Clinical Medicine Insights: Therapeutics

Type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease characterized by decline in β-cell function and insulin resistance. The development of liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, has been shown in clinical trials to be an effective drug with beneficial effects on β-cell function and improved glycemic control, without the side effects of weight gain and hypoglycemia that frequently limit the use of oral anti-diabetic drugs. Furthermore, its prolonged half-life makes it suitable for once daily administration. Liraglutide is demonstrated to be an effective agent in combination with commonly used oral antidiabetic drugs such as metformin and sulphonylureas, with a significant number of patients achieving their glycemic targets without hypoglycemia. In this review, the results from clinical trials utilizing liraglutide in combination with metformin or sulphonylurea are summarized with regards to efficacy and safety.