GLPwatch
Victoza for Depression
liraglutide · Investigational / off-label
Last updated 2026-05-28 15:46 UTCVictoza (liraglutide) is not FDA-approved for depression, and any use for this condition is off-label/investigational. Research includes animal studies showing liraglutide may reduce depressive-like behaviors and improve neural plasticity, as well as pilot human studies suggesting cognitive benefits in mood disorders, but no large-scale clinical trials confirming antidepressant effects.
AI summary of the sources below.
| Drug | Victoza (liraglutide) |
|---|---|
| Condition | Depression |
| Approval status | Investigational / off-label |
| Research papers | 34 |
Victoza is not FDA-approved for depression; the research below reflects investigational or off-label study only.
Research on liraglutide for depression (34)
- Drugs developed to treat diabetes, liraglutide and lixisenatide, cross the blood brain barrier and enhance neurogenesis.
- Liraglutide promotes improvements in objective measures of cognitive dysfunction in individuals with mood disorders: A pilot, open-label study.
- Liraglutide attenuate central nervous inflammation and demyelination through AMPK and pyroptosis-related NLRP3 pathway.
- Neuropsychiatric safety with liraglutide 3.0 mg for weight management: Results from randomized controlled phase 2 and 3a trials.
- Liraglutide attenuates the depressive- and anxiety-like behaviour in the corticosterone induced depression model via improving hippocampal neural plasticity.
- Prevention of pentylenetetrazole-induced kindling and behavioral comorbidities in mice by levetiracetam combined with the GLP-1 agonist liraglutide: Involvement of brain antioxidant and BDNF upregulating properties.
- Disproportionality Analysis From World Health Organization Data on Semaglutide, Liraglutide, and Suicidality.
- Psychiatric adverse events associated with semaglutide, liraglutide and tirzepatide: a pharmacovigilance analysis of individual case safety reports submitted to the EudraVigilance database.
- GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide reverses long-term atypical antipsychotic treatment associated behavioral depression and metabolic abnormalities in rats.
- Effects of liraglutide on depressive behavior in a mouse depression model and cognition in the probe trial of Morris water maze test.
- Antipsychotic-like effect of GLP-1 agonist liraglutide but not DPP-IV inhibitor sitagliptin in mouse model for psychosis.
- The GLP-1 analog, liraglutide prevents the increase of proinflammatory mediators in the hippocampus of male rat pups submitted to maternal perinatal food restriction.
- Beneficial effects of liraglutide (GLP1 analog) in the hippocampal inflammation.
- The effects of treatment with liraglutide on quality of life and depression in young obese women with PCOS and controls.
- Effect of Liraglutide on Corneal Kindling Epilepsy Induced Depression and Cognitive Impairment in Mice.
- Liraglutide for psychiatric disorders: clinical evidence and challenges.
- Liraglutide modulates GABAergic signaling in rat hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons predominantly by presynaptic mechanism.
- GLP-1 agonist Liraglutide prevents MK‑801-induced schizophrenia‑like behaviors and BDNF, CREB, p-CREB, Trk-B expressions in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in Balb/c mice.
- Reduction in TNF alpha and oxidative stress by liraglutide: Impact on ketamine-induced cognitive dysfunction and hyperlocomotion in rats.
- Liraglutide and Naringenin relieve depressive symptoms in mice by enhancing Neurogenesis and reducing inflammation.
- Liraglutide and the management of overweight and obesity in people with severe mental illness: qualitative sub-study.
- Liraglutide 3.0 mg and mental health: can psychiatric symptoms be associated to adherence to therapy? Insights from a clinical audit.
- Clinical effectiveness of Liraglutide 3.0 mg and impact of weight loss in improving obesity-related comorbid conditions in King Fahad Medical City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A real-world experience.
- Liraglutide improves depressive and cognitive deficits in a high-fat diet rat model of obesity: the role of hippocampal autophagy and the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.
- Psychiatric and psychological adverse effects associated with dulaglutide, semaglutide, and liraglutide: A vigibase study.