Saxenda cost: what you pay per month in 2026

Saxenda costs per dose and per pen

Your monthly costs rise with your dose, because a higher dose requires more pens per month. One Saxenda pen contains 18 mg of liraglutide, the active substance. According to the official patient information leaflet, you start with 0.6 mg per day and increase by 0.6 mg each week, up to the maintenance dose of 3.0 mg per day. That gradual build-up is there for a reason: it keeps side effects such as nausea, diarrhoea and constipation, which mainly occur in the first weeks, as limited as possible.

This is how that dosing schedule translates into the Saxenda price per month:

Price level July 2026, excluding pharmacy and supervision costs.

Your first month is cheaper than the months after. In the build-up phase you use lower doses: over the first four weeks you'll use around two and a half pens. With three pens (approx. €111) you get through the complete five-week build-up phase. Also take into account the pharmacy's dispensing fees (terhandstellingskosten) and the cost of the consultation with the prescribing doctor.

Is Saxenda reimbursed from basic health insurance?

Since 1 April 2022, Saxenda has been reimbursed from basic health insurance, but only for a small group of people with severe overweight. According to Zorginstituut Nederland, all of these conditions apply at the same time:

• You have taken part in a recognised combined lifestyle intervention (gecombineerde leefstijlinterventie, GLI) for at least a year, without sufficient results.
• You have a BMI of 40 or higher, or a BMI between 35 and 40 in combination with a condition such as cardiovascular disease, sleep apnoea or osteoarthritis.
• You don't have type 2 diabetes.

There is also a stopping rule: if you don't lose at least 5% within 3 months, the reimbursement ends. And reimbursed medication first counts towards your compulsory deductible (eigen risico).

In practice, the majority of people who want to lose weight with Saxenda therefore don't qualify for reimbursement. Not sure which category you fall into? Use our BMI calculator to see where you stand. And in our article on weight loss medication covered by insurance you can read how reimbursement is arranged for other weight loss medication.

Saxenda reimbursement with CZ, VGZ and Zilveren Kruis

The reimbursement conditions for Saxenda are the same with every health insurer. That's because reimbursement goes through basic health insurance, and its content is laid down by law. CZ, VGZ and Zilveren Kruis therefore apply the same national conditions. The difference lies in the brand: an insurer may designate a preferred brand with the same active substance.

Zilveren Kruis, for example, doesn't reimburse the Saxenda brand, but the preferred brand Nevolat: a medicine with exactly the same active substance, liraglutide. For you as a user, little changes apart from the name on the pen. If you don't meet the national conditions, no health insurer reimburses the medicine. Not from supplementary insurance either. Then only one route remains: paying yourself.

Paying for Saxenda yourself: what should you expect?

If you pay for Saxenda yourself, expect three cost items: the medication, the pharmacy costs and the medical supervision. Saxenda is a prescription medicine. So you always need a doctor who assesses whether the medicine suits you and who writes the prescription. That's why you should never buy Saxenda through web shops without a prescription: you don't know what you're really getting, and you miss out on the medical oversight that belongs with these medicines. Read more about how to buy Saxenda.

At Qlinic, the complete medical weight loss with injections treatment costs €850 per month, plus a one-off €400 in supervision costs. For that, we arrange the prescription and the medication, with home delivery. You have a follow-up every 4 weeks with our regular BIG-registered doctor (the BIG register is the Dutch register of healthcare professionals).

Never quite managing to lose weight on your own? Our regular doctor assesses whether medical weight loss suits your situation. Take the eligibility check →

Saxenda or another medication? Costs compared

Saxenda is the most expensive GLP-1 treatment per month. That's mainly because you inject liraglutide daily and therefore need five pens per month. Newer medications such as semaglutide (Ozempic) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) are injected once a week, which makes a difference to the monthly price. As a result, the tirzepatide costs are lower than you might expect for the newest medication.

This is how the costs of our treatments compare:

A one-off €400 in supervision costs applies to every treatment. You decide together with the doctor which medication suits you medically; price is never the only factor. You'll find a full overview of medical weight loss costs on our prices page.

Want to know what medical weight loss costs in your situation? After the eligibility check you'll know whether a treatment may be an option for you and what to expect in terms of costs. Take the eligibility check →

Frequently asked questions about Saxenda costs

How do you get Saxenda reimbursed?

Saxenda is only reimbursed if a doctor establishes that you meet the national conditions: at least a year of GLI without sufficient results, a BMI of 40 or higher (or 35 to 40 with a weight-related condition) and no type 2 diabetes. The doctor applies for reimbursement with a doctor's statement, after which you receive the medication through the pharmacy. Read more about Saxenda vs Mysimba.

How much weight do you lose after 1 month of Saxenda?

The first month is mainly the build-up phase, so weight loss is still limited at that point. Many users do notice in those weeks that their feeling of hunger decreases. The SCALE trial among 3,731 participants shows that users of liraglutide 3.0 mg lost an average of 8.4 kg after 56 weeks, compared with 2.8 kg on placebo. Results vary from person to person.

Which is better, Ozempic or Saxenda?

There is no general answer to that: which medication suits you depends on your health, your preferences and the doctor's judgement. Ozempic contains semaglutide and is injected weekly; Saxenda contains liraglutide and is injected daily. In our article Saxenda vs Ozempic we set out the differences in detail.

Can your GP prescribe Saxenda?

Yes, your GP (huisarts) may prescribe Saxenda, because it is a registered prescription medicine. In practice, GPs mainly do so when you meet the reimbursement conditions. If you don't qualify for that, you can go to a specialised clinic with its own doctors. You can read more about this in our article Can my GP prescribe weight loss injections?

What do 3 pens of Saxenda cost?

Three pens of Saxenda cost €111.37 at the pharmacy price of €37.12 per pen. That gets you exactly through the five-week build-up phase, from 0.6 to 3.0 mg per day. On the maintenance dose you then use about five pens per month.