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Peptide

Dulaglutide (Trulicity)

Dulaglutide (Trulicity) is a GLP-1 receptor agonist peptide approved by the FDA for type 2 diabetes. It is a fusion protein consisting of two GLP-1 analogs covalently linked to a modified human IgG4-Fc heavy chain, enabling once-weekly dosing. The AWARD clinical trial program demonstrated efficacy for glycemic control, and the REWIND trial showed cardiovascular benefits in a broad population with T2DM.

Research notice. This page is for education and research. Peptides may not be FDA-approved for human use and may only be legally available for research. Talk to a qualified clinician before considering any peptide.

Best evidence
Grade A
Conditions studied
2
Outcomes
18
Graded outcomes
8343

Evidence by condition

  • Strong
  • Moderate
  • Limited
  • Very limited

2 conditions, plus general outcomes

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes: outcomes studied for Dulaglutide (Trulicity)
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Glycemic Control (HbA1c <7%)

AWARD trials showed higher proportions reaching HbA1c <7% and ≤6.5% vs comparators including sitagliptin, exenatide, and insulin glargine.

Changes; see studiesLarge effect17 studies

Studies that measured glycemic control (hba1c <7%)

and 7 more in the citations list

Fasting Plasma Glucose

AWARD trials showed significant reductions in fasting plasma glucose across all studies vs comparators.

Improves (the measure goes down)Large effect16 studies

Studies that measured fasting plasma glucose

and 6 more in the citations list

Postprandial Glucose

AWARD-CHN2 analysis showed dulaglutide reduces both fasting and postprandial glucose components of HbA1c.

Improves (the measure goes down)Moderate effect16 studies

Studies that measured postprandial glucose

and 6 more in the citations list

HbA1c Reduction

AWARD trials showed HbA1c reductions of 1.10-1.77% depending on dose. AWARD-5 showed 1.10% reduction with 1.5mg vs 0.39% with sitagliptin.

Improves (the measure goes down)Large effect15 studies

Studies that measured hba1c reduction

and 5 more in the citations list

Body Weight Reduction

REWIND showed 1.5kg greater weight loss vs placebo sustained over 5.4 years. AWARD trials showed weight loss vs weight-neutral or weight-gaining comparators.

Improves (the measure goes down)Moderate effect14 studies

Studies that measured body weight reduction

and 4 more in the citations list

Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular Disease: outcomes studied for Dulaglutide (Trulicity)
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (MACE)

REWIND trial (9,901 patients) showed 12% reduction in MACE (HR 0.88, P=0.026) over median 5.4 years, the longest GLP-1 RA CV outcomes trial.

Improves (the measure goes down)Moderate effect11 studies

Studies that measured major adverse cardiovascular events (mace)

and 1 more in the citations list

Systolic Blood Pressure

REWIND showed 1.7 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure sustained over median 5.4 years follow-up.

Improves (the measure goes down)Small effect6 studies

Studies that measured systolic blood pressure

Non-fatal Stroke

REWIND showed significant reduction in non-fatal stroke as component of MACE primary endpoint.

Improves (the measure goes down)Moderate effect4 studies

Studies that measured non-fatal stroke

General

General: outcomes studied for Dulaglutide (Trulicity)
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Safety/Tolerability

19 human trials and systematic reviews support this finding. Evidence includes systematic reviews/meta-analyses. Human clinical trial data available.

Improves (the measure goes up)Moderate effect18 studies

Studies that measured safety/tolerability

and 8 more in the citations list

Blood Glucose Control

63 human trials and systematic reviews support this finding. Evidence includes systematic reviews/meta-analyses. Human clinical trial data available.

Improves (the measure goes down)Moderate effect17 studies

Studies that measured blood glucose control

and 7 more in the citations list

Kidney Function

7 human trials support this finding. Human clinical trial data available.

Improves (the measure goes up)Small effect11 studies

Studies that measured kidney function

and 1 more in the citations list

Neuroprotection

5 preclinical studies support this finding. Primarily preclinical evidence.

Improves (the measure goes up)Small effect9 studies

Studies that measured neuroprotection

Endothelial Function

4 human trials support this finding. Human clinical trial data available.

Improves (the measure goes up)Small effect8 studies

Studies that measured endothelial function

Liver Protection

4 human trials support this finding. Human clinical trial data available.

