Phentermine (generic) vs Saxenda (liraglutide)
Verdict
Neither comes out ahead on the axes compared here. Saxenda scores higher on the published halfrx formula, 4.2 against 3.1; 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.
Phentermine (generic) or Saxenda (liraglutide): what can be compared?
Neither publishes an all-in monthly price, so there is no figure to compare on, and any single number either one is quoted at elsewhere was assembled by somebody else. What can be compared is everything below: the commitment, the medication, the record and the terms. 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. One is branded and the other generic, and they are different drugs, so the gap is the molecule as well as the price. The published formula scores them 3.1 and 4.2 out of 10, arithmetic over the same stored fields rather than an editor's preference.
Head to head
| What decides it | Phentermine price unverified | Saxenda price unverified |
|---|---|---|
| Entry priceNot comparable — Phentermine (generic) and Saxenda (liraglutide) publish 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 |
What the trials, the titration and a year actually say
| Axis | Phentermine | Saxenda |
|---|---|---|
| The trial that figure comes from | The label does not carry a modern trial figure; it states in its own words that the usefulness of this class 'should be measured against possible risk factors', and it is not recommended for long-term use. | 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 | 37.5 mg once daily, in the morning | 3 mg daily |
| Earliest week you reach it | — | week 5 |
What separates these two, price aside
- These are different molecules — phentermine against liraglutide — so this is a comparison of two treatments, not of two prices for one.
Multiple generic manufacturers
Phentermine (generic)3.1
Price unverified
Controlled substanceWeaker moleculeNo published priceStrict dosing rules
Phentermine (generic)
Pros
- +Pharmacies acquire it at $0.068 a tablet, about $2 for a 30-day supply, under the federal NADAC survey. That is what a pharmacy pays, not what it charges you.[2]
- +Covered by more Medicaid programs than any GLP-1 — seven states cover an older weight-loss agent while covering no GLP-1 at all.[3]
- +One tablet each morning, no injection, no titration schedule beyond a possible half dose.[1]
Cons
- −Approved for a few weeks only. Every monthly subscription selling it as ongoing therapy is using it off the label's own duration.[1]
- −Schedule IV controlled substance, chemically related to the amphetamines, with the dependence warnings that follow from that.[1]
- −Stopping after prolonged high dosing brings extreme fatigue and depression, per the label — which is a hard exit from a subscription that sold it as maintenance.[1]
- −No cardiovascular outcome data of the kind the GLP-1s now carry, and contraindicated where blood pressure is uncontrolled.[1]
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 Phentermine
- Phentermine price and terms →
- What is Phentermine? →
- Phentermine cost without insurance →
- Alternatives to Phentermine →
- Phentermine side effects →
- Does Phentermine cause constipation? →
- Does Phentermine cause diarrhea? →
- Does Phentermine make you dizzy? →
- Does Phentermine cause headaches? →
- Does Phentermine keep you awake? →
- Does Phentermine cause dry mouth? →
- Phentermine dose schedule →
- How to take Phentermine →
- 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 →
- phentermine: every product and price →
- Qsymia: the drug →
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 →
Phentermine against Saxenda, answered
- Is Phentermine or Saxenda better for weight loss?
- Only Saxenda has a trial figure recorded here: 7.4% average weight loss, from its own label trial. Phentermine has none on this site, so the two cannot be compared on effect and this page does not pick one on it.
- Which is cheaper, Phentermine or Saxenda?
- Phentermine and Saxenda publish 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 Phentermine 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.