of your face, lips, tongue or throat
- problems breathing or swallowing
- severe rash or itching
- fainting or feeling dizzy
- very rapid heartbeat
- gallbladder problems. Liraglutide injection may cause gallbladder problems including gallstones. Some gallbladder problems need surgery. Call your healthcare provider if you have any of the following symptoms:
- pain in your upper stomach (abdomen)
- fever
- yellowing of your skin or eyes (jaundice)
- clay-colored stools
- depression or thoughts of suicide. You should pay attention to any mental changes, especially sudden changes, in your mood, behaviors, thoughts, or feelings. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any mental changes that are new, worse, or worry you.
- food or liquid getting into the lungs during surgery or other procedures that use anesthesia or deep sleepiness (deep sedation). Liraglutide injection may increase the chance of food getting into your lungs during surgery or other procedures. Tell all your healthcare providers that you are taking liraglutide injection before you are scheduled to have surgery or other procedures.
The most common side effects of liraglutide injection in adults include:
- nausea
- diarrhea
- constipation
- vomiting
- injection site reaction
- low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
- headache
- upset stomach (dyspepsia)
- tiredness (fatigue)
- dizziness
- stomach pain
- change in enzyme (lipase) levels in your blood
Additional common side effects in children are fever and gastroenteritis.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.
These are not all the possible side effects of liraglutide injection. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What is Liraglutide Injection?
Liraglutide injection is an injectable prescription medicine used for adults with obesity or overweight (excess weight) who also have weight related medical problems, and children aged 12 to 17 years with a body weight above 132 pounds (60 kg) and obesity to help them lose weight and keep the weight off.
- Liraglutide injection should be used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity.
- Liraglutide injection is not recommended for people who also take liraglutide or other medicines called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists.
- It is not known if liraglutide injection is safe and effective in children under 12 years of age.
- It is not known if liraglutide injection is safe and effective in children aged 12 to 17 years with type 2 diabetes.
Please read the Medication Guide in the full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning.