Saxenda Weight Loss Injections: Before and After Results Explained

What clinical trials actually recorded about liraglutide results

The SCALE programme ran several large trials in the mid-2010s, and the headline figures from these studies shaped what many people expect from a weight loss injection. In the main SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes trial, participants using liraglutide 3mg alongside lifestyle changes lost an average of around 8% of starting body weight at 56 weeks. Roughly six in ten participants lost at least 5%, and just over a third lost 10% or more.

That is meaningful weight loss. For someone weighing 100 kg at the start, an 8% average reduction means roughly 8 kg over a little over a year. Some people in the trial lost considerably more; others lost less. Biology, diet quality, activity level, starting weight and how well liraglutide is tolerated all influence individual outcomes.

One consistent pattern in GLP-1 trials is that weight returns when the medicine stops, unless lifestyle habits are firmly embedded. The NHS describes this directly in its patient information for liraglutide. Prescribers use the early response (typically assessed at 16 weeks) to decide whether continuing makes sense for a particular patient. A loss of less than 4% by that point is usually taken as a sign the medicine is not working well enough to justify ongoing use.

Before-and-after photographs circulating online tend to show results from the highest responders, not the average. The trial data above is the honest picture.

How Saxenda's results compare with more recent licensed injections

Liraglutide was the first widely used GLP-1 medicine for weight management, but the field has moved significantly since its approval. Semaglutide (Wegovy), approved in the UK for weight management in 2021, produced an average weight loss of around 15% over 68 weeks in the STEP 1 trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine. That is roughly twice what SCALE reported for liraglutide.

Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) went further still. SURMOUNT-1 recorded average losses of around 20–21% at 72 weeks at the highest dose, making it the most effective licensed weight management medicine currently available in the UK. In the SURMOUNT-5 head-to-head trial (2025), tirzepatide produced greater average weight reduction than semaglutide 2.4mg directly compared.

These are not the same as Saxenda's numbers, and for many people considering a weight loss injection now, the newer options are worth understanding properly. The medicines act on the same GLP-1 pathway but at different potency levels, and tirzepatide adds a second receptor (GIP) that liraglutide does not target.

Results vary person to person across all three medicines. No injection produces identical outcomes for everyone, and a prescriber's job is to assess which option suits your health profile, not just your target weight.

Saxenda's availability and what is dispensed for weight loss in the UK today

Saxenda is a UK-licensed prescription medicine, and some specialist services and NHS prescribers do still use it. However, it is not dispensed by all private weight management clinics, and it is not currently offered through the nume treatment range. If you have been looking at Saxenda injections for weight loss and want to understand how they work, it is worth knowing which alternatives are available and why many clinicians now favour them.

In the UK, two GLP-1 medicines are currently licensed for weight management and widely dispensed privately: Wegovy (semaglutide, once-weekly injection) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide, once-weekly injection). NICE has recommended both (tirzepatide under TA1026 (published December 2024) and semaglutide under TA875) for adults meeting certain BMI and health-condition criteria. The NHS is rolling out tirzepatide in phases through GP practices from 2025 onwards, though private access remains available to those who do not yet qualify or prefer not to wait. You can read about weight loss injection results across the newer treatments to compare what the trials showed.

A note on timing: if you are thinking about starting around a bank holiday or want to catch a Monday dispatch, it is worth ordering by 12pm on a working day, that is when the clinical review and same-day dispatch window closes. There is no urgency to rush a decision, but understanding how private services work helps with planning.

For anyone on a tighter budget exploring their options, the page on what affects the cost of weight loss injections covers the UK pricing landscape honestly, including what a legitimate price should include. Prescription, clinical review and aftercare are not optional extras; they are what makes a weight loss injection safe.

Side effects and what to watch for

Liraglutide's side-effect profile is GI-led: nausea is the most frequently reported effect, along with loose stools, constipation, vomiting and reflux. These typically peak after starting or increasing the dose and settle for most people within a couple of weeks. The daily injection schedule (rather than weekly) means there is no single high-exposure day, but it also means less flexibility if you miss a dose.

The MHRA has highlighted acute pancreatitis as a known, if infrequent, serious risk with GLP-1 medicines generally. Severe, persistent stomach pain that reaches towards the back, with or without vomiting, needs urgent medical attention, not a wait-and-see. The MHRA's Yellow Card scheme allows patients and healthcare professionals to report suspected side effects directly, and it is worth knowing this exists.

Liraglutide is not recommended during pregnancy, breastfeeding or when actively trying to conceive, and is not licensed for under-18s. Contraindications and interactions should be discussed with a prescriber before starting any GLP-1 treatment. If you want a broader picture of how before-and-after experiences with weight loss injections vary by treatment type and individual, that page draws together the key evidence.

If after reading this you want to explore what is actually available and clinically suitable for you, a free consultation with a GPhC-registered prescriber is the right starting point. You can start your free consultation here.