Efficacy and Safety of Basal Insulin/GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Used in Combination for Type 2 Diabetes Management.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to review the efficacy, safety, and place in therapy of insulin degludec/liraglutide (IDegLira) and insulin glargine/lixisenatide (IGlarLixi) in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Summary: Type 2 diabetes is a condition affecting nearly 30 million American adults. Management of type 2 diabetes is complex and multifactorial. Using medications targeted at a variety of the physiologic defects known to contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes allows for a patient-specific approach to care. Utilizing combination products is a way to target several areas of the disease while decreasing the complexity and burden to the patient. Basal insulin/glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist combination products have the benefit of being highly efficacious while having favorable effects on weight, reduced gastrointestinal adverse effects, and low hypoglycemic risks compared to the individual agents used alone.

Conclusion: This article will review 2 basal insulin/GLP-1 agonist combination products, IDegLira and IGlarLixi, which were approved in November 2016.