Liraglutide for type 2 diabetes?

Several drugs that act on the incretin hormonal system are now licensed in the UK as add-on therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and inadequate glycaemic control. Liraglutide (Victoza--Novo Nordisk) is a recently licensed long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) mimetic that can be given once daily as a subcutaneous injection, as part of either dual or triple therapy. Advertising claims that use of the drug leads to "reductions in weight"; "reductions in systolic blood pressure"; and "improvements in beta-cell function", as well as reductions in blood glucose concentrations. Here we assess the evidence for these claims and consider whether liraglutide has a role in the management of patients with type 2 diabetes.