Dulaglutide vs Liraglutide
Two first-generation GLP-1s that were compared directly in AWARD-6: once-weekly convenience against a slightly larger weight effect and an obesity indication.
Dulaglutide
Trulicity
A once-weekly GLP-1 approved for diabetes with a proven CV benefit (REWIND), but only modest weight loss — it is not an obesity drug, and weight-seekers are steered to semaglutide/tirzepatide.
Full Dulaglutide evidence reviewLiraglutide
Saxenda / Victoza
The first-gen daily GLP-1: ~8% weight loss in SCALE plus a proven CV benefit (LEADER) — real, but modest and now eclipsed by weekly semaglutide and tirzepatide.
Full Liraglutide evidence reviewSide by side
| Dulaglutide | Liraglutide | |
|---|---|---|
| Marketed for | Type-2 diabetes | Obesity, type-2 diabetes |
| Evidence grade | FDA-approved | FDA-approved |
| Family | GLP-1 / incretin | GLP-1 / incretin |
| Regulatory status | FDA-approved | FDA-approved |
| How it's obtained | Rx product | Rx product |
| Key human source | REWIND, Lancet 2019 | SCALE Obesity, NEJM 2015 |
marks a row where the two differ. Evidence grades come from our evidence matrix, which grades each molecule on the human data for the use it is marketed for.
Our verdict
This is one of the rare pairs with a true head-to-head. In AWARD-6, once-weekly dulaglutide 1.5 mg lowered HbA1c by about 1.4 percentage points and was non-inferior to once-daily liraglutide 1.8 mg, with slightly less weight loss, roughly 2.9 kg versus about 3.6 kg. Both have proven cardiovascular benefit in their own outcomes trials, REWIND for dulaglutide (hazard ratio 0.88) and LEADER for liraglutide (hazard ratio 0.87). Only liraglutide is also approved for chronic weight management, at the higher 3.0 mg Saxenda dose, and neither is in the same class as the newer weight-specific agents.
Dulaglutide fits if
Blood-sugar control and cardiovascular risk are the target, and you want the once-weekly injection with largely primary-prevention outcomes data.
Liraglutide fits if
You need a GLP-1 with a weight-management indication, fine daily dose adjustment, or the adolescent obesity evidence from SCALE Teens.