Trulicity vs. Victoza: What You Should Know

Trulicity contains the active ingredient dulaglutide. Victoza contains the active ingredient liraglutide.

Dulaglutide and liraglutide belong to the same drug class: glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists. (A drug class is a group of medications that work in a similar way.)

Trulicity and Victoza are both used to:

• lower blood sugar levels in adults and children ages 10 years and older with type 2 diabetes. Both drugs are approved for this use when used with diet and exercise.
• lower the risk of major cardiovascular problems (related to the heart or blood vessels), such as heart attack, stroke, or death from cardiovascular issues. Both drugs are approved for this use in adults who have both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Trulicity is also approved for this use in adults with type 2 diabetes and two or more CVD risk factors.

To learn more about these drugs, see the in-depth articles on Trulicity and Victoza.

Whether you have health insurance or not, price may be a factor when you’re considering these drugs. Visit Optum Perks* to get price estimates for Trulicity and Victoza when you use coupons from the site. It’s important to note that Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with any insurance copays or benefits.

Both are prescription biologic drugs. Biologic drugs are made from living cells.

Trulicity and Victoza are only available as brand-name drugs. Neither is available in biosimilar form. (Biosimilars are like generic drugs. But unlike generics, which are made for non-biologic drugs, biosimilars are made for biologic drugs.)

But keep in mind that what you’ll pay for either drug will depend on your treatment plan, your health insurance, and the pharmacy you use.

For other resources that might help you save on the price of these drugs, see the cost articles for Trulicity and Victoza.

* Optum Perks is a sister site of Healthline.

The short answer: Yes, it’s possible.

Details: Trulicity and Victoza are in the same drug class. This means that they work in similar ways. They’re also prescribed for similar uses. So, you may be able to switch from one of these drugs to the other.

But these drugs come in different strengths and differ in how often they’re used. Trulicity is used once per week, while Victoza is used once per day.

If your doctor approves the switch from one of these drugs to the other, you’ll start the new medication either the next day or the next week. This depends on which medication you were taking previously.

If you’re switching from Victoza to Trulicity, you’ll give your first Trulicity dose the day after you take your last Victoza dose. If you’re switching from Trulicity to Victoza, you’ll give your first Victoza dose 1 week after your last Trulicity dose.

Your doctor will determine what your dosage of the new drug should be based on your blood sugar level and your dosage of the previous drug.

Reminder: Do not switch drugs or stop your current treatment unless your doctor recommends it. If you have questions about changing your diabetes treatment, talk with your doctor.

Trulicity and Victoza aren’t approved for weight loss. But some people undergoing treatment with these drugs in studies of Trulicity and Victoza did lose weight. (Although, in certain studies of Victoza taken with other diabetes medications, some people lost weight while others gained weight.)

However, the prescription drug Saxenda (liraglutide), which has the same active drug as Victoza, is approved for weight loss in people with type 2 diabetes.

Saxenda cannot be taken with either Trulicity or Victoza. If you’re interested in learning more about Saxenda or other weight loss treatments, talk with your doctor.

Trulicity and Victoza both come as liquid solutions that are given with an injection pen:

• Trulicity comes as prefilled, single-use pens. You discard the pen and needle after each dose. You’ll give yourself a Trulicity dose once per week.
• Victoza comes as prefilled, multi-use pens. You reuse the same pen but replace the needle for each dose. You’ll give yourself a Victoza dose once per day.

Trulicity and Victoza come in different strengths. But in general, both drugs are started at a lower dosage that your doctor may increase each week until your blood sugar is managed or until you reach the maximum dosage.

Your doctor will determine your dosage based on your condition and other factors. As with any medication, you should not change your Trulicity or Victoza dosage unless your doctor tells you to.

To learn more about the dosages for all conditions these drugs treat/prevent, see the dosage articles for Trulicity and Victoza.

Like all drugs, Trulicity and Victoza may cause side effects. But most side effects of both drugs are mild. Some may be easily managed or go away on their own.

See the sections below to learn about some key side effects that are possible with Trulicity and Victoza. And for more information about possible side effects, see the side effect articles for Trulicity and Victoza.

Mild side effects

Trulicity and Victoza may cause mild side effects in some people. The chart below lists examples of mild side effects that can occur with these drugs.

* In rare cases, hypoglycemia from either Trulicity or Victoza can be serious. For more information, see Trulicity’s prescribing information and Victoza’s prescribing information.

This chart may not include all mild side effects. For more information on the mild side effects of these drugs, see the prescribing information for Trulicity and Victoza.

Serious side effects

In addition to the mild side effects described above, serious side effects may occur in some people using Trulicity or Victoza. The chart below lists the possible serious side effects of these drugs.

* If you have kidney problems, dehydration from other side effects (such as diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting) may make your kidney problems worse.
† Trulicity and Victoza both have a boxed warning for an increased risk of thyroid cancer. A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). To learn more, see the “What are the warnings of Trulicity and Victoza?” section below.

The sections below explain whether Trulicity or Victoza may be effective at treating your condition.

Effectiveness for improving blood sugar levels

Trulicity and Victoza are both used (along with diet and exercise) to lower blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes.

A study concluded that Trulicity and Victoza were similarly effective for treating type 2 diabetes. In the study, both drugs were used along with metformin (another diabetes drug).

Effectiveness for lowering cardiovascular risks

Trulicity and Victoza are also used in adults with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD)* to lower the risk of certain cardiovascular problems (related to the heart or blood vessels). Examples of these problems include heart attack, stroke, and death from a cardiovascular issue.

A large review of clinical studies compared Trulicity, Victoza, and other medications in the same drug class for this use. The study found that all the drugs reviewed, including Trulicity and Victoza, lowered the risk of cardiovascular problems, including death from cardiovascular issues.

If you’d like to learn more about how each drug performed in certain clinical studies, see the prescribing information for Trulicity and Victoza.

* Trulicity is also approved for this use in adults with type 2 diabetes and two or more CVD risk factors.

Trulicity or Victoza may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors that affect your health. Talk with your doctor about your health history before you take either drug.

Boxed warning: Thyroid cancer

Both Trulicity and Victoza have a boxed warning for the risk of thyroid cancer. A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It alerts doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous.

Both drugs have caused thyroid cancer in animals, but it’s unclear if these drugs increase this risk in humans. You shouldn’t use either drug if you have a rare condition called multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 or if you or a family member has ever had medullary thyroid cancer.

During treatment with either drug, tell your doctor right away if you experience symptoms of thyroid cancer, as you may need to stop treatment. Examples of these symptoms may include a lump in your neck, difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath, or a scratchy voice.

Other warnings

In addition to the boxed warning, Trulicity and Victoza have other warnings.

Before using Trulicity or Victoza, talk with your doctor if you have any of the following conditions or health factors.

• Warnings for both Trulicity and Victoza:
  • slow digestion or digestive problems
  • pancreatitis (swelling of the pancreas)
  • liver disease
  • kidney problems
  • severe allergic reaction
  • pregnancy
  • breastfeeding

• Warnings for Trulicity:
  • diabetic retinopathy (damaged blood vessels in your eye)

These lists may not contain all warnings for Trulicity and Victoza.

For more information about these drugs, see the in-depth articles on Trulicity and Victoza.

Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.