Liraglutide

Overview
Liraglutide or (NN2211) is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analog that is being developed by Novo Nordisk under the brand-name "Victoza" for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Pharmacodynamics
Studies to date suggest liraglutide improves control of blood glucose.

It reduces meal-related hyperglycaemia (for 12 hours after administration) by increasing insulin secretion, delaying gastric emptying, and suppressing prandial glucagon secretion.

Liraglutide may have advantages over current therapies:


 * It acts in a glucose-dependent manner, meaning that it will stimulate insulin secretion only when blood glucose levels are higher than normal. Consequently, it shows negligible risk of hypoglycemia.
 * It has the potential for inhibiting apoptosis and stimulating regeneration of beta cells (seen in animal studies).
 * It decreases appetite and maintains body weight, as shown in a head-to-head study versus glimepiride.
 * It lowers blood triglyceride levels.
 * It has only mild and transient side effects, mainly gastrointestinal.

Pharmacokinetics
Liraglutide is a once-daily GLP-1 derivative for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. GLP-1, in its natural form, is short-lived in the body (the half-life after subcutaneous injection is approximately one hour), so it is not very useful as a therapeutic agent. However, liraglutide has a half-life after subcutaneous injection of 11–15 hours, making it suitable for once-daily dosing (in contrast to Byetta's twice daily).

The prolonged action of liraglutide is achieved by attaching a fatty acid molecule at one position of the GLP-1 molecule, enabling it to bind to albumin within the subcutaneous tissue and bloodstream. The active GLP-1 is then released from albumin at a slow, consistent rate. Binding with albumin also results in slower degradation and reduced elimination of liraglutide from the circulation by the kidneys compared to GLP-1.