August 29, 2025
1 min read
Key takeaways:
- For the first time, a generic GLP-1 has been approved by FDA for the treatment of overweight and obesity.
- The approval follows the launch of the first GLP-1 to treat type 2 diabetes in June 2024.
The FDA has approved the first generic GLP-1 specifically indicated for weight loss, according to a press release from Teva Pharmaceuticals.
As Healio previously reported, Teva Pharmaceuticals launched the first generic GLP-1 in June 2024. That medication, which was a generic version of liraglutide 1.8 mg (Victoza, Novo Nordisk), was indicated to improve glycemic control in patients aged 10 years or older with type 2 diabetes and to reduce risk for CV events in adults with type 2 diabetes and established heart disease. The FDA also approved another generic form of liraglutide for the treatment of type 2 diabetes from Hikma Pharmaceuticals in December 2024.
The FDA has approved the first generic GLP-1 specifically indicated for weight loss, according to announcement from Teva Pharmaceuticals.
In a new announcement, Teva Pharmaceuticals said it has received FDA approval and has launched a generic version of liraglutide for weight loss, previously available only as Novo Nordisk’s Saxenda. The new generic is indicated for adults with overweight plus one weight-related comorbidity or obesity, plus children aged 12 years and older with a body weight of more than 60 kg and obesity. The medication should be in combination with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity, according to the press release.
“With this approval, and by launching a generic for Saxenda, we will provide patients in the U.S. the first ever generic GLP-1 product specifically indicated for weight loss,” Ernie Richardsen, senior vice president and head of U.S. commercial generics at Teva Pharmaceuticals, said in a press release.
