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Novo Nordisk tells FDA it will discontinue Saxenda in January 2027

Saxenda, a daily liraglutide injection for weight loss, will be discontinued in January 2027, according to an FDA notice from Novo Nordisk, while the company's Victoza face…

By the Semaglutides news desk·
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Image: saxenda.com

Novo Nordisk has notified the FDA that it will stop making Saxenda, its liraglutide injection for weight loss, with the product listed as available until a January 2027 discontinuation. The FDA posting is dated Aug. 25, 2026 [1][2].

The record covers Saxenda injection, 6 mg/1 mL, NDC 0169-2800-15, and gives the reason as "Discontinuation of the manufacture of the drug" [1]. On the FDA's current shortage page, that same package is listed as "Limited Availability," with the note that the "product will be available until discontinuation in January 2027" [2].

A discontinuation notice on Saxenda's consumer website says Novo Nordisk's "last shipments to wholesalers" will take place in late January 2027 [4]. The notice says the decision followed the arrival of alternative medicines and a continued decline in the number of patients using Saxenda, and describes it as a "strategic portfolio decision" that is "not the result of any safety or quality-related concerns" [4]. It tells patients to consult a healthcare provider about alternative treatment options and lists a customer care number, 1-800-727-6500 [4]. The FDA listing gives a company contact number of 833-493-4689 [1][2].

Novo Nordisk's US news archive did not include a press release about the Saxenda discontinuation as of Sept. 14, 2026 [3].

Separately, the same FDA update lists both package sizes of Victoza, NDC 0169-4060-12 and NDC 0169-4060-13, as "Limited Availability" because of a "Delay in shipping of the drug," with the estimated shortage duration listed as TBD [2]. Victoza contains liraglutide and is approved for type 2 diabetes, not for weight loss. That entry describes a temporary supply problem, not a planned discontinuation.

Liraglutide injection as a category has been listed on the FDA's shortage page since July 18, 2023, and that page still shows the status "Currently in Shortage" [2]. Within it, generic liraglutide injection 6 mg/1 mL from Hikma Pharmaceuticals and Meitheal Pharmaceuticals is marked "Available," as are two liraglutide packages distributed by Teva [2]. A separate Teva liraglutide package, NDC 0480-7250-46, carries a discontinuation entry posted May 14, 2026 [1][5].

Why it matters for patients

Saxenda is approved for adults with obesity or overweight who also have weight-related medical problems, and for children aged 12 to 17 with a body weight above 132 pounds (60 kg) and obesity. It is used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity [4]. Adults and teens who currently take it would need a new prescription if their pharmacy can no longer fill it.

Several practical questions are not answered in the FDA records or the company notice. How long pharmacy and wholesaler supplies will last after the January 2027 shipments has not been reported [1][2][4]. Whether Novo Nordisk, insurers or patient support programs will help people move to another medicine has not been disclosed [1][3][4]. The company notice directs patients to their healthcare provider for alternative treatment options but names no specific alternatives [4].

The FDA records do show that other liraglutide injection packages are currently listed as available, including generic versions from Hikma and Meitheal and Teva-distributed supply [2]. Whether those products can stand in for Saxenda's weight-loss use is not addressed in those records [2]. Saxenda's own prescribing information says it is not recommended for people who also take liraglutide or other GLP-1 receptor agonists [4].

Patients who take Victoza for type 2 diabetes face a different situation: limited availability tied to a shipping delay, with no estimated end date given [2].

What happens next

Novo Nordisk says last shipments to wholesalers occur in late January 2027, and the FDA record gives the same month for discontinuation [1][4]. The FDA's estimated duration for the Victoza shipping delay remains TBD [2]. As of Sept. 14, 2026, no company press release on the Saxenda discontinuation had appeared in Novo Nordisk's US news archive [3].

Images from the sources

We've always had the will. Now we have another way
saxenda.com

Sources

  1. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/drugshortages/dsp_ActiveIngredientDetails.cfm?AI=Liraglutide+Injection&st=d
  2. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/drugshortages/dsp_ActiveIngredientDetails.cfm?AI=Liraglutide+Injection&st=c
  3. https://www.novonordisk-us.com/media/news-archive.html
  4. https://www.saxenda.com/
  5. https://api.fda.gov/drug/shortages.json?search=generic_name%3A%22liraglutide%22

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