Victoza (Liraglutide)

Victoza (liraglutide) is a prescription medication used to treat Type 2 diabetes that’s part of a class of drugs known as GLP-1 agonists. It works by helping the pancreas make more insulin when a person eats, and it also slows the digestion of food.

In June 2019, the company received FDA approval to expand Victoza’s label to allow for its use in children and adolescents aged 10-17 with Type 2 diabetes. Researchers also studied the potential use of Victoza for Type 1 diabetes. However, as of March 2024, it hasn’t been approved for this indication.

Victoza is in the same GLP-1 class as the popular drugs, Ozempic (semaglutide) and Trulicity (dulaglutide). Novo Nordisk manufactures Ozempic and Victoza, while Eli Lilly manufactures Trulicity. Demand for Ozempic is high, and in November 2023, Novo Nordisk said it would cut production of Victoza and increase Ozempic production.

The drugs have similar gastrointestinal side effects, including reports of gastroparesis. Patients who took Ozempic have filed Ozempic lawsuits claiming Novo Nordisk failed to warn the public about the risk of gastroparesis, intestinal blockages and severe vomiting.

Victoza works in the pancreas, stomach and liver to help reduce blood sugar. It stimulates natural insulin production in the pancreas when a person eats. It slows the speed at which food leaves the stomach, which helps to prevent a rapid rise in blood sugar levels.

Lastly, it works to keep the liver from making excess sugar. Along with a healthy diet and exercise routine, the drug effectively reduces blood sugar.

How To Take Victoza

Victoza is available as an injectable pen. Patients administer Victoza once a day by injecting the prescription pen into their thigh, upper arm or stomach. Victoza can be taken any time of day and does not have to be taken with food.

The manufacturer recommends establishing a routine to help patients remember to inject the drug at the same time each day. Providers should instruct patients on how to use the Victoza pen. The prefilled 18 mg/3 mL pens can last up to 30 days, depending on the daily dosage (0.6 mg, 1.2 mg or 1.8 mg); however, unused medication should not be taken after 30 days of first use of the pen.
If patients are taking Victoza with insulin, they should inject each drug separately and never mix the two solutions.

How Effective Is Victoza for Blood Sugar Control?

Patients taking Victoza had favorable results regarding hemoglobin A1C, a measure of glucose concentration over three months. Victoza helped lower blood sugar in as short as two weeks. A two-year study found the levels remained down.

Victoza also helped lower fasting blood sugar, which is the blood sugar level when a patient has not eaten food, in people with Type 2 diabetes. A normal fasting blood sugar level is less than 100 mg/dL after not eating anything for at least eight hours. In people with Type 2 diabetes, these levels are much higher.

“Victoza 1.8 mg taken alone or in combination with other diabetes medications lowered A1C in adults by 1.0% to 1.5%, on average, in medical studies,” according to Novo Nordisk’s Victoza website.

Victoza isn’t approved for weight loss, but it can help Type 2 diabetes patients lose a modest amount of weight.

According to Novo Nordisk, when taking Victoza with metformin, patients in one study lost an average of 6.2 pounds with a dose of 1.2 mg after 26 weeks. Patients in this study using the higher dose of 1.8 mg lost an average of 7.4 pounds.

However, the FDA has approved liraglutide for weight loss in the form of Saxenda, which contains a higher dose than Victoza does.

In clinical trials for Victoza-related side effects, Novo Nordisk gathered data from 1,673 adult patients over five clinical trials. The average age of trial participants was 58 years, and the majority of participants were white males.

Trial participants took Victoza for about 37 weeks. The most common side effects occurred in 5% or more of the study participants. The occurrence of side effects increased with the highest dose of the drug.

Gastrointestinal problems, injection site reactions, and hypoglycemia also occurred in fewer than 5% of patients.

Though it is effective in controlling blood sugar, Victoza may be linked to dangerous side effects, including pancreatitis and thyroid cancer. The Victoza label also warns of the potential for serious hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), renal impairment and acute gallbladder disease.

When the drug was first approved, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) reported that the FDA’s clinical safety reviewer recommended against approving the drug because of its link to thyroid tumors in animal studies and an increased risk of pancreatitis.

Also, at the time there was a lack of sufficient studies to rule out an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, which the FDA now requires manufacturers to complete after a diabetes drug is approved.

Victoza might not be safe for everyone, and it has several contraindications. Patients with these contraindications should not use the drug.

The drug’s label and the FDA warn that people with a personal or family history of thyroid cancer or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 should not take Victoza. The label also cautions against its use in patients with certain conditions and warns about additional, more serious side effects.

You should tell your doctor about other medicines you take as well as certain medical conditions you may have before taking Victoza.