Improves (the measure goes up)Small effect8 studies
Anti-Inflammatory Activity

3 preclinical studies support this finding. Primarily preclinical evidence.

Improves (the measure goes up)Small effect7 studies
Cognitive Function

2 preclinical studies support this finding. Primarily preclinical evidence.

Improves (the measure goes up)Small effect6 studies
Cancer Cell Apoptosis

2 preclinical studies support this finding. Primarily preclinical evidence.

Improves (the measure goes up)Small effect6 studies
Anti-Cancer Activity

2 preclinical studies support this finding. Primarily preclinical evidence.

Improves (the measure goes up)Small effect6 studies

Key findings

  • Glycemic Control (HbA1c <7%)Type 2 DiabetesChanges; see studies
  • Fasting Plasma GlucoseType 2 DiabetesImproves (the measure goes down)
  • Postprandial GlucoseType 2 DiabetesImproves (the measure goes down)

Studies cited

67 studies from PubMed

  1. Dulaglutide markedly prevents peritoneal fibrosis in a rodent model of chronic kidney disease: Insights into the pathogenesis.International journal of molecular medicine, 2025 · PMID 40709382
  2. GIPR-Ab/GLP-1 peptide-antibody conjugate requires brain GIPR and GLP-1R for additive weight loss in obese mice.Nature metabolism, 2025 · PMID 40301582
  3. Mazdutide, a dual agonist targeting GLP-1R and GCGR, mitigates diabetes-associated cognitive dysfunction: mechanistic insights from multi-omics analysis.EBioMedicine, 2025 · PMID 40479843
  4. Exploring Connections Between Weight-Loss Medications and Thyroid Cancer: A Look at the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System Database.Endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism, 2025 · PMID 40055991
  5. Comparison of Dose Escalation Versus Switching to Tirzepatide Among People With Type 2 Diabetes Inadequately Controlled on Lower Doses of Dulaglutide : A Randomized Clinical Trial.Annals of internal medicine, 2025 · PMID 40183678
  6. Comparative efficacy and tolerability of currently approved incretin mimetics: A systematic analysis of placebo-controlled clinical trials.Diabetes, obesity & metabolism, 2025 · PMID 40212008
  7. Effects of GLP-1 Analogues and Agonists on the Gut Microbiota: A Systematic Review.Nutrients, 2025 · PMID 40284168
  8. Efficacy, Safety, and Future of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.Hormone and metabolic research = Hormon- und Stoffwechselforschung = Hormones et metabolisme, 2025 · PMID 40409279
  9. Efficacy and Safety of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Agonists for Psychiatric Symptoms: A Systematic Review.Brain and behavior, 2025 · PMID 40635383
  10. Efficacy and safety of cAMP-biased GLP-1 receptor agonist ecnoglutide versus dulaglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes and elevated glucose concentrations on metformin monotherapy (EECOH-2): a 52-week, multicentre, open-label, non-inferiority, randomised, phase 3 trial.The lancet. Diabetes & endocrinology, 2025 · PMID 40854315
  11. Comparison of tirzepatide and dulaglutide on major adverse cardiovascular events in participants with type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: SURPASS-CVOT design and baseline characteristics.American heart journal, 2024 · PMID 37758044
  12. Effect of switching from dulaglutide to tirzepatide on blood glucose and renal function.Drug discoveries & therapeutics, 2024 · PMID 39462543
  13. The effect of subcutaneous dulaglutide on weight loss in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.European journal of clinical investigation, 2024 · PMID 37950521
  14. Dulaglutide rescues the elevated testicular dysfunction in a mouse model of high-fat diet-induced obesity.Mutation research. Genetic toxicology and environmental mutagenesis, 2024 · PMID 39147447
  15. Mazdutide Versus Dulaglutide for Weight Loss and Diabetes Management: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.American journal of therapeutics, 2024 · PMID 39292847
  16. Dulaglutide restores endothelial progenitor cell levels in diabetic mice and mitigates high glucose-induced endothelial injury through SIRT1-mediated mitochondrial fission.Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 2024 · PMID 38697011
  17. Brain uptake pharmacokinetics of albiglutide, dulaglutide, tirzepatide, and DA5-CH in the search for new treatments of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.Tissue barriers, 2024 · PMID 38095516
  18. Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors, Dulaglutide, and Risk for Dementia : A Population-Based Cohort Study.Annals of internal medicine, 2024 · PMID 39186787
