From the Guidelines
For liraglutide 0.6 mg/0.1 mL (18 mg/3 mL), you would need approximately 1 pen (3 mL syringe) per month if dosed once weekly, but it's crucial to note that the standard dosing regimen is daily, not weekly, as indicated in the FDA-approved indications and doses for GLP-1RAs with cardiovascular outcomes trial data 1. Since there are typically 4 weeks in a month, you would need 4 doses per month. Each 3 mL pen contains enough medication for 30 doses at the 0.6 mg strength (since 18 mg ÷ 0.6 mg = 30 doses). Some key points to consider:
- The medication's efficacy is based on daily administration, and weekly dosing may not provide the same benefits.
- The standard Victoza or Saxenda pen (which contains liraglutide) is designed with dosing markers specifically for daily use.
- If this is indeed for weekly dosing, one pen would last approximately 7.5 months at this schedule, as calculated by dividing the total number of doses in one pen (30) by the number of doses needed per month (4). It's essential to confirm this unusual dosing schedule with the prescriber, as the FDA-approved indications and doses for liraglutide are for daily administration, not weekly 1.
From the Research
Liraglutide Dosage and Supply
- The provided studies do not directly address the question of how many 3 mL syringes of liraglutide 0.6 mg/0.1 mL (18 mg/3 mL) are needed for a month's supply when dosed once weekly.
- However, we can calculate the monthly supply based on the dosage information.
- The standard dose of liraglutide is 1.2 mg or 1.8 mg per day, as mentioned in 2 and 3.
- But in this case, we are considering a dose of 0.6 mg/0.1 mL, which is the starting dose, as stated in 3.
- Since the dose is 0.6 mg/0.1 mL, and we have 18 mg/3 mL, we can calculate the volume of one dose: 0.6 mg / 18 mg * 3 mL = 0.1 mL.
- For a once-weekly dose, we would need 4 doses per month (assuming a 4-week month).
- Therefore, the total volume needed per month would be 0.1 mL * 4 = 0.4 mL.
- Since we have 3 mL syringes, we would need 0.4 mL / 3 mL = 0.133 syringes per month, which is approximately 1 syringe per 7-8 months, or less than 1 syringe per month.
- However, please note that this calculation is based on the provided dosage information and may not reflect the actual clinical practice or recommended dosage regimen, as mentioned in 2, 4, 5, and 6.