Victoza vs. Actos
See how Victoza and Actos compare on approved uses, dosing, side effects, and cost.
Key Takeaways
Victoza is a once-daily injectable GLP-1 that also lowers cardiovascular risk, while Actos is a once-daily pill without that added approval.
Actos costs far less out of pocket than Victoza but carries a boxed warning for heart failure that Victoza does not share.
Both drugs avoid causing low blood sugar on their own, but they differ sharply in how they are taken and in their most common side effects.
Victoza vs. Actos Drug Summary
Victoza
Victoza (liraglutide) is a GLP-1 receptor agonist used to improve blood sugar control in adults and children 10 and older with type 2 diabetes. It is also approved to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death in adults with heart disease. It comes as a once-daily injection that is titrated up over three weeks.
Actos
Actos (pioglitazone) is a thiazolidinedione taken as a once-daily pill to help control blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes, either alone or with other medications. It has been available since 1999 and now comes in an inexpensive generic form. Doctors sometimes prescribe it off-label for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Victoza vs. Actos Side Effects
Victoza
Actos
Victoza vs. Actos Dosage
Victoza
Actos
| STAGE | DOSE | WHEN |
| Starting dose | 0.6 mg once daily | Week 1 |
| Maximum dose | 1.8 mg once daily | Week 3 onward |
| Dose changes | 2 increases | Every week |
| STAGE | DOSE | WHEN |
| Starting dose | 15 mg once daily | At the start |
| Maximum dose | 45 mg once daily | If needed |
| Dose changes | 2 increases | As tolerated |
Victoza
| STAGE | DOSE | WHEN |
| Starting dose | 0.6 mg once daily | Week 1 |
| Maximum dose | 1.8 mg once daily | Week 3 onward |
| Dose changes | 2 increases | Every week |
Actos
| STAGE | DOSE | WHEN |
| Starting dose | 15 mg once daily | At the start |
| Maximum dose | 45 mg once daily | If needed |
| Dose changes | 2 increases | As tolerated |
Victoza vs. Actos Indications
Victoza
Victoza is FDA-approved to improve blood sugar control alongside diet and exercise in adults and children 10 and older with type 2 diabetes. It also carries an approval to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease. It is not approved for type 1 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes glycemic control in adults and children 10+
Reduces risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death
Used alongside diet and exercise
Not approved for type 1 diabetes
Actos
Actos is FDA-approved to control blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes, used alone or combined with other diabetes medications. It is not approved for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. Doctors sometimes prescribe it off-label for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Type 2 diabetes glycemic control in adults
Can be used as monotherapy or combination therapy
Off-label use for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Not approved for type 1 diabetes or DKA
Victoza vs. Actos Pros and Cons
Victoza
Victoza offers cardiovascular protection that few oral diabetes pills provide, but it requires daily self-injection and carries a thyroid tumor warning. Insurance coverage varies, and the list price is notably higher than many oral options like Actos.
Pros
Also lowers cardiovascular event risk in heart disease
Approved for children 10 and older with type 2 diabetes
Often causes meaningful weight loss as a side benefit
No boxed warning for heart failure, unlike Actos
Cons
Requires a daily injection rather than a pill
Boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumor risk
Carries risk of acute pancreatitis
Roughly $935 to $1,470 per month without insurance
Actos
Actos is a low-cost oral pill that has been available as a generic for years, making it accessible for many patients. Its boxed warning for heart failure and long-term bladder cancer risk mean it is not suitable for everyone, and it lacks the cardiovascular benefit data Victoza has.
Pros
Taken as a once-daily oral tablet, no injections
Available as an inexpensive generic
No boxed warning for thyroid tumors or pancreatitis
Roughly $588 to $700 per month without insurance
Cons
Boxed warning for causing or worsening heart failure
Increased risk of bladder cancer with long-term use
Increased fracture risk in women
No proven cardiovascular risk reduction
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