An evaluation of liraglutide including its efficacy and safety for the treatment of obesity

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide and associated conditions, particularly type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), also show increasing prevalence. Lifestyle intervention should be the first line of management for obesity but additional pharmacotherapy is often required and bariatric surgery is appropriate in more severe cases. Drugs acting as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) developed for the management of T2DM reduce body weight and liraglutide is the first GLP-1RA to be approved for the treatment of obesity in patients with and without T2DM.

Areas covered: In this review of relevant published material, the authors summarize the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, clinical efficacy and safety of liraglutide for the treatment of obesity.

Expert opinion: Liraglutide effectively reduces body weight and body fat through mechanisms involving reduced appetite and lowered energy intake, independent of its glucose-lowering effects. Like most of the other medications currently available for obesity, liraglutide has some common adverse effects, although generally not serious ones. Liraglutide has additional benefits in reducing cardiovascular events in patients with T2DM but the cost and the need for daily injections may limit its use in obesity. Newer GLP-1RAs, such as semaglutide, or other drugs in development for obesity may have advantages over liraglutide.

KEYWORDS:

• GLP-1 receptor agonist
• liraglutide
• obesity
• semaglutide
• type 2 diabetes mellitus

Article highlights

• Liraglutide in subcutaneous doses of 3 mg daily reduces body weight by about 4 to 6 kg more than placebo.

• It is effective in overweight and obese patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus.

• It reduces appetite and calorie intake and weight loss is accompanied by improvements in blood pressure and blood lipids.

• The most common adverse effect is nausea which can be abated by starting with a low-dose and gradually increasing the dosage and serious adverse effects are uncommon.

• Liraglutide provides a useful alternative to current antiobesity pharmacotherapy.

This box summarizes key points contained in the article.

Box 1. Drug Summary Box

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Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

One referee has received lecture fees and for advisory board participation from Novo Nordisk, the maker of Liraglutide. Another referee also declares to having served as a speaker for Novo Nordisk. A third referee declares having served on a scientific advisory board on obesity for Novo Nordisk. Their institution has also received grant support, on their behalf, for conducting clinical trials on liraglutide. Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no other relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This manuscript has not been funded.