Meitheal launches liraglutide injection during the Victoza shortage

Meitheal Pharmaceuticals announced FDA approval and launch of a generic liraglutide injection, 18 mg/3 mL, marking the company's first injector-pen product ^[1]. The drug is listed in FDA records under ANDA218115, with a marketing start date of April 2, 2025 ^[2]. Meitheal said the launch comes while Novo Nordisk's brand-name Victoza was in active shortage on both the FDA drug shortage list and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) shortage list as of March 24, 2025 ^[1].

According to FDA's National Drug Code database, Meitheal's product is labeled at a strength of 6 mg/mL, matching Victoza's own labeled strength, and is packaged in prefilled syringes of 3 mL, sold in cartons of either two or three syringes ^[2]. Victoza itself, made by Novo Nordisk, has been on the market since January 2010 under NDA022341 and is approved for type 2 diabetes ^[2]. A related but separate Novo Nordisk product, Saxenda, uses the same active ingredient, liraglutide, but is approved for chronic weight management ^[2].

Meitheal is not the only company entering this space. FDA records show Teva Pharmaceuticals also holds an approved generic liraglutide injection, under ANDA214568, which began marketing on August 28, 2025 ^[2]. Together, these entries suggest more than one generic manufacturer moved to fill gaps left by ongoing Victoza supply problems over the course of 2025.

Why it matters for patients

Liraglutide is an older GLP-1 receptor agonist, taken once daily, unlike the once-weekly injections used for semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) or tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound). Patients prescribed brand-name Victoza for type 2 diabetes have faced shortage listings on both federal and pharmacist-tracked databases ^[1]. A new generic version entering pharmacies can mean more supply on shelves and, potentially, lower out-of-pocket costs, since generics typically cost less than brand-name drugs once available.

It is not yet known from these sources how widely Meitheal's product has reached pharmacies, what its price is compared with Victoza, or whether the shortage has since eased. The sources also do not say whether Meitheal's generic is approved for the same indications as Victoza (type 2 diabetes) or whether it could be substituted for Saxenda, which uses a different approved strength and use (weight management). Patients and caregivers dealing with liraglutide shortages may want to ask their pharmacist directly about what generic options are stocked and covered by their insurance, since availability can vary by region and by distributor.

This development does not affect supply of the newer, more widely used weekly injections like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Zepbound, which are chemically different drugs (semaglutide and tirzepatide) not covered by this liraglutide approval.

What happens next

Meitheal's generic liraglutide began marketing on April 2, 2025 ^[1][2]. A second generic maker, Teva, followed with its own approved liraglutide injection entering the market on August 28, 2025 ^[2]. The sources do not report whether Victoza's shortage status has been resolved as of these launch dates, nor do they include updated FDA or ASHP shortage-list entries beyond the March 24, 2025 snapshot cited by Meitheal ^[1]. Patients tracking availability may want to check the FDA and ASHP shortage databases directly for the most current status, since those lists are updated over time and were not fully reproduced in the sources reviewed here.