Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion) vs Saxenda (liraglutide)
Neither comes out ahead on the axes compared here. Contrave scores higher on the published halfrx formula, 6.3 against 4.2; the formula takes in more than this table does.
Computed from the stored fields, so it moves when a price does. Nothing here is written by hand or by a model.
Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion) or Saxenda (liraglutide): which one has a price?
Only Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion) has an all-in figure here: $99 a month, read from its own page on 2026-09-22. Saxenda (liraglutide) has none, so price cannot decide between them. Trial weight loss was 5.4% against 7.4%, from separate trials with different populations, so the gap is not a measured difference between the two. Every axis below is computed from stored fields rather than written by hand, so the comparison moves when a price does. Neither carries an FTC action, a state action, a BBB F grade or an FDA warning letter. The published formula scores them 6.3 and 4.2 out of 10, arithmetic over the same stored fields rather than an editor's preference. Cost here is scored on what a patient pays once titrated, never on the entry price, because an introductory rate covers the months before anybody has reached the dose they stay on.
Head to head
| What decides it | Contrave $99/mo | Saxenda price unverified |
|---|---|---|
| Entry priceNot comparable — Saxenda (liraglutide) publishes no verified all-in price. | not comparable | not comparable |
| Regulatory and complaint riskNeither carries a lawsuit, an FDA warning letter or a supply-risk flag. | tied | tied |
| Average weight loss in trialsContrave (naltrexone/bupropion) reports 5.4% and Saxenda (liraglutide) 7.4%, each from its own trial. They were not compared against each other, and the populations, durations and endpoints differ, so the higher number is not a better result — it is a different study. | not comparable | not comparable |
What the trials, the titration and a year actually say
| Axis | Contrave | Saxenda |
|---|---|---|
| Mean weight loss in the cited trial | 5.4% | 7.4% |
| The trial that figure comes from | COR-I on the label, 56 weeks: 5.4% mean weight loss on 32 mg/360 mg against 1.3% on placebo, intention-to-treat. | SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes, Study 1 on the label, 56 weeks: 7.4% mean weight loss on 3 mg against 3.0% on placebo, intention-to-treat. |
| Maintenance dose | 2 tablets twice a day | 3 mg daily |
| Earliest week you reach it | week 4 | week 5 |
| Year one at the published price of every step | $1,188 | No titration prices recorded |
Trial percentages are quoted from the label or the named trial beside them. They are not a head-to-head result: different populations, different durations, different endpoints. That is why the comparison above scores this axis as not comparable rather than awarding it to the higher number. The year-one figures are one price at every dose, times the twelve 30-day bottles a year holds. The full arithmetic is published.
What separates these two, price aside
- These are different molecules — naltrexone and bupropion against liraglutide — so this is a comparison of two treatments, not of two prices for one.
Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion)
Pros
- +$99 a month direct from the manufacturer's CurAccess program — below every branded GLP-1 on this site, and tied with the cheapest compounded route.[1]
- +Oral, no injections, no refrigeration, no titration involving needles.[2]
- +Works on appetite and reward pathways rather than gut hormones, so it is an option for people who cannot tolerate GLP-1 side effects.[3]
- +The bupropion component may help if you also want to stop smoking or have low mood.[3]
Cons
- −5.4% mean weight loss at 56 weeks in COR-I, the trial on its label — about a third of semaglutide and a quarter of tirzepatide.[4]
- −Boxed warning for suicidal thoughts and behaviors from the bupropion component.[3]
- −Contraindicated with uncontrolled hypertension, seizure disorders and opioid use — the opioid interaction matters, because naltrexone blocks opioid pain relief in an emergency.[3]
- −Placebo arm lost 1.3%, so the drug-attributable effect is about four points rather than the headline figure.[4]
Saxenda (liraglutide)
Pros
- +Longest safety record of any GLP-1 approved for weight, on the market since 2014.[1]
- +Generic liraglutide has been sold in the US since Teva launched generic Saxenda on 28 August 2025, so a branded Saxenda price is no longer the only liraglutide price.[3]
- +Approved for adolescents aged 12 and over, as Wegovy and Qsymia are; Zepbound is for adults only.[1]
Cons
- −7.4% mean weight loss on its label's trial — half of Wegovy and about a third of Zepbound.[1]
- −Daily injection rather than weekly. Seven times the injections for a worse result.[1]
- −No seller on this site offers branded Saxenda at a published cash price; Wegovy is $349 a month direct from NovoCare, for about twice the trial weight loss.[1]
Comparisons are computed from the fields on each card, not written by hand or by a model, so they change when the data does. Information only, not medical advice. halfrx may earn a commission from some links, which never changes what a comparison says.
Everything on Contrave
- Contrave price and terms →
- What is Contrave? →
- Contrave cost without insurance →
- Alternatives to Contrave →
- Contrave coupons and savings cards →
- Contrave Home Delivery →
- Contrave side effects →
- Does Contrave make you feel sick? →
- Does Contrave cause constipation? →
- Does Contrave cause diarrhea? →
- Does Contrave make you throw up? →
- Does Contrave make you dizzy? →
- Does Contrave cause headaches? →
- Does Contrave keep you awake? →
- Does Contrave cause dry mouth? →
- Contrave dose schedule →
- How to take Contrave →
- How long Contrave takes to work →
- Which labels record what happens when you stop →
- Hair loss: which of the labels name it →
- Alcohol: what the labels say, and what they do not →
Everything on Saxenda
- Saxenda price and terms →
- What is Saxenda? →
- Saxenda cost without insurance →
- Alternatives to Saxenda →
- Saxenda side effects →
- Does Saxenda make you feel sick? →
- Does Saxenda make you tired? →
- Does Saxenda cause constipation? →
- Does Saxenda cause diarrhea? →
- Does Saxenda make you throw up? →
- Does Saxenda cause injection site reactions? →
- Does Saxenda cause stomach pain? →
- Does Saxenda cause indigestion? →
- Does Saxenda make you dizzy? →
- Does Saxenda cause headaches? →
- Does Saxenda cause low blood sugar? →
- Saxenda dose schedule →
- How to inject Saxenda →
- How long Saxenda takes to work →
- Which labels record what happens when you stop →
- Hair loss: which of the labels name it →
- Alcohol: what the labels say, and what they do not →
- liraglutide: every product and price →
- Hone Health: the seller →
- Victoza: the drug →
Contrave against Saxenda, answered
- Is Contrave or Saxenda better for weight loss?
- Contrave reports 5.4% average weight loss and Saxenda 7.4%, each from its own trial. The two were not compared against each other, so the higher figure is not a result of a head-to-head and this page does not present it as one. What is comparable is what sits on each one's public record, below.
- Which is cheaper, Contrave or Saxenda?
- Saxenda publishes no all-in monthly price that could be verified, so this page carries no comparison rather than an estimate — and an unpublished price is itself worth weighing.
- Can you switch between Contrave and Saxenda?
- They are different molecules, so this is a change of medication rather than of brand, and the one you move to is started on its own dosing schedule.