Victoza vs. Trulicity

See how Victoza and Trulicity compare on approved uses, dosing, side effects, and cost.

Key Takeaways

  • Victoza is injected once daily while Trulicity is injected once a week, so the two drugs differ mainly in dosing frequency rather than overall effectiveness.

  • Both drugs are GLP-1 receptor agonists approved for type 2 diabetes and for reducing cardiovascular risk in adults with existing heart disease.

  • Trulicity causes nausea in up to 21.1% of patients, a higher rate than the roughly 5% or more seen with Victoza's most common side effects.

Victoza vs. Trulicity Drug Summary

Victoza

Victoza (liraglutide) is a GLP-1 receptor agonist used with diet and exercise to help adults and children 10 and older with type 2 diabetes manage blood sugar. It is also approved to lower the risk of major cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes and existing heart disease. It is injected once daily under the skin, with a three-week dose titration.

Trulicity

Trulicity (dulaglutide) is a GLP-1 receptor agonist used with diet and exercise to control blood sugar in adults and children 10 and older with type 2 diabetes. It also carries an approval to reduce major cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes who have heart disease or multiple risk factors. It comes as a once-weekly injection in a prefilled pen, with up to four dose levels.

Victoza vs. Trulicity Side Effects

Victoza

Most common
Diarrhea (up to 11.7%)
Vomiting (≥5%)
Nausea (≥5%)
Decreased appetite (≥5%)

Trulicity

Most common
Diarrhea (up to 13%)
Vomiting (up to 13%)
Nausea (up to 21.1%)
Abdominal pain (up to 13%)

Victoza vs. Trulicity Dosage

Victoza

Dosage
Dosage Table
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

Trulicity

Dosage
Dosage Table
STAGE DOSE WHEN
Starting dose 0.75 mg once weekly Weeks 1-4
Maximum dose 4.5 mg once weekly If needed
Dose changes 3 increases Every 4 weeks

Victoza vs. Trulicity Indications

Victoza

Victoza is approved to improve blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes alongside diet and exercise, including in children as young as 10. It also carries an approval for reducing major cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes and existing heart disease. It is not approved for type 1 diabetes.

  • Adjunct to diet and exercise for type 2 diabetes

  • Reduces major cardiovascular events in adults with heart disease

  • Approved for children 10 years and older

  • Not approved for type 1 diabetes

Trulicity

Trulicity is approved to control blood sugar in type 2 diabetes alongside diet and exercise, including in children 10 and older. It also reduces major cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes who have existing heart disease or multiple risk factors. Some clinicians prescribe it off-label for weight loss in people without diabetes.

  • Adjunct to diet and exercise for type 2 diabetes

  • Reduces cardiovascular events in high-risk adults

  • Approved for children 10 years and older

  • Off-label use for weight loss without diabetes

Victoza vs. Trulicity Pros and Cons

Victoza

Victoza has over a decade of real-world use and a well-established safety profile, including data supporting its higher-dose sibling Saxenda for weight management. Daily dosing allows for gradual, closely monitored titration, though it requires more frequent injections than weekly alternatives.

Pros

  • Long-established safety record since 2010

  • Also the basis for Saxenda, a related weight-loss drug

  • Three-step titration allows gradual dose adjustment

Cons

  • Requires a daily injection rather than weekly

  • Diarrhea can reach up to 11.7% with combination therapy

  • More frequent dosing decisions for patients and caregivers

Trulicity

Trulicity's once-weekly injection and prefilled pen make it simpler for many patients to fit into their routine. It offers four dose strengths for flexible long-term titration, though nausea is reported more often than with some other GLP-1 options and no generic version currently exists.

Pros

  • Once-weekly dosing may improve adherence

  • Four dose strengths allow more titration flexibility

  • Prefilled pen simplifies injection technique

Cons

  • Nausea reported in up to 21.1% of patients

  • No generic version currently available

  • Weight-loss use in non-diabetics is off-label

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