Dulaglutide: A Review in Type 2 Diabetes.
Drugs · 2020
Last updated 2026-05-28Dulaglutide is a once-weekly injection for adults with type 2 diabetes, taken alongside diet and exercise. In studies, it improved blood sugar control and was generally well-tolerated, including in high-risk groups like older adults or those with kidney or heart disease. In a 5.4-year trial, it reduced the risk of major heart events, such as heart attack or stroke, by 12%. The treatment also helped with weight loss and had a low risk of causing dangerously low blood sugar.
AI summary of the abstract below.
| Journal | Drugs, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Citations | 31 |
| Relative citation ratio | 1.68 |
| NIH percentile | 68 |
| Molecules | dulaglutide |
| Conditions studied | Type 2 Diabetes |
Abstract
Subcutaneous dulaglutide (Trulicity) is a once-weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist that is approved in numerous countries as an adjunct to diet and exercise for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). In the clinical trial and real-world settings, once-weekly subcutaneous dulaglutide, as monotherapy or add-on therapy to other antihyperglycaemic agents (including oral antihyperglycaemic drugs and insulin), was an effective and generally well tolerated treatment in adults with inadequately controlled T2D, including in high-risk patients [e.g. obese and elderly patients, those with stage 3 or 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) and/or cardiovascular (CV) disease]. In the REWIND CV outcomes trial in patients with T2D with or without CV disease, dulaglutide was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of a major adverse cardiac event (MACE; primary composite outcome comprising CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction or nonfatal stroke) at a median of 5.4 years' follow-up. Given its durable glycaemic efficacy, beneficial effects on bodyweight and MACE outcomes, low inherent risk of hypoglycaemia and convenient once-weekly regimen, dulaglutide remains an important option in the management of T2D.
Verbatim abstract via PubMed 32002850 ↗
Related research
- Dulaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes (REWIND): a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial.
- Semaglutide versus dulaglutide once weekly in patients with type 2 diabetes (SUSTAIN 7): a randomised, open-label, phase 3b trial.
- Dulaglutide versus insulin glargine in patients with type 2 diabetes and moderate-to-severe chronic kidney disease (AWARD-7): a multicentre, open-label, randomised trial.
- Dulaglutide and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes: an exploratory analysis of the REWIND randomised, placebo-controlled trial.
- Once-weekly dulaglutide versus once-daily liraglutide in metformin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes (AWARD-6): a randomised, open-label, phase 3, non-inferiority trial.
- Efficacy and safety of dulaglutide added onto pioglitazone and metformin versus exenatide in type 2 diabetes in a randomized controlled trial (AWARD-1).
- Efficacy and safety of dulaglutide monotherapy versus metformin in type 2 diabetes in a randomized controlled trial (AWARD-3).
- Efficacy and safety of dulaglutide versus sitagliptin after 52 weeks in type 2 diabetes in a randomized controlled trial (AWARD-5).