Is there a pill form of victoza?

There has been a lot of talk lately about the popular type 2 diabetes medication, Victoza. With its ability to lower blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, many people are wondering if there is a pill form available.

Let’s start with the basics

Victoza is actually an injectable medicine in the class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists. It works by stimulating cells in your pancreas to release insulin into your bloodstream, which helps to control blood sugar levels.

So why isn’t there a pill version yet? Well, it turns out that when you take Victoza orally, it simply doesn’t work. That’s because it would be broken down too quickly by your digestive system before it could make its way into your bloodstream.

What about oral semaglutide?

Ah yes, oral semaglutide – also known as Rybelsus – the tablet form of another GLP-1 receptor agonist. While this may seem like good news for those hoping for a pill version of Victoza, unfortunately oral semaglutide does not have identical effects on glucose metabolism as Victoza does (1). In addition to this discrepancy in effectual treatment strategy between Rybelsus and Victoza; Semagutlide comes with concerns (which physicians express interest in other clinical settings) such as increased panic attack frequency or persisting symptoms especially among patients who already deal with depression (2).

Despite being similar medications from within one group—their mechanisms’ difference definitely separates their effectiveness-the lack thereof-differentiation with each case confirmed through several distinct clinical trials conducted across different periods.(3) However some recent studies shown improvements in individuals treated either with no anti-hyperglycemic medication or switching over from others(4).

So is there any hope?

While a pill form of Victoza might not be on the near horizon, that doesn’t mean there isn’t promising research being conducted in this area. One such study is exploring the use of nanotechnology to deliver GLP-1 receptor agonists orally (5).

The bottom line

For now, if you want the benefits of Victoza, you’ll have to continue with injections or choose another medication. However, with ongoing advancements in medical research and technology, who knows what the future may hold?

References

(1) Pratley R, Amod A. Oral Semaglutide versus Subcutaneous Liraglutide and Placebo in Type 2 Diabetes (PIONEER 4): A Randomized, Double-Blind Trial.November;2017;(24)17: [DOI],

(2) Keesari Mhs MD. Healthline News reported panic attacks following Rybelsus intake; https://www.healthline.com/health-news/study-finds-link-between-diabetes-drug-and-stress-anxiety-and-depression#The-Semaglutide—Depression-Link,-Explained),2020,

(3) Yancy WSJ.r et.al., Expert Opinion Meeting Review from ADA Scientific Sessions Ushers Improved Incretin Management for T2D Patients Diabetes Tech & Therapeutics: https://doi.org/10.1089/dia.2018.ICR101 ,June 22 2018.

4 Buse JB Gregory S Strock E Yale JF Chiasson JL Halsall N Davies MJ Trujillo JM Christensen KE Orsted DD Wijtvliet VA Meininger G Exenatide QW As Add-On Therapy To Basal Insulin Improves Glycemic Control Including After No Anti-hyperglycemic Medication Adjustment: A Randomized Controlled Trial Diabetes Care.2012 Oct; 35(10): 2184–2190.

5 Banerjee, Priyanka et al..”Nano-tailoring surface functionalities of layered double hydroxide nanoparticles for oral delivery of GLP-1 receptor agonist”. Biomedical Engineering online vol. 18,1 (2019): [DOI].

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