Insulin degludec/liraglutide in type 2 diabetes: a profile of its use

Subcutaneous insulin degludec/liraglutide (Xultophy™) is a titratable, fixed-ratio combination of a long-acting insulin analogue and a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) that is approved in several countries, including the USA and those in the EU for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D) as add-on therapy. In clinical and real-world studies in insulin-naïve or -experienced adults with inadequately controlled T2D, once-daily insulin degludec/liraglutide as add-on therapy to oral antidiabetic drugs consistently provided effective and durable glycaemic control, and delayed the time to treatment intensification. It also reduced the risk of hypoglycaemia and bodyweight gain compared with basal or basal-bolus insulin therapy. Insulin degludec/liraglutide is generally well tolerated and offers the convenience of once-daily administration of two injectable antidiabetic drugs.