Trulicity®

GLP-1, dulaglutide, injection

Trulicity® mimics a gut hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). After you eat, your gut releases GLP-1, which slows digestion and helps you feel full. It also:

Reduces appetite

Regulates insulin

Balances blood sugar

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Everything you need to know about
Trulicity®

What is

Trulicity®

Benefits How it works How to use it

What is
Trulicity®
?

Trulicity is a brand name for dulaglutide, which Eli Lilly manufactures. In 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration first approved Trulicity as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. Six years later, the diabetes drug received additional approval as a treatment to reduce the risk of harmful cardiovascular events like strokes and heart attacks in adults with type 2 diabetes who have cardiovascular risks or disease. Health care providers also prescribe it off-label for weight loss because clinical evidence has shown the drug can prompt weight loss in those with obesity or excess weight.

‍More on off-label prescribing

Right now, there is no FDA-approved generic form of Trulicity.

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Benefits of
Trulicity®

Expected weight loss depends on the dose of Trulicity. In one study funded by Eli Lilly, people who took 4.5 mg of dulaglutide had more weight loss (about 10 lb) than those on 1.5 mg (a little less than 7 lb) after 36 weeks on the drug. (Safe weight loss is one to two pounds per week.)

Trulicity may have more benefits than just treating type 2 diabetes and weight management. Multiple clinical trials funded by Eli Lilly show dulaglutide reduces the risk of heart attack, nonfatal stroke, and death in adults with type 2 diabetes who also have or are at risk of heart and blood vessel diseases. Dulaglutide improves heart health by lowering blood sugar and helping people lose excess weight.

And it’s significant to note that some patients have reported reduced cravings while using dulaglutide for weight loss.

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How does
Trulicity®
work?

When you eat, it prompts your gut to release the GLP-1 hormone. GLP-1 helps lower blood glucose (blood sugar) by stimulating insulin release when sugar is present in the bloodstream. Insulin helps blood glucose enter your body’s cells for later energy use.

In some people, the gut doesn't make enough natural GLP-1, or the brain isn't sensitive to it.

Trulicity is a synthetic GLP-1 receptor agonist (RA). A drug that works as an agonist activates the same cell receptors as the body's natural hormones. So, Trulicity works in the gut like your body’s natural GLP-1. Because Trulicity slows digestion, it helps curb hunger and signal fullness to the brain. As a result, some people with obesity have lost weight while taking it.

Because Trulicity supports a process the body isn’t doing well, it may require long-term use.

It’s important to note that GLP-1 medications don’t work for everyone. There are dozens of biological reasons why people struggle to lose weight. Found’s clinicians, trained in obesity medicine, can help patients identify the root cause of their weight gain and personalize a prescription to target it. All prescriptions are up to a medical provider’s discretion.

More on personalized treatment with Found

How to use it

Take Trulicity as instructed by a qualified health care provider. Trulicity is typically taken once a week. Eli Lilly recommends injecting it under the skin in the upper arm, upper thigh, or stomach. Store Trulicity in a refrigerator.

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Dosing

For most patients, dosing begins with a single-dose pen of 0.75 mg for each weekly injection. After four weeks, the dosage will increase to 1.5 mg weekly if blood glucose levels need to be lowered more. For those with type 2 diabetes who continue to need additional glycemic control, your provider may increase your weekly dose by 1.5 mg increments after at least four weeks on the current dose to a maximum of 4.5 mg as long as you continue to tolerate Trulicity.

Side effects

Rapid or significant weight loss can lead to too much muscle loss. It’s important to start a strength training program and exercise regularly to protect your muscles while taking Trulicity.

Tell your health care provider if you have severe stomach problems that won’t go away, including abdominal bloating or pain, acid reflux, a feeling of fullness after eating just a few bites of food, nausea, and vomiting, including vomiting undigested food eaten a few hours earlier. These may be symptoms of gastroparesis (stomach paralysis).

Use effective contraception while taking this medication. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant, do not take Trulicity.

The FDA also warns not to take Trulicity if you have a personal or family history of multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, medullary thyroid cancer, insulin-dependent diabetes, or diabetic ketoacidosis. So, if that’s you, Trulicity isn’t the right fit.

Black Box Warning

Although rare, dulaglutide caused thyroid C-cell tumors in animal studies. Trulicity’s “black box” warns of the risk of these tumors. If you have trouble swallowing, develop hoarseness, or feel swelling or a lump in your neck, contact your health care provider immediately.

Precautions

Rapid or significant weight loss can lead to too much muscle loss. It’s important to start a strength training program and exercise regularly to protect your muscles while taking Trulicity.

Tell your health care provider if you have severe stomach problems that won’t go away, including abdominal bloating or pain, acid reflux, a feeling of fullness after eating just a few bites of food, nausea, and vomiting, including vomiting undigested food eaten a few hours earlier. These may be symptoms of gastroparesis (stomach paralysis).

Use effective contraception while taking this medication. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant, do not take Trulicity.

The FDA also warns not to take Trulicity if you have a personal or family history of multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, medullary thyroid cancer, insulin-dependent diabetes, or diabetic ketoacidosis. So, if that’s you, Trulicity isn’t the right fit.

Interactions

Some drugs can also interact with Trulicity, including:

Insulin
Sulfonylureas (these can cause blood sugar levels to drop dangerously low when combined with Trulicity)
Some birth control pills
Other GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist medications such as liraglutide or tirzepatide

You should not drink alcohol while taking this drug because alcohol can lower blood sugar. Combining alcohol with Trulicity may cause blood sugars to fall too fast, leading to fainting and dizziness.

about
found

Found is an online weight loss program offering personalized care for every member. Some of the nation’s top obesity medicine specialists helped design our program. Our approach is based on science, and we’re committed to clinical excellence.

Members get access to: Clinicians trained in obesity medicine 1:1 health coaching Self-paced lifestyle change program designed by doctors, psychologists, and behavioral scientists Exclusive in-app community.

Found’s comprehensive program is designed to work with your body—so you can achieve lasting results and enjoy better health.

Alternative medications

Depending on your health history, weight history, and MetabolicPrint^TM assessment, your Found health care provider may consider other alternatives to help you lose weight. Some are FDA-approved for weight loss. Others are used off-label and have strong clinical evidence supporting their use for weight loss.

Unfortunately, there are no generic versions of Ozempic currently on the market.
However, your health care provider might consider alternatives such as Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Saxenda, all of which are GLP-1 medications but not all are FDA-approved for weight loss specifically.