The study subjects were divided into three groups: 423 who received a daily 3.0-milligram dose of liraglutide; 211 given a 1.8-milligram dose; and 212 given a placebo.
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“Among overweight and obese participants with type 2 diabetes, use of subcutaneous liraglutide (3.0 mg) daily, compared with placebo, resulted in weight loss over 56 weeks”, the authors write. Until, now doctors were cautious and didn’t prescribe too much of the medicine to type 2 diabetes patients who were also affected by obesity.
According to the new study involving over 800 participants, liraglutide, which has been already approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, can aid in weight loss.
Not only is obesity and overweightness a significant risk factor of eventually developing diabetes, but individuals with diabetes face an even more uphill climb in losing weight compared to those without diabetes – though it should be noted that long-term weight loss in general is very hard. Weight loss has also been observed with liraglutide at these doses, according to background information in the article.
The study, which was published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, examined 846 overweight to obese patients who had diabetes. The study was conducted at 126 sites in 9 countries between June 2011 and January 2013. This was in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity.
For the study, liraglutide – a drug produced by Novo Norodisk – was placed in a 56-week trial that included both the low dosage of 1.8 mg and high dosage of 3 mg. Patients were randomized to receive once-daily subcutaneous liraglutide 3 mg, liraglutide 1.8 mg, or placebo, in addition to a reduced-calorie diet and exercise. Inclusion criteria were body mass index of 27.0 or greater, age 18 years or older, taking 0 to 3 oral hypoglycemic agents (metformin, thiazolidinedione, sulfonylurea) with stable body weight, and glycated hemoglobin level 7.0% to 10.0%.
“To our knowledge, this is the first study specifically designed to investigate the efficacy of liraglutide for weight management in patients with type 2 diabetes and also the first study to investigate liraglutide at the higher 3.0-mg dose in a population with type 2 diabetes”, the authors write. Weight loss of 5 percent or greater occurred in 54.3 percent with liraglutide (3.0 mg) and 40.4 percent with liraglutide (1.8 mg) vs 21.4 percent with placebo.
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Liraglutide is the scientific for the drug manufactured under the label Victoza.
