Insulin Degludec/Liraglutide: A Review in Type 2 Diabetes

Insulin degludec/liraglutide (Xultophy(®)), a fixed-ratio combination of an ultra-long-acting insulin analogue and a glucagon-like protein-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, is available in the EU for the management of inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes. Once-daily subcutaneous insulin degludec/liraglutide as add-on therapy to oral antidiabetics was effective and generally well tolerated in adults with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes in several well designed 26-week phase III trials. In insulin-naive patients, add-on insulin degludec/liraglutide provided significantly greater improvements in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels than add-on insulin degludec, liraglutide or placebo, or unchanged GLP-1 receptor agonists (i.e. liraglutide or exenatide). In the extension of one of these trials, the efficacy of add-on insulin degludec/liraglutide was maintained for a total of 52 weeks. In insulin-experienced patients, add-on insulin degludec/liraglutide was significantly more effective with regard to improvements in HbA1c levels than add-on insulin degludec (at equivalent doses) or ongoing insulin glargine therapy. Add-on insulin degludec/liraglutide was associated with a lower incidence of confirmed hypoglycaemia than add-on insulin degludec in insulin-naive patients or ongoing insulin glargine in insulin-experienced patients, and a lower initial rate of nausea than add-on liraglutide. Thus, once-daily subcutaneous insulin degludec/liraglutide is a useful add-on therapy option for adult patients with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes.