Is AICAR FDA approved?

AICAR is investigational and not FDA approved. It is discussed for research and educational purposes only, not as medical guidance.

Is Liraglutide FDA approved?

Liraglutide is FDA approved (FDA status current as of 2010-01-25). This regulatory status is provided for research and educational context only.

How is AICAR administered in research settings?

In research settings, AICAR is typically administered via the subcutaneous or intravenous routes. PeptideBase does not provide dosing or administration instructions.

How is Liraglutide administered in research settings?

In research settings, Liraglutide is typically administered via the subcutaneous route. PeptideBase does not provide dosing or administration instructions.

Home›Research›Compare›AICAR vs Liraglutide

Peptide Comparison

AICAR vs Liraglutide

Name: AICAR vs Liraglutide — Per-mg Price Comparison
Creator: PeptideBase
License: https://peptidebase.io/terms

Both are Metabolic peptides.

AICAR

Acadesine

PerformanceInvestigationalResearch Only

5 providers listed

Full AICAR profile →

Liraglutide

Victoza

Fat LossFDA ApprovedPrescription

Half-life: 13 hours

52 providers listed

Full Liraglutide profile →

Bottom line

Liraglutide is FDA-approved, while AICAR is investigational — the clearest structural difference between them.

Quick Verdict

AICAR

Half-life

—

Liraglutide

Half-life

13 hours

Which One Should You Choose?

Your goal	Better option
Stronger clinical evidence	Liraglutide
Further along in FDA review	Liraglutide
More provider options (5 vs 52)	Liraglutide

Research summary only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified provider before making any decisions.

Side-by-Side Comparison

AICAR

Liraglutide

Mechanism Family

Metabolic

Half-life

—

13 hours

FDA Status

investigational

approved

Admin Routes

subcutaneous, intravenous

subcutaneous

Availability

Research Only

Prescription

Providers

5 listed

52 listed

FDA Update

—

Jan 2010

Avail. Notes

—

FDA-approved GLP-1 agonist. Victoza (NDA 022341, Jan 2010) for T2D; Saxenda (NDA 206321, Dec 2014) for weight management. Prescription only. Generic liraglutide available (generic Victoza, Dec 2024; generic Saxenda, Aug 2025).

Research Evidence

AICAR

Review · 6 key studies · most recent 2026

Liraglutide

Meta-analysis · 8 key studies · most recent 2026

Research Citations

AICAR

Animal2026 · Anim Reprod Sci

MiR-27b-3p suppresses proliferation and testosterone synthesis in goat Leydig cells by activating the AMPK pa…

Animal2026 · Free Radic Biol Med

The AMPK-PGC-1α-SIRT3 axis mediates mitochondrial metabolic dysfunction and neuronal senescence induced by Al…

Animal2026 · Chin J Integr Med

Berberine Regulates Hepatic Fatty Acid Metabolism via AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α Pathway.

Animal2026 · Eur J Pharmacol

Pharmacological inhibition of TRPM4 channel stabilizes atherosclerotic plaque via inhibiting AMPK-Beclin1-med…

+2 more

Liraglutide

Meta-analysis2026 · Diabetes Obes Metab

Comparative Effects of Individual Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist-Based Medications on Direct Measur…

RCT2022 · JAMA

Semaglutide vs liraglutide for weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity

RCT2015 · New England Journal of Medicine

A randomized, controlled trial of 3.0 mg of liraglutide in weight management

Animal2026 · J Anesth

Effects of the GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide on bupivacaine-induced sciatic nerve block in a rat model.

+4 more

About AICAR

Converted intracellularly to ZMP, a potent AMPK activator. AMPK activation increases fatty acid oxidation, glucose uptake, and mitochondrial biogenesis — the same metabolic pathways activated by sustained aerobic exercise.

Research Areas

endurancefat oxidationmitochondrial biogenesisAMPK activation

About Liraglutide

GLP-1 receptor agonist; slows gastric emptying, increases satiety, reduces glucagon secretion

Research Areas

appetite suppressionweight lossblood sugar regulation

Safety Profile

Information below reflects published research data only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified provider before use.

AICAR

No established clinical contraindications. This is an investigational compound with limited human data and has not been evaluated by the FDA for safety in this context. Consult a qualified clinician.

Liraglutide

Boxed warning

Risk of thyroid C-cell tumors (dose- and duration-dependent in rodents; human relevance undetermined).

Absolute Contraindications

Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC)Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2)Known hypersensitivity to the drug or excipients

Warnings & Cautions

Acute pancreatitisPregnancy (discontinue; not for use in pregnancy)Gallbladder disease / cholelithiasisDiabetic retinopathy complications (reported with GLP-1 receptor agonist use)Severe GI disease / gastroparesis / ileus riskHypoglycemia when combined with insulin or sulfonylureasAcute kidney injury secondary to volume depletion

Source: FDA label

Suggested Monitoring

Under clinical review

Being verified by our medical team before we display monitoring guidance for this peptide.

Price (per mg)

AICAR

$1.09/mg

$0.95 – $1.12 range

13 vendors

View price index →Find providers →

Liraglutide

Not enough vendor pricing yet.

Find Providers

Where to source these peptides

Providers offering

AICAR

5 listed

Browse directory →

Providers offering

Liraglutide

52 listed

Browse directory →

PeptideBase lists providers for educational research purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before obtaining or using any peptide.

More Metabolic Comparisons

Browse all peptides →

Educational research tools — not medical advice.

Cite this page

Data last updated September 28, 2026

Free to reference and republish with attribution to PeptideBase. Choose a format:

PeptideBase. (2026). AICAR vs Liraglutide — Per-mg Price Comparison. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://peptidebase.io/peptides/compare/aicar/liraglutide

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