Generic liraglutide's acquisition cost runs about 64 percent below brand Victoza

Generic liraglutide now has the lowest acquisition price of any GLP-1 medicine tracked in federal drug pricing data, undercutting its own brand version by roughly 64 percent, even though the injectable form is still listed on the FDA's shortage database ^[1][3].

The National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) for a generic liraglutide 3-pack was about $32.00 per mL effective Aug. 19, 2026, against $87.81 per mL for brand Victoza, according to the NADAC 2026 file, which was updated Sept. 8, 2026 ^[1]. NADAC is defined in that file as the average cost pharmacies pay to acquire a drug, reported per pricing unit such as a milliliter ^[1]. It is not a retail price, and it is not what a patient is billed.

The same pricing file lists Trulicity at about $487 per mL and the Ozempic pen at about $332 per mL ^[1]. Those products contain different molecules — Trulicity is dulaglutide and Ozempic is semaglutide — and they do not deliver the same amount of drug per milliliter, so a per-mL comparison does not translate directly into a month of treatment for any one patient.

On the supply side, FDA drug listing data counted 62 liraglutide product records as of Sept. 11, 2026, with nine manufacturers listed for the molecule ^[2]. The listing record for brand Victoza, made by Novo Nordisk, shows a 6 mg/mL subcutaneous injection approved under NDA022341, first marketed Jan. 25, 2010, with a listing expiration date of Dec. 31, 2026 ^[2]. Liraglutide is classified in FDA labeling as a GLP-1 receptor agonist ^[2].

Cheap generic supply has not cleared the supply problems. The FDA shortage database returned 11 liraglutide records as of Sept. 14, 2026, including a Teva Pharmaceuticals presentation listed as "To Be Discontinued," with a discontinuation date of May 14, 2026 and the stated reason "Discontinuation of the manufacture of the drug" ^[3]. Why liraglutide injection remains on the shortage list while generic versions are priced well below the brand has not been disclosed in the data.

Why it matters for patients

Acquisition cost and patient cost are separate numbers. NADAC measures what pharmacies pay suppliers, not copays, coinsurance, deductibles or cash prices at the counter ^[1]. Whether a 64 percent gap in pharmacy purchasing cost reaches anyone filling a prescription depends on insurance formulary placement, pharmacy reimbursement and dispensing fees — none of which appear in the pricing file ^[1].

That means a patient could see no change in what they pay even as the underlying generic price falls, and the opposite is possible as well. How much of the generic discount is passed through has not been reported.

Availability is the second issue. Liraglutide injection remains on the FDA shortage list, so supply can still vary by pharmacy and by dose ^[3]. A shortage listing does not describe how widespread the gaps are, and the records reviewed do not say which strengths or package sizes are hardest to get.

The broader effect on the market is also unsettled. Generic liraglutide is the first GLP-1 molecule with multiple manufacturers selling at a fraction of brand acquisition cost ^[1][2], but whether that pulls down prices of other GLP-1 products has not been established.

What happens next

The NADAC file is published weekly, so the liraglutide figures can change with each update ^[1]. Victoza's FDA listing carries an expiration date of Dec. 31, 2026 ^[2]. The Teva discontinuation notice was posted May 14, 2026, and remains part of the shortage record ^[3]. Whether more manufacturers enter, or the shortage ends, has not been announced.