What is the purpose of Trulicity (dulaglutide)?

From the Guidelines

Trulicity (dulaglutide) is primarily used to treat type 2 diabetes and has been shown to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events and slow the decline of kidney function in patients with chronic kidney disease, as evidenced by recent studies such as the one published in Kidney International in 2022 1. The medication belongs to a class of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists, which mimic the action of the naturally occurring hormone GLP-1 to stimulate insulin release, slow stomach emptying, reduce glucose release by the liver, and decrease appetite. Some key benefits of Trulicity include:

• Reducing albuminuria and slowing eGFR decline in patients with chronic kidney disease, as shown in cardiovascular outcomes trials and a clinical trial for glycemic efficacy and safety in patients with T2D and eGFR 15–59 ml/min/1.73 m2 1
• Reducing the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with type 2 diabetes, with a significantly greater reduction in MACE risk for those with eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 compared to those with eGFR ≥60 ml/min/1.73 m2 1
• Providing similar glycemic control to insulin glargine but resulting in significantly slower GFR decline in patients with moderate-to-severe CKD (CKD stages G3 and G4) 1 Common side effects of Trulicity include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, which often improve over time as the body adjusts to the medication. It's worth noting that GLP-1 receptor agonists, including Trulicity, do not cause hypoglycemia per se, but when used with insulin or insulin secretagogues, doses of these drugs may be reduced to avoid hypoglycemia, and in moderate-to-severe CKD (CKD stages G3 and G4), rates of hypoglycemia are reduced by one-half even with concurrent insulin therapy 1.

From the FDA Drug Label

TRULICITY is an injectable prescription medicine that is used: along with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar (glucose) in adults and children 10 years of age and older with type 2 diabetes mellitus. to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack, or stroke in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus with known heart disease or multiple cardiovascular risk factors

The primary purpose of Trulicity is to:

• Improve blood sugar control in adults and children 10 years of age and older with type 2 diabetes mellitus, when used along with diet and exercise.
• Reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack, or stroke in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus who have established cardiovascular disease or multiple cardiovascular risk factors 2.

From the Research

Trulicity Purpose

The purpose of Trulicity (dulaglutide) is to treat type 2 diabetes in adults as an adjunct to diet and exercise.

• It is a once-weekly subcutaneously administered glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist 3, 4, 5.
• Trulicity is used to improve glycemic control, with benefits including:
  • Improving glycated hemoglobin levels from baseline at 26 or 52 weeks 3, 4.
  • Reducing body weight, with consistent reductions from baseline in body weight seen with the 1.5 mg once weekly dose 3.
• Trulicity has also been shown to have beneficial effects on cardiovascular outcomes, including:
  • Reducing the risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in patients with type 2 diabetes with or without cardiovascular disease 4.
  • Reducing the incidence of hospitalization for heart failure and all-cause mortality 6.
• The medication is generally well tolerated, with a low inherent risk of hypoglycemia, and the most frequently reported adverse events are gastrointestinal-related 3, 4.