Qsymia (phentermine/topiramate) vs Saxenda (liraglutide)
Neither comes out ahead on the axes compared here. Qsymia scores higher on the published halfrx formula, 7.1 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.
Qsymia (phentermine/topiramate) or Saxenda (liraglutide): which one has a price?
Only Qsymia (phentermine/topiramate) has an all-in figure here: $66–$75 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 9.8% 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 7.1 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 | Qsymia $66–$75/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 trialsQsymia (phentermine/topiramate) reports 9.8% 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 | Qsymia | Saxenda |
|---|---|---|
| Mean weight loss in the cited trial | 9.8% | 7.4% |
| The trial that figure comes from | CONQUER, Study 2 on the label, 56 weeks: 9.8% mean weight loss at the 15 mg/92 mg dose against 1.2% 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 | 7.5 mg / 46 mg daily | 3 mg daily |
| Earliest week you reach it | week 3 | week 5 |
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.
What separates these two, price aside
- These are different molecules — phentermine and topiramate against liraglutide — so this is a comparison of two treatments, not of two prices for one.
Qsymia (phentermine/topiramate)
Pros
- +9.8% mean weight loss at the top dose in CONQUER, intention-to-treat — the strongest result available from an oral non-GLP-1 drug.[2]
- +$74.99/mo through Qsymia Engage home delivery for anyone, $65.99 for Costco members, and generic phentermine/topiramate ER runs roughly $50–$100 — an order of magnitude under branded GLP-1 list prices.[1]
- +Approved down to age 12, as Wegovy and Saxenda are; Zepbound is for adults only.[2]
Cons
- −Topiramate raises the risk of oral clefts when taken in the first trimester. The label recommends a negative pregnancy test before starting and every month during treatment, with effective contraception, and Qsymia is dispensed only through pharmacies certified under an FDA REMS.[6]
- −Phentermine is a controlled substance with cardiovascular contraindications.[2]
- −Cognitive side effects — word-finding difficulty and trouble concentrating — are common enough to be a frequent reason people stop.[2]
- −Its 9.8% in CONQUER is under half the 20.9% tirzepatide reached in SURMOUNT-1 on Zepbound's label, a separate trial in a different population, so this is not a head-to-head result.[7]
Sources
- [1] Qsymia Engage home delivery pricing, qsymia.com
- [2] Qsymia REMS: pregnancy testing and contraception requirements (FDA)
- [3] CONQUER: phentermine plus topiramate, phase 3 (The Lancet)
- [4] Qsymia CONQUER trial results (manufacturer HCP site)
- [5] Assessment of the REMS for phentermine–topiramate (Annals of Internal Medicine)
- [6] FDA prescribing information for QSYMIA
- [7] FDA prescribing information for ZEPBOUND
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 Qsymia
- Qsymia price and terms →
- What is Qsymia? →
- Qsymia cost without insurance →
- Alternatives to Qsymia →
- Qsymia coupons and savings cards →
- Qsymia Engage →
- Qsymia side effects →
- Does Qsymia cause constipation? →
- Does Qsymia make you dizzy? →
- Does Qsymia keep you awake? →
- Does Qsymia cause dry mouth? →
- Qsymia dose schedule →
- How to take Qsymia →
- How long Qsymia 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 →
- phentermine: every product and price →
- Phentermine: 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 →
Qsymia against Saxenda, answered
- Is Qsymia or Saxenda better for weight loss?
- Qsymia reports 9.8% 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, Qsymia 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 Qsymia 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.