Liraglutide half-life & how long it lasts
Liraglutide has a half-life of about 13 hours, reaches peak concentration around 10 hours after a dose, and is practically cleared from the body about 2.7 days (65 hours) after the last dose. A 13-hour half-life is why liraglutide is the daily one, and why a missed dose is felt much sooner than with the weekly agonists.
The numbers
| Half-life | 13 hours |
|---|---|
| Time to peak | 10 hours |
| Route | injection |
| Typical cadence | once daily |
| Practically cleared | 2.7 days (65 hours) after the last dose (five half-lives, ~97% eliminated) |
| Steady state | after roughly 2.7 days (65 hours) of continuous once daily dosing |
| Evidence | FDA label or published human PK |
What that means day to day
- Levels are never zero between doses. On a once daily schedule with a 13 hours half-life, each dose stacks on what is left of the last one until steady state.
- Peak is not injection day. Concentration keeps climbing for about 10 hours after the shot, so effects and side effects lag the dose.
- Stopping is gradual. After the last dose it takes about 2.7 days (65 hours) for the compound to be practically gone.
Sources
Track it instead of estimating it
Bo models this curve from your own logged doses, so you can see what is still in your system right now instead of doing the arithmetic. It also handles reconstitution math, dose reminders and injection-site rotation.
Compare every compound in one table →
Educational information only. Bo is a tracking app, not a medical device, and nothing here is medical advice, a dosing recommendation, or a substitute for your prescriber. Half-lives are population averages from the sources cited on each row; individual clearance varies with body weight, kidney and liver function, and other medication.