FDA approves Novo Nordisk's Saxenda, an injectable weight-loss treatment

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a Novo Nordisk diabetes drug as a treatment for obesity. It's the first injectable drug approved for weight loss.

The drug, liraglutide, will be marketed under the brand name Saxenda for obese adults and for overweight adults who have weight-related health problems like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.

The FDA approved liraglutide in 2010 as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. Novo Nordisk AS sells it under the name Victoza as a treatment for that condition.

Liraglutide is designed to spur the pancreas to create extra insulin after meals.