GLPwatch

Delayed Type Hypersensitivity Reaction Induced By Liraglutide With Tolerance to Semaglutide.

JCEM Case Rep · 2024

Last updated 2026-05-28

A 56-year-old woman with obesity developed itchy, red, round rashes around the injection site about 24 hours after starting the GLP-1 drug liraglutide. Doctors confirmed the reaction was a delayed allergy to liraglutide, not semaglutide, another similar drug. The rash appeared after one month of treatment and was confirmed through allergy testing and a skin biopsy.

AI summary of the abstract below.

JournalJCEM Case Rep, 2024
Citations2
Relative citation ratio0.75
NIH percentile41
Molecules semaglutide, liraglutide

Abstract

Liraglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist used for the management of type 2 diabetes and obesity. It was the first GLP-1 receptor agonist to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of obesity. To date, numerous skin adverse reactions to liraglutide have been reported, but data regarding hypersensitivity reactions are scarce, raising concerns about its safety and clinical management. We present the case of a 56-year-old female patient with class 3 obesity who was started on subcutaneous liraglutide (Saxenda) by her endocrinologist. One month after starting the aforementioned treatment, the patient presented well-defined, round, erythematous pruriginous plaques surrounding the injection site, around 24 hours after the drug administration. A liraglutide-induced, delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction was suspected, which could be subsequently confirmed by allergy testing and histopathological study. This paper explores the clinical use of liraglutide, the occurrence of hypersensitivity reactions, diagnosis, management, and implications for future research. Understanding and managing liraglutide hypersensitivity is crucial to ensuring the safety and efficacy of this medication.

Verbatim abstract via PubMed 38911363 ↗

Related research