Description
Trulicity (Dulaglutide) 0.75 mg/0.5 ml
Trulicity is a prescription medicine containing dulaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It is supplied as a pre-filled pen for subcutaneous use and is used to improve blood glucose control in type 2 diabetes. Established regulatory information describes its use as part of a broader diabetes management plan that includes diet and exercise.
Active Ingredient and Medicine Class
The active ingredient is dulaglutide. It belongs to the GLP-1 receptor agonist class, also called incretin-based glucose-lowering medicines. This class is used to help lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes and is distinct from insulin.
Established Medical Uses
Trulicity is indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Regulatory sources describe its use as monotherapy when metformin is not suitable, or as add-on treatment with other glucose-lowering medicines. In some jurisdictions, the indication also extends to paediatric patients aged 10 years and older with type 2 diabetes. The exact approved use can vary by country.
How It Works
Dulaglutide mimics the action of natural GLP-1. It increases insulin release in response to food, reduces glucagon secretion when glucose is elevated, and slows gastric emptying. These effects can help lower post-meal and overall blood glucose. As with other GLP-1 receptor agonists, its glucose-lowering effect is largely glucose-dependent, which helps explain the generally low risk of hypoglycaemia when it is used alone.
Important Safety Information
Trulicity carries an important warning about the risk of thyroid C-cell tumours and is contraindicated in people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or with multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. It should not be used in patients with a serious hypersensitivity reaction to dulaglutide or any component of the product.
Important precautions include acute pancreatitis, severe gastrointestinal adverse reactions, possible acute kidney injury related to dehydration, and diabetic retinopathy complications reported in clinical outcomes research. It is not recommended in patients with severe gastroparesis. Trulicity may also interact with oral medicines because it slows gastric emptying and can affect absorption.
Hypoglycaemia becomes more likely when dulaglutide is used with insulin or sulfonylureas. Careful clinical review is especially important when it is combined with other glucose-lowering therapies.
Possible Side Effects
The most commonly reported adverse effects are nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and decreased appetite. These reactions are often gastrointestinal in nature and may be dose-related.
More serious but less common reactions include pancreatitis, significant gastrointestinal intolerance, severe allergic reactions, gallbladder problems, dehydration-related kidney injury, and hypoglycaemia when used with insulin or insulin secretagogues. Vision changes may occur in people with a history of diabetic retinopathy.
Scientific Evidence
Clinical trial and review literature supports dulaglutide as an effective glucose-lowering option for adults with type 2 diabetes. Reviews of the AWARD phase 3 programme found meaningful reductions in HbA1c, with associated weight loss or attenuation of weight gain and generally low rates of hypoglycaemia when used without secretagogues. A meta-analysis of randomised trials also reported improvements in HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose, with an overall safety profile consistent with the GLP-1 receptor agonist class.
Longer-term evidence from cardiovascular outcomes research suggests that dulaglutide may provide cardiovascular benefit in appropriate patients with type 2 diabetes, although individual treatment decisions depend on the full clinical picture and local prescribing information.
Medical Information Notice
This page is an educational summary based on sources available at the time of review. It does not replace the official patient leaflet, the approved product information, or individual assessment by a qualified healthcare professional.
Medical Sources
- European Medicines Agency (EMA). Trulicity: EPAR – Medicine overview. View official medicine overview
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Trulicity (dulaglutide) injection, for subcutaneous use — Prescribing Information. View official prescribing information
- Lesley J. Scott. Dulaglutide: A Review in Type 2 Diabetes. Drugs, 2020. View scientific article
- Johan Jendle et al. Efficacy and safety of dulaglutide in the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a comprehensive review of the dulaglutide clinical data focusing on the AWARD phase 3 clinical trial program. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2016. View scientific article
- Lin Zhang et al. Efficacy and safety of dulaglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Scientific Reports, 2016. View scientific article
