TABLE 1.

Overview of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Available in the United States for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes

Generic (Trade) Name; Manufacturer	Dosing Frequency	Recommended Dosage	Administration Before Meals Required?	Available Dosage Form(s); Needle Requirements
Short-acting
Exenatide BID (Byetta); AstraZeneca (13)	Twice daily	5 μg subcutaneously twice daily within 60 minutes before meals; after 1 month, may increase to 10 μg subcutaneously twice daily based on clinical response	Yes	5-μg pen, 250 μg/mL (1.2 mL); 29-, 30-, or 31-gauge pen needles
Lixisenatide (Adlyxin); Sanofi (18)	Once daily	10 μg subcutaneously once daily within 1 hour before the first meal of the day; on day 15, increase to 20 μg once daily	Yes	50 μg/mL in 3-mL green prefilled pen (14 10-μg doses); 100 μg/mL in 3-mL burgundy pre-filled pen (14 20-μg doses)
Intermediate-acting
Liraglutide (Victoza); Novo Nordisk (14)	Once daily	0.6 mg subcutaneously once daily for 1 week, then increase to 1.2 mg once daily; if glycemic control not acceptable, can increase dose to 1.8 mg subcutaneously once daily	No	Multi-dose pen delivers 0.6, 1.2, or 1.8 mg, 6 mg/mL (3 mL); 32-gauge pen needles
Long-acting
Exenatide QW (Bydureon); AstraZeneca (15)	Once weekly	2 mg subcutaneously once weekly (every 7 days) with or without meals	No	Single-dose 2-mg vial and 2-mg pen (require reconstitution); 23-gauge 7-mm needles supplied with pen
Albiglutide (Tanzeum); GlaxoSmithKline (16)	Once weekly	30 mg subcutaneously once weekly; may increase to 50 mg subcutaneously once weekly for inadequate glycemic control	No	Single-dose 30- and 50-mg pens (require reconstitution for 15 [30 mg] to 30 [50 mg] minutes after mixing); 29-gauge, 5-mm, thin-wall needle supplied with pen
Dulaglutide (Trulicity); Eli Lilly (17)	Once weekly	0.75 mg subcutaneously once weekly; may increase to 1.5 mg subcutaneously once weekly for inadequate glycemic control	No	Single-dose pen or prefilled syringes: 0.75 mg/0.5 mL and 1.5 mg/0.5 mL; 29-gauge needle attached to pen