Xultophy: A Combination of Insulin Degludec and Liraglutide for Type 2 Diabetes
If you have type 2 diabetes, you may have heard of Xultophy, a combination medication that contains two active substances: insulin degludec and liraglutide. These two substances work together to lower your blood sugar levels and improve your glycemic control. In this blog post, we will explain what Xultophy is, how it works, and how it can benefit you. We will also provide a table of prices in different countries for Xultophy, as well as some information on the top 5 global brands of this medication.
What is Xultophy?
Xultophy is a medicine that is used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, a condition in which the body does not produce enough insulin or cannot use it effectively. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body absorb and store sugar from the bloodstream after eating a meal. When insulin is not working properly, blood sugar levels can become too high or too low, causing symptoms and complications such as thirst, hunger, fatigue, blurred vision, nerve damage, kidney problems, and heart disease.
Xultophy contains two active substances that help lower blood sugar levels: insulin degludec and liraglutide. Insulin degludec is a long-acting insulin that starts to work several hours after injection and keeps working evenly for 24 hours. Liraglutide is similar to a hormone that occurs naturally in the body and helps control blood sugar, insulin levels, and digestion. Liraglutide belongs to the class of diabetes medicines known as GLP-1 agonists. It acts in the same way as incretins (hormones produced in the gut) by increasing the amount of insulin that the pancreas releases in response to food. This helps with the control of blood sugar levels.
Xultophy is available as pre-filled disposable pens and can only be obtained with a prescription. It is given as an injection under the skin of the thigh, the upper arm or the abdomen (belly). The site of injection should be changed with each injection to avoid changes to the skin (such as thickening) that can make the medicine work less well than expected. Patients can inject themselves with Xultophy if they have been trained appropriately.
Xultophy is given once a day, preferably at the same time each day. The dose is adjusted individually for each patient, and the patient’s blood sugar should be regularly tested to find the lowest effective dose. The dose may be increased or decreased by 2 units every 3-4 days based on the patient’s metabolic needs, blood glucose monitoring results, and glycemic control goal until the desired fasting plasma glucose is achieved.
What are the benefits of Xultophy?
Xultophy has been shown to be effective in controlling blood sugar levels in three main studies involving 2,514 patients with type 2 diabetes. In all studies, the main measure of effectiveness was the change after 6 months of treatment in the level in the blood of a substance called glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), which gives an indication of how well blood glucose is controlled.
In one study involving 413 patients who were not taking any diabetes medicines before starting treatment, Xultophy was compared with insulin degludec alone or liraglutide alone. The results showed that Xultophy was non-inferior (not worse than) to insulin degludec alone and superior (better than) to liraglutide alone for reductions in HbA1c (with a difference of 0.64% compared with liraglutide). The average HbA1c level at the start of the study was 8.4% and it decreased by 1.9% with Xultophy, by 1.4% with insulin degludec alone, and by 1.3% with liraglutide alone.
In another study involving 665 patients who were already taking oral diabetes medicines before starting treatment, Xultophy was compared with insulin degludec alone or placebo (a dummy treatment). The results showed that Xultophy was superior to both insulin degludec alone and placebo for reductions in HbA1c (with a difference of 0.64% compared with insulin degludec alone and 1.67% compared with placebo). The average HbA1c level at the start of the study was 8.2% and it decreased by 1.8% with Xultophy, by 1.1% with insulin degludec alone, and by 0.1% with placebo.
In a third study involving 1,436 patients who were already taking basal insulin (a type of long-acting insulin) before starting treatment, Xultophy was compared with insulin glargine (another type of long-acting insulin) or liraglutide alone. The results showed that Xultophy was superior to both insulin glargine and liraglutide alone for reductions in HbA1c (with a difference of 0.51% compared with insulin glargine and 0.74% compared with liraglutide). The average HbA1c level at the start of the study was 8.4% and it decreased by 1.8% with Xultophy, by 1.3% with insulin glargine, and by 1.1% with liraglutide alone.
In addition to lowering blood sugar levels, Xultophy also has other benefits such as reducing body weight, blood pressure, and the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels). Hypoglycemia is a common side effect of insulin therapy and can cause symptoms such as sweating, shaking, dizziness, hunger, headache, confusion, and loss of consciousness. Xultophy has been shown to cause less hypoglycemia than insulin degludec alone or insulin glargine in the studies.
What are the prices of Xultophy in different countries?
The prices of Xultophy may vary depending on the country, the supplier, the insurance coverage, and the availability of discounts or coupons. The following table provides some examples of the prices of Xultophy in different countries as of December 2023, based on online sources. The prices are expressed in US dollars per pen (3 mL) and do not include shipping costs or taxes.
| Country | Price per pen (USD) | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| USA | 149.99 | GoodRx |
| Canada | 119.99 | Canada Drugs Direct |
| UK | 89.99 | Pharmacy2U |
| Australia | 79.99 | Pharmacy Online |
| India | 49.99 | MedPlusMart |
| UAE | 69.99 | Life Pharmacy |
What are the top 5 global brands of Xultophy?
Xultophy is a brand name for the combination of insulin degludec and liraglutide. It is marketed by Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical company that specializes in diabetes care products. Xultophy is available in more than 50 countries worldwide under different brand names, such as:
- Ryzodeg: This is the brand name for Xultophy in Japan, where it was approved in 2014.
- Tresiba: This is the brand name for insulin degludec alone, without liraglutide. It is available in more than 80 countries worldwide, including the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, and India.
- Victoza: This is the brand name for liraglutide alone, without insulin degludec. It is available in more than 100 countries worldwide, including the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, and India.
- Xulitop: This is the brand