A new drug called liraglutide, brand name Victoza, for people with type 2 diabetes is to be launched in Britain this summer according to a report by PharmaTimes.
The European Commission has granted marketing authorisation for liraglutide for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in combination with metformin and/or a sulphonylurea, or in combination with metformin and a thiazolidinedione, in patients who achieve insufficient glycaemic control with specified prior therapies.
The product will be launched in the UK, Germany and Denmark during the summer.
The drug is made by Novo Nordisk and is a once a day injection which works to stimulate insulin when blood sugar levels rise too high and can be taken irrespective of meals. Victoza is from the family of drugs known as the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) group which work by making insulin work more efficiently in the body.
The GLP-1 like drug has the ability to not only increase insulin production in response to a meal and but also slow the rate at which the stomach empties. This can make you feel fuller for longer and therefore can aid weight loss.
Research has also shown that the drug can have a positive effect on blood pressure levels.