New Diabetes Drugs Have Different Advantages, Study Says

By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- A head-to-head comparison of two new type 2 diabetes drugs produced mixed results.

In the study, liraglutide (Victoza) was somewhat better than the other drug, exenatide (Bydureon), in lowering blood sugar and weight, but Bydureon was associated with fewer side effects, researchers said.

Victoza is injected daily by patients and Bydureon is injected weekly. Both drugs are classified as "glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists."

"These treatments are very powerful blood sugar-lowering agents that don't cause [too-low] blood sugar and are associated with weight loss," said lead researcher Dr. John Buse, a professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "That's a unique profile for a diabetes drug."

Patients can choose between them, Buse said. A lot depends on what the person is comfortable with. "You lay this all out for patients and help them decide," he said.

"The big frontier for patients with a chronic disease like diabetes is adherence to treatment: Patients developing a plan and sticking with a plan in managing their disease," Buse explained.

This study provides information for patients and doctors to use in coming up with a plan based on the effectiveness of the drugs, their side effects and how often they are injected, Buse noted.

The study, published online Nov. 7 in The Lancet, was funded by Eli Lilly and Amylin Pharmaceuticals, the makers of Bydureon.

For the study, researchers randomly assigned more than 900 patients to receive daily injections of Victoza, or weekly injections of Bydureon.

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New Diabetes Drugs Have Different Advantages, Study Says