  19. Comparison of clinical efficacy and safety of weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists dulaglutide and semaglutide in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes: Randomized, parallel-group, multicentre, open-label trial (COMING study).Diabetes, obesity & metabolism, 2023 · PMID 37646192
  20. Dulaglutide and Kidney Function-Related Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes: A REWIND Post Hoc Analysis.Diabetes care, 2023 · PMID 37343574
  21. Dulaglutide provides protection against sepsis-induced lung injury in mice by inhibiting inflammation and apoptosis.European journal of pharmacology, 2023 · PMID 37062504
  22. Dulaglutide Improves Gliosis and Suppresses Apoptosis/Autophagy Through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway in Vascular Dementia Rats.Neurochemical research, 2023 · PMID 36571662
  23. Dulaglutide as a demethylating agent to improve the outcome of breast cancer.Epigenomics, 2023 · PMID 38174426
  24. Dulaglutide and cardiovascular and heart failure outcomes in patients with and without heart failure: a post-hoc analysis from the REWIND randomized trialEur J Heart Fail, 2022 · PMID 36073143
  25. Efficacy of Dulaglutide in Chinese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Different Glycemic Patterns: a Post-hoc Analysis of the Phase 3 AWARD-CHN2 TrialDiabetes Ther, 2022 · PMID 34870792
  26. Efficacy and safety of tirzepatide monotherapy compared with dulaglutide in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes (SURPASS J-mono): a double-blind, multicentre, randomised, phase 3 trial.The lancet. Diabetes & endocrinology, 2022 · PMID 35914543
  27. Efficacy and safety of dulaglutide compared with the first-line hypoglycemic drugs in Asian patients with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Scientific reports, 2022 · PMID 36316432
  28. Dulaglutide mitigates high dietary fructose-induced renal fibrosis in rats through suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition mediated by GSK-3β/TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathways.Life sciences, 2022 · PMID 36182846
  29. Dulaglutide and a Composite Outcome Reflecting Atherosclerosis in the REWIND Trial: A Post Hoc Analysis.Diabetes care, 2022 · PMID 36040063
  30. Effects of dulaglutide on endothelial progenitor cells and arterial elasticity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.Cardiovascular diabetology, 2022 · PMID 36199064
  31. Dulaglutide Ameliorates Palmitic Acid-Induced Hepatic Steatosis by Activating FAM3A Signaling Pathway.Endocrinology and metabolism (Seoul, Korea), 2022 · PMID 35144334
  32. Efficacy and Safety of Dulaglutide 3.0 mg and 4.5 mg Versus Dulaglutide 1.5 mg in Metformin-Treated Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in a Randomized Controlled Trial (AWARD-11)Diabetes Care, 2021 · PMID 33397768
  33. Glycaemic efficacy of an expanded dose range of dulaglutide according to baseline glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) subgroup: Post hoc analysis of AWARD-11Diabetes Obes Metab, 2021 · PMID 34463420
  34. Efficacy and safety of dulaglutide compared with glargine in patients with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of clinical pharmacy and therapeutics, 2021 · PMID 33675117
  35. Dulaglutide improves muscle function by attenuating inflammation through OPA-1-TLR-9 signaling in aged mice.Aging, 2021 · PMID 34537761
  36. Effect of Dulaglutide on Cognitive Impairment in Type 2 Diabetes: An Exploratory Analysis of the REWIND TrialLancet Neurol, 2020 · PMID 30845286
  37. Safety and efficacy of oral semaglutide versus dulaglutide in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes (PIONEER 10): an open-label, randomised, active-controlled, phase 3a trial.The lancet. Diabetes & endocrinology, 2020 · PMID 32333876
  38. Dulaglutide slows kidney disease in type 2 diabetes.Lancet (London, England), 2020 · PMID 32087784
  39. Effects of Novel Dual GIP and GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Tirzepatide on Biomarkers of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes.Diabetes care, 2020 · PMID 32291277
  40. Effect of dulaglutide on cognitive impairment in type 2 diabetes: an exploratory analysis of the REWIND trial.The Lancet. Neurology, 2020 · PMID 32562683
  41. Dulaglutide: A Review in Type 2 Diabetes.Drugs, 2020 · PMID 32002850
