Liraglutide helps control blood glucose and weight

A once-daily human GLP-1 analogue liraglutide, the most important product in development for Novo Nordisk, worked better than a competing product at lowering blood sugar and triggering weight loss after two years of treatment, a company-sponsored study showed.

Hypoglycemia was also less likely on liraglutide, and patients lost about 2.7 kg on the treatment. Those on the competing product, the generic drug glimepiride, gained about 0.9 kg, according to the study presented June 7 at the American Diabetes Association conference in New Orleans. Meanwhile, 58% of patients in the study taking liraglutide maintained recommended blood glucose targets, compared with 37% in a group who took the older product.