PeptideHormone

Liraglutide

A once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist; an earlier acylated analog.

AnalogEstablishedBased on Glucagon-like peptide-1Compare lineage

Identity

Class
GLP-1 receptor agonist (acylated, 31 aa)
Source
Synthetic analog of human GLP-1
Receptor
GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R)

Key properties

Molecular weight
~3,751.2 Da
Half-life (native)
~13 h
Model dosing

Approximate values for the native hormone. Engineered analogs are often deliberately larger and far longer-acting.

Mechanism

Liraglutide is a GLP-1 analog with a C16 fatty-acid acylation that promotes albumin binding and self-association, giving a ~13-hour half-life suited to once-daily dosing. It signals through the same GLP-1R cascade as native GLP-1.

Reference notes

  • About 97% sequence identity to native GLP-1, with one substitution and a fatty-acid chain.
  • Once-daily — an intermediate step between native GLP-1 and the weekly analogs.
  • Approved for type 2 diabetes and weight management.

Selected literature

Curated peer-reviewed reviews, sourced from PubMed. Selected for relevance, not exhaustive — open any entry on PubMed for the full record and its primary citations.

  1. 1.GLP-1 physiology informs the pharmacotherapy of obesity · Molecular metabolism, 2022 · PMID 34626851
  2. 2.Medications for Obesity: A Review · JAMA, 2024 · PMID 39037780