Liraglutide

Liraglutide
NMR structure of liraglutide. PDB entry 4apd
Clinical data
Trade namesVictoza, others
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
MedlinePlusa611003
License data
Pregnancy
category
  • AU: B3
Routes of
administration
Subcutaneous
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
Identifiers
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.241.015
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC172H265N43O51
Molar mass3751.262 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
  • CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)N[C@@H](CCC(=O)NCCCC[C@H](NC(=O)[C@H](C)NC(=O)[C@H](C)NC(=O)[C@H](CCC(N)=O)NC(=O)CNC(=O)[C@H](CCC(O)=O)NC(=O)[C@H](CC(C)C)NC(=O)[C@H](CC1=CC=C(O)C=C1)NC(=O)[C@H](CO)NC(=O)[C@H](CO)NC(=O)[C@@H](NC(=O)[C@H](CC(O)=O)NC(=O)[C@H](CO)NC(=O)[C@@H](NC(=O)[C@H](CC1=CC=CC=C1)NC(=O)[C@@H](NC(=O)CNC(=O)[C@H](CCC(O)=O)NC(=O)[C@H](C)NC(=O)[C@@H](N)CC1=CN=CN1)[C@@H](C)O)[C@@H](C)O)C(C)C)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCC(O)=O)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC1=CC=CC=C1)C(=O)N[C@@H]([C@@H](C)CC)C(=O)N[C@@H](C)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC1=CNC2=CC=CC=C12)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)N[C@@H](C(C)C)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCCNC(N)=N)C(=O)NCC(=O)N[C@@H](CCCNC(N)=N)C(=O)NCC(O)=O)C(O)=O
  • InChI=1S/C172H265N43O51/c1-18-20-21-22-23-24-25-26-27-28-29-30-37-53-128(223)193-112(59-64-132(227)228)148(244)180-68-41-40-50-111(154(250)199-116(62-67-135(233)234)155(251)204-120(73-100-44-33-31-34-45-100)160(256)214-140(93(11)19-2)168(264)192-97(15)146(242)201-122(76-103-79-183-108-49-39-38-48-106(103)108)158(254)203-118(72-90(5)6)159(255)212-138(91(7)8)166(262)200-110(52-43-70-182-172(177)178)150(246)184-81-129(224)194-109(51-42-69-181-171(175)176)149(245)187-84-137(237)238)196-144(240)95(13)189-143(239)94(12)191-153(249)115(58-63-127(174)222)195-130(225)82-185-152(248)114(61-66-134(231)232)198-156(252)117(71-89(3)4)202-157(253)119(75-102-54-56-105(221)57-55-102)205-163(259)124(85-216)208-165(261)126(87-218)209-167(263)139(92(9)10)213-162(258)123(78-136(235)236)206-164(260)125(86-217)210-170(266)142(99(17)220)215-161(257)121(74-101-46-35-32-36-47-101)207-169(265)141(98(16)219)211-131(226)83-186-151(247)113(60-65-133(229)230)197-145(241)96(14)190-147(243)107(173)77-104-80-179-88-188-104/h31-36,38-39,44-49,54-57,79-80,88-99,107,109-126,138-142,183,216-221H,18-30,37,40-43,50-53,58-78,81-87,173H2,1-17H3,(H2,174,222)(H,179,188)(H,180,244)(H,184,246)(H,185,248)(H,186,247)(H,187,245)(H,189,239)(H,190,243)(H,191,249)(H,192,264)(H,193,223)(H,194,224)(H,195,225)(H,196,240)(H,197,241)(H,198,252)(H,199,250)(H,200,262)(H,201,242)(H,202,253)(H,203,254)(H,204,251)(H,205,259)(H,206,260)(H,207,265)(H,208,261)(H,209,263)(H,210,266)(H,211,226)(H,212,255)(H,213,258)(H,214,256)(H,215,257)(H,227,228)(H,229,230)(H,231,232)(H,233,234)(H,235,236)(H,237,238)(H4,175,176,181)(H4,177,178,182)/t93-,94-,95-,96-,97-,98+,99+,107-,109-,110-,111-,112-,113-,114-,115-,116-,117-,118-,119-,120-,121-,122-,123-,124-,125-,126-,138-,139-,140-,141-,142-/m0/s1
  • Key:KAIWQAZASNVPLR-QCIJIYAXSA-N

Liraglutide, sold under the brand name Victoza among others, is an anti-diabetic medication used to treat type 2 diabetes, and chronic obesity. It is a second-line therapy for diabetes following first-line therapy with metformin. Its effects on long-term health outcomes like heart disease and life expectancy are unclear. It is given by injection under the skin.

Liraglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 receptor agonist) also known as incretin mimetics. It works by increasing insulin release from the pancreas and decreases excessive glucagon release.

Common side effects include low blood sugar, nausea, dizziness, abdominal pain, and pain at the site of injection. Gastrointestinal side-effects tend to be strongest at the beginning of treatment period and subside over time. Other serious side effects may include angioedema, pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, and kidney problems. Use in pregnancy and breastfeeding is of unclear safety.

A boxed warning in the US FDA prescription label cautions that medullary thyroid cancers have been observed in rats treated with liraglutide, but it is "Unknown whether liraglutide causes thyroid C-cell tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma, in humans, as relevance to humans of such tumors in rodents has not been determined."

Liraglutide was approved for medical use in the European Union in 2009, and in the United States in 2010. It is available as a generic medication. In 2022, it was the 139th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 4 million prescriptions.