Liraglutide

About Liraglutide

What is liraglutide?
Liraglutide was the GLP-1 agonist that proved the concept before semaglutide arrived and took all the headlines. It is 97% identical to native human GLP-1 — just one amino acid substitution (Arg34→Lys) plus a C16 palmitic acid chain at position 26 for albumin binding. That gives it a half-life of about 13 hours, which means daily dosing rather than semaglutide weekly dosing.

CAS: 204656-20-2. The LEAD, SCALE, and LEADER programs generated the clinical foundation that all subsequent GLP-1 research builds on.

Mechanism of Action

Why researchers still use it
Two reasons. First, the daily pharmacokinetics enable different experimental designs than weekly compounds. If you need GLP-1R activation that washes out in hours rather than days, liraglutide gives you that temporal control. Second, the LEADER cardiovascular outcomes data was the first in the GLP-1 class, and comparative studies still reference it.

Mechanism
Binds GLP-1R, activates adenylyl cyclase, raises cAMP. Glucose-dependent insulin secretion from beta cells. Glucagon suppression from alpha cells. Delayed gastric emptying. Hypothalamic satiety signaling. The mechanisms are the same as semaglutide — the difference is duration, not pathway.

Research Overview

For labs running first-generation vs. second-generation GLP-1RA comparisons (liraglutide vs. semaglutide), the structural differences are instructive: 97% vs. 94% GLP-1 homology, C16 vs. C18 fatty acid, 13-hour vs. 168-hour half-life. Small chemical changes, large pharmacokinetic consequences.

Specs

Molecular weight3,751.2 Da
CAS204656-20-2
Purity99.3% avg by HPLC
FormLyophilized powder
Sizes3mg, 5mg

Storage
Lyophilized at -20°C. Reconstituted: 2-8°C, use within 4 weeks.

Product Specifications

• Purity: 99.3% avg (HPLC verified)
• Form: Lyophilized powder
• SKU: CP-LIRA

Certificate of Analysis available for every batch. View COAs →

For research purposes only. Not for human consumption.