What is the difference between Soliqua and Xultophy?
Both products combine a long-acting insulin with a GLP-1 agonist – Xultopy brings together Tresiba (insulin degludec) and Victoza (liraglutide), while Soliqua combines Lantus (insulin glargine) with Adlyxin (lixisenatide).
Soliqua 100/33 is Sanofi’s once-daily injection used alongside diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults type 2 diabetes. Soliqua 100/33 is a combination of insulin glargine 100 Units/mL (Lantus), a long-acting insulin, and lixisenatide 33 mcg/mL (Adlyxin), a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist.
Xultophy 100/3.6 is Novo Nordisk’s once-daily injection of insulin degludec 100 Units/mL (Tresiba), and the GLP-1 agonist liraglutide 3.6 mg/mL (Victoza), also used to treat type 2 diabetes in conjunction with diet and exercise. Insulin degludec is a long-acting insulin and liraglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist.
These two medications, available as injection pens, were the first approved in a novel group of type 2 diabetes treatments that combine a long-acting insulin with a GLP-1 agonist. They are not approved for the treatment of type 1 diabetes. These drugs are often used after other diabetes medications have been tried without success.
Long-acting insulins start working several hours after injection and continue to work steadily for 24 hours. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists are similar to a hormone that occurs naturally in the body and helps to control blood sugar, insulin levels, and digestion. GLP-1 agonists may help you to lose weight.
GLP-1 agonists approved in the U.S. include:
- albiglutide (Tanzeum)
- dulaglutide (Trulicity)
- exenatide extended-release (Bydureon BCise)
- exenatide (Byetta)
- liraglutide (Victoza)
- lixisenatide (Adlyxin)
- semaglutide (Ozempic)
- semaglutide (Rybelsus)
All agents are given by injection except for Rybelsus from Novo Nordisk, the first oral GLP-1 agonist, approved in September 2019.
This is not all the information you need to know about Xultophy or Soliqua for safe and effective use and does not take the place of talking to your doctor about your treatment. Review the full product information, and discuss this information and any questions you have with your doctor or other health care provider.
Related questions
References
- Soliqua 100/33 (insulin glargine and lixisenatide injection), for subcutaneous use. [product information]. Accessed March 18, 2021 at https://products.sanofi.us/Soliqua100-33/Soliqua100-33.pdf
- Xultophy 100/3.6 (insulin degludec and liraglutide injection), for subcutaneous use. [product information]. Accessed March 18, 2021 at https://www.novo-pi.com/xultophy10036.pdf
Read next
What's the easiest way to open a Rybelsus bottle?
Step-by-step guide to open your bottle of Rybelsus: 1. Wash and dry your hands thoroughly. 2. Find the child-resistant blue cap on the top of the Rybelsus bottle. 3. Look for markings on the bottle cap that show which way to twist the cap to open. Hold the blue cap tightly, push down and twist the cap in a counter-clockwise direction. The cap should separate from the white plastic strip below it and twist open. Continue reading
What is the mechanism of action for Rybelsus?
Rybelsus works for your type 2 diabetes in three ways: it helps to reduce your blood sugar levels by increasing insulin, it decreases the amount of sugar made and released from the liver, and it slows down how fast food leaves your stomach to help you feel more full. Continue reading
How and where do you inject liraglutide?
Liraglutide is injected just under the skin (subcutaneously) and the best sites are your stomach (abdomen), thigh, or upper arm. Do not inject Victoza into a muscle (intramuscularly) or vein (intravenously). To do this, you pinch up an area of skin with your thumb and forefinger, and then push the needle of the pen into this area, so that the medication will be injected just under the skin. Ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist to show you how to use the pen correctly before your first use. Continue reading
Related medical questions
- How much weight can you lose with Rybelsus?
- How long does it take for Rybelsus to start working?
- What is Rybelsus used for and how does it work?
- Can liraglutide be used for weight loss?
- When is the best time of day to take Victoza?
- Will Victoza help with weight loss?
- Does Victoza need to be refrigerated?
- How many doses are in a Victoza pen?
- How and where do you use the Victoza pen?
- Can Victoza and Januvia be used together?
- Basaglar and Lantus - What is the difference between them?
- Toujeo vs Lantus - What's the difference between them?
- What are biosimilar drugs and how do they compare to biologics?
- Soliqua vs Lantus: What’s the difference between them?
- Is Admelog the same as NovoLog?
- When should I take Lantus?
- Levemir vs Lantus: What's the difference?
- Does Lantus insulin need to be refrigerated?
- What biosimilars have been approved in the United States?
- How long does Lantus last?
- Is Tresiba the same as Lantus?
- Can you mix Humalog with Lantus?
- How do you use the Lantus pen (Lantus SoloStar)?
- Does Lantus insulin raise or lower your blood sugar?
- Does Lantus cause weight gain?
- Which type of insulin has the longest duration of action?
- How do medications help with diabetes?
Related support groups
- Rybelsus (19 questions, 28 members)
- Victoza (51 questions, 301 members)
- Lantus (46 questions, 117 members)
- Insulin Glargine (14 questions, 9 members)
- Tresiba (13 questions, 19 members)
- Insulin Degludec (10 questions, 4 members)
- Soliqua (9 questions, 7 members)
- Lixisenatide (3 questions, 3 members)
- Xultophy (3 questions, 5 members)
- Insulin Degludec/liraglutide (3 questions, 3 members)
- Insulin Glargine/lixisenatide (2 questions, 3 members)