  42. Effectiveness of dulaglutide vs liraglutide and exenatide once-weekly. A real-world study and meta-analysis of observational studies.Metabolism: clinical and experimental, 2020 · PMID 32109448
  43. Comparative effectiveness of dulaglutide versus liraglutide in Asian type 2 diabetes patients: a multi-institutional cohort study and meta-analysis.Cardiovascular diabetology, 2020 · PMID 33036617
  44. Dulaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes (REWIND): a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trialLancet, 2019 · PMID 31189511
  45. Dulaglutide is an effective treatment for lowering HbA1c in patients with type 2 diabetes regardless of body mass indexDiabetes Obes Metab, 2019 · PMID 31392822
  46. Dulaglutide and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes: an exploratory analysis of the REWIND randomised, placebo-controlled trialLancet, 2019 · PMID 31621024
  47. Dulaglutide and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes: an exploratory analysis of the REWIND randomised, placebo-controlled trial.Lancet (London, England), 2019 · PMID 31189509
  48. Dulaglutide mitigates inflammatory response in fibroblast-like synoviocytes.International immunopharmacology, 2019 · PMID 31185450
  49. Dulaglutide inhibits high glucose- induced endothelial dysfunction and NLRP3 inflammasome activation.Archives of biochemistry and biophysics, 2019 · PMID 31302140
  50. Efficacy and safety of LY3298176, a novel dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist, in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomised, placebo-controlled and active comparator-controlled phase 2 trial.Lancet (London, England), 2018 · PMID 30293770
  51. Dulaglutide versus insulin glargine in patients with type 2 diabetes and moderate-to-severe chronic kidney disease (AWARD-7): a multicentre, open-label, randomised trial.The lancet. Diabetes & endocrinology, 2018 · PMID 29910024
  52. Anti-obesity effects of GIPR antagonists alone and in combination with GLP-1R agonists in preclinical models.Science translational medicine, 2018 · PMID 30567927
  53. Efficacy and safety of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and mixed-treatment comparison analysis.Diabetes, obesity & metabolism, 2017 · PMID 27981757
  54. 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 programDiabetes Metab Res Rev, 2016 · PMID 27102969
  55. Efficacy and safety of dulaglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis and systematic review.Scientific reports, 2016 · PMID 26742577
  56. Cardiovascular safety for once-weekly dulaglutide in type 2 diabetes: a pre-specified meta-analysis of prospectively adjudicated cardiovascular events.Cardiovascular diabetology, 2016 · PMID 26912057
  57. Advances in the treatment of type 2 diabetes: impact of dulaglutide.Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy, 2016 · PMID 27217788
  58. [Dulaglutide (Trulicity®), a new once-weekly agonist of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptors for type 2 diabetes].Revue medicale de Liege, 2016 · PMID 27311248
  59. Dulaglutide in the treatment of adult type 2 diabetes: a perspective for primary care providers.Postgraduate medicine, 2016 · PMID 27488824
  60. Dulaglutide: the newest GLP-1 receptor agonist for the management of type 2 diabetes.The Annals of pharmacotherapy, 2015 · PMID 25565404
  61. Dulaglutide: an evidence-based review of its potential in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.Core evidence, 2015 · PMID 25657615
  62. Dulaglutide: A Review in Type 2 Diabetes.BioDrugs : clinical immunotherapeutics, biopharmaceuticals and gene therapy, 2015 · PMID 26423061
  63. Trulicity (Dulaglutide): A New GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Once-Weekly Subcutaneous Injection Approved for the Treatment of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.American health & drug benefits, 2015 · PMID 26629278
  64. Efficacy and safety of dulaglutide added onto pioglitazone and metformin versus exenatide in type 2 diabetes in a randomized controlled trial (AWARD-1)Diabetes Care, 2014 · PMID 24879836
  65. Efficacy and safety of dulaglutide monotherapy versus metformin in type 2 diabetes in a randomized controlled trial (AWARD-3)Diabetes Care, 2014 · PMID 24842985
  66. Efficacy and safety of dulaglutide versus sitagliptin after 52 weeks in type 2 diabetes in a randomized controlled trial (AWARD-5)Diabetes Care, 2014 · PMID 24742660
  67. Dulaglutide for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.Drugs of today (Barcelona, Spain : 1998), 2014 · PMID 24918645