For adults with type 2 diabetes and established CVD

Victoza® is the only type 2 diabetes therapy approved to reduce the risk of CV death, nonfatal MI, or nonfatal stroke1

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Victoza® is now indicated to reduce the risk of major adverse CV events (CV death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or non-fatal stroke) in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus and established CV disease.

Get CV and A1C benefits for patients with the #1 prescribed GLP-1 RA therapy2

Make Victoza® your choice—now a first-line treatment option

In addition to CV risk reduction, Victoza® provides powerful glycemic benefits3-9

Across multiple studies, Victoza® provided unsurpassed A1C reductions3-9

Victoza® provided patients an additional benefit of significant weight loss3-9,a

aVictoza® is not indicated for chronic weight management, and weight change was a secondary endpoint in clinical trials.

Savings and support for your patients

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Patient education

Get educational resources for your patients—including a Patient Starter Kit for initiating Victoza®.

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Victoza® samples

Use this online form to request samples of Victoza® and selected Novo Nordisk needlesb for your patients.

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Savings and coverage

Online coverage look-up tools and the Victoza® Instant Savings Card can help your patients with their treatment costs.

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bNeedles are sold separately and may require a prescription in some states.
CVD=cardiovascular disease; GLP-1=glucagon-like peptide-1; MOA=mechanism of action.

Selected Important Safety Information

WARNING: RISK OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORS

  • Liraglutide causes dose-dependent and treatment-duration-dependent thyroid C-cell tumors at clinically relevant exposures in both genders of rats and  mice. It is unknown whether Victoza® causes thyroid C-cell tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), in humans, as the human relevance of liraglutide-induced rodent thyroid C-cell tumors has not been determined.
  • Victoza® is contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of MTC and in patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). Counsel patients regarding the potential risk for MTC with the use of Victoza® and inform them of symptoms of thyroid tumors (eg, a mass in the neck, dysphagia, dyspnea, persistent hoarseness). Routine monitoring of serum calcitonin or using thyroid ultrasound is of uncertain value for early detection of MTC in patients treated with Victoza®.

Indication and Limitations of Use

Victoza® (liraglutide) injection 1.2 mg or 1.8 mg is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events (CV death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or non-fatal stroke) in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus and established CV disease.

  • Victoza® is not a substitute for insulin and should not be used in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus or diabetic ketoacidosis.
  • Concurrent use with prandial insulin has not been studied.

Important Safety Information

WARNING: RISK OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORS

  • Liraglutide causes dose-dependent and treatment-duration-dependent thyroid C-cell tumors at clinically relevant exposures in both genders of rats and mice. It is unknown whether Victoza® causes thyroid C-cell tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), in humans, as the human relevance of liraglutide-induced rodent thyroid C-cell tumors has not been determined.
  • Victoza® is contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of MTC and in patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). Counsel patients regarding the potential risk for MTC with the use of Victoza® and inform them of symptoms of thyroid tumors (eg, a mass in the neck, dysphagia, dyspnea, persistent hoarseness). Routine monitoring of serum calcitonin or using thyroid ultrasound is of uncertain value for early detection of MTC in patients treated with Victoza®.

Contraindications

  • Victoza® is contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of MTC or in patients with MEN 2, and in patients with a prior serious hypersensitivity reaction to Victoza® or to any of the product components. Serious hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylactic reactions and angioedema have been reported with Victoza®.

Warnings and Precautions

  • Risk of Thyroid C-cell Tumors: Patients should be referred to an endocrinologist for further evaluation if serum calcitonin is measured and found to be elevated or thyroid nodules are noted on physical examination or neck imaging.
  • Pancreatitis: Acute pancreatitis, including fatal and nonfatal hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis, has been observed in patients treated with Victoza® postmarketing. Observe patients carefully for signs and symptoms of pancreatitis (persistent severe abdominal pain, sometimes radiating to the back with or without vomiting). If pancreatitis is suspected, discontinue Victoza® promptly and if pancreatitis is confirmed, do not restart. Victoza® has been studied in a limited number of patients with a history of pancreatitis. It is unknown if patients with a history of pancreatitis are at a higher risk for development of pancreatitis on Victoza®.
  • Never Share a Victoza® Pen Between Patients, even if the needle is changed. Pen-sharing poses a risk for transmission of blood-borne pathogens.
  • Hypoglycemia: When Victoza® is used with an insulin secretagogue (eg, a sulfonylurea) or insulin, serious hypoglycemia can occur. Consider lowering the dose of the insulin secretagogue or insulin to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia.
  • Renal Impairment: Acute renal failure and worsening of chronic renal failure, which may sometimes require hemodialysis, have been reported postmarketing, usually in association with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or dehydration. Use caution when initiating or escalating doses of Victoza® in patients with renal impairment.
  • Hypersensitivity Reactions: Serious hypersensitivity reactions (eg, anaphylaxis and angioedema) have been reported post-marketing. If symptoms of hypersensitivity reactions occur, patients must stop taking Victoza®; treat promptly per standard of care, and monitor until signs and symptoms resolve.  Do not use in patients with a previous hypersensitivity reaction to Victoza®. Anaphylaxis and angioedema have been reported with other GLP-1 receptor agonists.  Use caution in a patient with a history of anaphylaxis or angioedema with another GLP-receptor agonist because it is unknown whether such patients will be predisposed to these reactions with Victoza®.
  • Acute Gallbladder Disease: In the LEADER trial, 3.1% of Victoza® vs. 1.9% of placebo-treated patients reported an acute event of gallbladder disease, such as cholelithiasis or cholecystitis. The majority of events required hospitalization or cholecystectomy. If cholelithiasis is suspected, gallbladder studies and appropriate clinical follow up are indicated.

