Updated May 2026
Contrave vs Saxenda
Side-by-side comparison of Contrave (naltrexone HCl + bupropion HCl ER) and Saxenda (liraglutide (daily injection)) across efficacy, food restrictions, monthly cost, and Medicare Bridge coverage.
Our pick for most patients
Contrave
Based on the data below, Contrave wins on lower cash price ($650/mo vs $1349/mo). Your situation may differ — try the personalized matcher on the homepage or compute your real out-of-pocket with the cost calculator on each medication's detail page.
Contrave
naltrexone HCl + bupropion HCl ER · Nalpropion Pharmaceuticals (Currax Pharmaceuticals)
Avoid high-fat meals
Full Contrave guide → | Field | Contrave | Saxenda |
|---|---|---|
| Route | tablet · daily | injection · daily |
| Avg weight loss | 5–9% | 5–8% |
| Food restriction | Avoid high-fat meals | No food restriction |
| Cash from | $650/mo | $1349/mo |
| Savings card | — | — |
| Medicare Bridge | Tier 3 | Tier 4 |
| A1c reduction | — | — |
| FDA approved | 2014-09 | 2014-12 |
- RouteContravetablet · dailySaxendainjection · daily
- Avg weight lossContrave5–9%Saxenda5–8%
- Food restrictionContraveAvoid high-fat mealsSaxendaNo food restriction
- Cash fromContrave$650/moSaxenda$1349/mo
- Savings cardContrave—Saxenda—
- Medicare BridgeContraveTier 3SaxendaTier 4
- A1c reductionContrave—Saxenda—
- FDA approvedContrave2014-09Saxenda2014-12
Pick Contrave if…
- Cash pay matters more than peak weight loss ($650/mo cheaper)
- You're needle-averse
- You want the higher peak efficacy (9% vs 8%)
Pick Saxenda if…
- You can't reliably do a fasting window before meds
Not sure which fits?
The 30-second matcher on the homepage scores every 2026 GLP-1 against your goals + preferences and recommends the best fit.