Victoza
® (
liraglutide) is a prescription medication approved to help control blood sugar -- when used in combination with diet and exercise -- in people with
type 2 diabetes. It is a once-daily, noninsulin, injectable medication.
Victoza is manufactured by Novo Nordisk.
Victoza is an incretin mimetic.
This means that it mimics the actions of incretin hormones in the body. As an incretin mimetic, this medication increases
insulin production in response to meals and decreases the amount of glucose (sugar) that the liver produces. Victoza also slows the emptying of food from the stomach and decreases the amount of food that people eat.
Because incretin hormones are more active in response to higher blood sugar levels and are less active in response to low blood sugar, the risk of dangerously low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is low with Victoza. However, combining it with other
diabetes medications to lower blood sugar can increase the risk of hypoglycemia
(see Victoza and Blood Sugar).
Victoza is also sometimes classified as a
glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. This is just a more specific term that describes the particular type of incretin hormone that Victoza mimics.
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