Dulaglutide Is Noninferior to Liraglutide in Metformin-Treated Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Three injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)–receptor agonists, liraglutide (Victoza) and short- and long-acting exenatide (Byetta and Bydureon, respectively), are approved for treating patients with type 2 diabetes. In head-to-head trials, once-daily liraglutide was more effective than exenatide taken either twice daily (NEJM JW Gen Med Jul 16 2009) or once weekly (NEJM JW Gen Med Nov 29 2012). Dulaglutide is one of several newer, long-acting, injectable GLP-1–receptor agonists awaiting FDA approval. In a manufacturer-sponsored trial, researchers randomized 599 adults with type 2 diabetes (glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA_1c] levels, 7.0%–10.0% while taking metformin) to add either dulaglutide (1.5 mg, once weekly) or liraglutide (1.8 mg, o…