Daily Medication Pearl: Dulaglutide (Trulicity) for Diabetes

Medication Pearl of the Day: Dulaglutide (Trulicity)

Indication: Dulaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus who have established CV disease or multiple CV risk factors.

Insight:

• Dosing: Initiate at 0.75 mg subcutaneously once weekly. Increase the dose to 1.5 mg once weekly for additional glycemic control.
• Dosage form: Injection: 0.75 mg/0.5 mL solution in a single-dose pen. Injection 1.5 mg/0.5 mL solution in a single-dose pen. Injection 3 mg/0.5 mL solution in a single-dose pen. Injection 4.5 mg/0.5 mL solution in a single-dose pen.
• Adverse events (AEs): The most common AEs reported in ≥5% of patients treated with dulaglutide are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and decreased appetite.
• Mechanism of action: The primary mechanism of action of dulaglutide, as an incretin mimetic hormone or an analogue of human GLP-1, is to increase insulin secretion when glucose levels are elevated, decrease glucagon secretion, and delay gastric emptying to lower postprandial glucose level.
• Manufacturer: Eli Lilly

Sources:

• Full prescribing information for TRULICITY.TRULICITY (dulaglutide) injection, for subcutaneous useInitial U.S. Approval: 2014 (lilly.com)
• Treating Patients with Type 2 Diabetes | HCP | Trulicity (dulaglutide)