Semaglutide vs Liraglutide Dosing Compared

Last updated: June 2026

Semaglutide is dosed once a week and liraglutide once a day, so even though both are GLP-1 receptor agonists they run on completely different schedules, dose ranges, and unit maths. This guide compares the two side by side — semaglutide’s weekly 0.25 → 2.4 mg climb (Wegovy/Ozempic) against liraglutide’s daily 0.6 → 3.0 mg climb (Saxenda/Victoza) — and shows exactly how to turn either dose into syringe units.

Got a vial and a target dose? Convert any dose to exact mL and U-100 syringe units in seconds.

Semaglutide calculator →

TL;DR — key takeaways

Frequency is the headline difference. Semaglutide is injected once weekly; liraglutide is injected once daily — roughly seven shots a week versus one.
Different number lines. Semaglutide titrates 0.25 → 0.5 → 1 → 1.7 → 2.4 mg weekly; liraglutide for weight management titrates 0.6 → 1.2 → 1.8 → 2.4 → 3.0 mg daily.
Same titration rhythm, different clock. Both step up gradually to limit nausea, but liraglutide steps weekly (4 weekly steps) while semaglutide holds each rung for 4 weeks.
Units follow concentration, not the drug. Whether you draw 5, 10, or 50 units depends on the mg/mL strength of your vial — the arithmetic is identical for both molecules.

Two GLP-1 agonists, two schedules

Both drugs are glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists: they mimic the GLP-1 hormone to drive glucose-dependent insulin release, slow gastric emptying, and reduce appetite. The practical split comes from half-life. Semaglutide has an elimination half-life of about seven days, which is what allows once-weekly dosing and a steady state reached after four to five weeks. Liraglutide has a half-life of roughly 13 hours, so it must be injected every day to keep blood levels in range.

That single pharmacokinetic fact cascades into everything else: the brand names (Saxenda and Victoza are liraglutide; Wegovy and Ozempic are semaglutide), the delivery format (liraglutide pens are pre-filled multi-dose pens you dial daily; semaglutide is dialled or drawn weekly), and the titration calendar. It does not change the unit maths — that depends only on concentration.

Side-by-side: dosing at a glance

Property	Semaglutide	Liraglutide
Class	GLP-1 receptor agonist	GLP-1 receptor agonist
Frequency	Once weekly	Once daily
Brand (weight)	Wegovy	Saxenda
Brand (diabetes)	Ozempic	Victoza
Starting dose	0.25 mg / week	0.6 mg / day
Step interval	Every 4 weeks	Every 1 week
Max (weight mgmt)	2.4 mg / week	3.0 mg / day
Titration steps	0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.7, 2.4	0.6, 1.2, 1.8, 2.4, 3.0
Route	Subcutaneous	Subcutaneous
Approx. half-life	~7 days	~13 hours

Figures above reflect the FDA-approved Wegovy and Saxenda labels for chronic weight management. The diabetes brands (Ozempic, Victoza) use lower maximum doses. Compounded vials are drawn manually and require you to calculate the draw volume yourself; always follow your prescriber’s protocol.

The titration timeline, visualised

Liraglutide reaches its top dose in four weekly steps; semaglutide takes roughly four months because each rung is held for four weeks. Same gradual shape, very different clocks.

How to turn any dose into syringe units

The milligram dose on a label is not what you read on the syringe — you read units, and a U-100 insulin syringe holds 100 units per 1 mL. So the conversion is always the same: find the concentration (mg/mL), divide your dose by it to get mL, then multiply by 100 to get units. This works identically for weekly semaglutide and daily liraglutide — the only thing that changes is how often you do it.

Worked example 1 — semaglutide, weekly

You have a compounded vial labelled 5 mg/mL and your dose is 0.5 mg once a week.

0.5 mg ÷ 5 mg/mL = 0.1 mL. 0.1 mL × 100 units/mL = 10 units.

Draw 10 units on a U-100 syringe, once that week.

Worked example 2 — liraglutide, daily

You have a vial reconstituted to 6 mg/mL (the Saxenda pen strength) and your dose is 1.2 mg once a day.

1.2 mg ÷ 6 mg/mL = 0.2 mL. 0.2 mL × 100 units/mL = 20 units.

Draw 20 units on a U-100 syringe — every day, not once a week.

Worked example 3 — weekly vs daily totals

Compare the weekly drug load. Semaglutide at 0.5 mg/week = 0.5 mg per week. Liraglutide at 1.2 mg/day = 1.2 × 7 = 8.4 mg per week.

The molecules are not interchangeable milligram-for-milligram, but this shows why daily dosing means handling a far larger total — and seven separate draws — over the same seven days.

Dose-to-units reference chart

Common doses for each drug shown as units on a U-100 syringe at two typical concentrations. Liraglutide rows are per daily injection; semaglutide rows are per weekly injection. Always confirm against your own vial label.

Dose	At 5 mg/mL	At 6 mg/mL
0.25 mg (sema start)	5 units	~4 units
0.5 mg (sema)	10 units	~8 units
1 mg (sema)	20 units	~17 units
2.4 mg (sema max)	48 units	40 units
0.6 mg (lira start)	12 units	10 units
1.8 mg (lira)	36 units	30 units
3.0 mg (lira max)	60 units	50 units

Notice that at 6 mg/mL — the strength Saxenda pens actually use — the 3.0 mg daily dose lands at a tidy 50 units, exactly half of a 1 mL syringe. Higher concentrations always mean fewer units for the same milligram dose.

How this is calculated

Every figure here rests on two facts only: a U-100 syringe holds 100 units per mL, and concentration is dose divided by volume. There is no drug-specific constant — the arithmetic is identical for semaglutide, liraglutide, or any other vialled peptide, which is why one calculator handles both. The only thing the drug changes is the schedule: you repeat the semaglutide maths once a week and the liraglutide maths once a day. None of this is medical advice; it is the maths behind a dose your prescriber has set.

Frequently asked questions

Is semaglutide just a longer-acting liraglutide?

In effect, yes for frequency. Semaglutide’s ~7-day half-life allows once-weekly dosing, while liraglutide’s ~13-hour half-life requires daily injection. They are closely related GLP-1 receptor agonists, but they are different molecules with different dose ranges and are not interchangeable milligram-for-milligram.

Why does liraglutide titrate weekly but semaglutide every four weeks?

Both step up gradually to let gastrointestinal side effects settle, but the labels set different intervals. The Saxenda label increases the daily dose in 0.6 mg steps at weekly intervals to 3.0 mg; the Wegovy label holds each weekly dose for four weeks before climbing to 2.4 mg.

Do I draw more units for liraglutide than semaglutide?

Per injection it depends on the dose and the vial concentration, not the drug name. But because liraglutide is injected daily, you handle far more total drug per week. A 3.0 mg daily liraglutide dose at 6 mg/mL is 50 units every day; a 2.4 mg weekly semaglutide dose at 5 mg/mL is 48 units once a week.

Can I switch between weekly and daily on the same dose?

No — switching drugs is a clinical decision made by your prescriber, who sets a new starting dose and titration plan for the new molecule. Do not map your old dose onto the other drug yourself, because the milligram scales and the dosing frequency do not line up.

Sources

This guide is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always follow your prescriber’s specific instructions and consult a qualified clinician before changing any protocol.