Adverse Reactions

  • The most common adverse reactions, reported in ≥5% of patients treated with Victoza® and more commonly than in patients treated with placebo, are nausea, diarrhea, headache, vomiting, decreased appetite, dyspepsia, and constipation. Immunogenicity-related events, including urticaria, were more common among Victoza®-treated patients (0.8%) than among comparator-treated patients (0.4%) in clinical trials.

Drug Interactions

  • Victoza® causes a delay of gastric emptying and has the potential to impact the absorption of concomitantly administered oral medications. Caution should be exercised when oral medications are concomitantly administered with Victoza®.

Use in Specific Populations

  • Victoza® has not been studied in patients with type 2 diabetes below 18 years of age and is not recommended for use in pediatric patients.
  • Victoza® slows gastric emptying. Victoza® has not been studied in patients with pre-existing gastroparesis.
  • Victoza® should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.

Additional Important Safety Information

In 5 placebo-controlled clinical trials of at least 26 weeks’ duration, hypoglycemia requiring the assistance of another person for treatment occurred in 8 Victoza®-treated patients (7.5 events per 1000 patient-years). Of these 8 Victoza®-treated patients, 7 patients were concomitantly using a sulfonylurea.

In the pool of 5 placebo-controlled clinical trials, withdrawals due to gastrointestinal adverse reactions occurred in 4.3% of Victoza®- treated patients and 0.5% of placebo-treated patients. Withdrawal due to gastrointestinal adverse events mainly occurred during the first 2 to 3 months of the trials.

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References:

  1. Victoza [package insert]. Plainsboro, NJ: Novo Nordisk Inc; August 2017.
  2. Internal calculations based on IMS MIDAS database, January 2015.
  3. Pratley RE, Nauck M, Bailey T, et al; for the 1860-LIRA-DPP-4 Study Group. Liraglutide versus sitagliptin for patients with type 2 diabetes who did not have adequate glycaemic control with metformin: a 26-week, randomised, parallel-group, open-label trial. Lancet. 2010;375(9724):1447-1456.
  4. Bailey TS, Takács R, Tinahones FJ, et al. Efficacy and safety of switching from sitagliptin to liraglutide in subjects with type 2 diabetes (LIRA-SWITCH™): a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, active-controlled 26-week trial [published online ahead of print July 6, 2016]. Diabetes Obes Metab. doi:10.1111/dom.12736.
  5. Buse JB, Nauck M, Forst T, et al. Exenatide once weekly versus liraglutide once daily in patients with type 2 diabetes (DURATION-6): a randomised, open-label study. Lancet. 2013;381(9861):117-124.
  6. Pratley RE, Nauck MA, Barnett AH, et al. Once-weekly albiglutide versus once-daily liraglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled on oral drugs (HARMONY 7): a randomised, open-label, multicentre, non-inferiority phase 3 study. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2014;2(4):289-297.
  7. Dungan KM, Povedano ST, Forst T, et al. Once-weekly dulaglutide versus once-daily liraglutide in metformin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes (AWARD-6): a randomised, open-label, phase 3, non-inferiority trial. Lancet. 2014;384(9951):1349-1357.
  8. Pratley R, Nauck M, Bailey T, et al; for the 1860-LIRA-DPP-4 Study Group. One year of liraglutide treatment offers sustained and more effective glycaemic control and weight reduction compared with sitagliptin, both in combination with metformin, in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomised, parallel-group, open-label trial. Int J Clin Pract. 2011;65(4):397-407.
  9. Davies MJ, Bain SC, Atkin SL, et al. Efficacy and safety of liraglutide versus placebo as add-on to glucose-lowering therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes and moderate renal impairment (LIRA-RENAL): a randomized clinical trial. Diabetes Care. 2016;39(2):222-230.