Trulicity (Dulaglutide)

Trulicity Injection

Trulicity Injection is an injectable medication used for people 10 years and older with Type 2 diabetes. It’s injected once a week to help lower blood sugar.

How Is Trulicity Used?

Trulicity can only be obtained with a prescription. It is available as prefilled pens containing a solution to be injected under the skin in the abdomen (belly), in the thigh or in the upper arm.

How Does Trulicity Work?

The active substance in Trulicity, dulaglutide, is a ‘GLP-1 receptor agonist’. It acts in the same way as GLP-1 (a hormone produced in the gut) by increasing the amount of insulin that the pancreas releases in response to food. This helps to control blood glucose levels and symptoms of type 2 diabetes.

• Lower blood glucose levels by stimulating the release of insulin from the pancreas.
• Reduce the amount of glucose that your liver is producing.
• Causes you to feel full by increasing early satiety.

Trulicity (dulaglutide) is not insulin but is a different type of diabetes medicine called a GLP-1 analogue. It is a small protein just like insulin (called a peptide) and because proteins are easily broken down by stomach acids, which would make the protein inactive, both insulin and Trulicity (dulaglutide) need to be injected under the skin. This allow the molecule to get into the body but bypasses the gut.

Trulicity is available in either 0.75mg or 1.5mg pens. Generally people should be started on the lower dose and increased after 3 to 6 months. This reduces the side effects substantially. In many countries only 1.5mg is available. Whether you have diabetes, or you don’t have diabetes, we all make GLP-1. It has become clear that GLP-1 is a really important hormone to help us regulate our blood sugar levels.

Store your pen in the refrigerator, but do NOT freeze your pen. If you decide to travel with your Trulicity pens, you can keep them at room temperature (below 86°F, 30°C) for up to 14 days.