Dulaglutide
Dulaglutide is a once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist pen, sold as Trulicity by Eli Lilly for type 2 diabetes and to lower heart risk in adults who have it.
US regulatory status
FDA-approved prescription drug
Approved by the FDA (first in 2014) as Trulicity, made by Eli Lilly, to improve blood sugar in adults and children 10 and older with type 2 diabetes, and to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease or several risk factors. It is not approved for weight management. The FDA’s shortage database lists the dulaglutide injection shortage as resolved, and as of October 15, 2026, dulaglutide was not on the FDA’s list of current drug shortages.
At a glance
- Also known as
- Trulicity
- Supplied as
- Prefilled pen
- Research
- Strong human evidence
- US status
- US status: FDA-approvedchecked
What the research shows
Evidence grade
Strong human evidence
Consistent results from large randomized controlled trials in people.
In the REWIND trial, 9,901 adults with type 2 diabetes and either heart disease or several cardiovascular risk factors were followed for a median of 5.4 years: cardiovascular death, heart attack or stroke occurred in 12.0% of people on dulaglutide and 13.4% on placebo (hazard ratio 0.88, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.99). Only 31.5% of them had established heart disease, and the difference in deaths from any cause (10.8% vs 12.0%) was not statistically significant. In the 36-week AWARD-11 trial in 1,842 adults taking metformin, HbA1c (baseline 8.6%) fell by 1.5, 1.6 and 1.8 points on the 1.5, 3 and 4.5 mg doses, and body weight by 3.0, 3.8 and 4.6 kg; the 4.5 mg dose lowered both significantly more than 1.5 mg. In a 26-week trial in 154 children aged 10 to 17, HbA1c fell 1.4 points more than with placebo, and 52% reached an HbA1c below 7.0%, compared with 14% on placebo. Eli Lilly funded REWIND.
How we grade evidence
Strong human evidence · this page
Consistent results from large randomized controlled trials in people.
Limited human evidence
Some studies in people, but they are small, short, early-phase or uncontrolled.
Mixed evidence
Studies in people disagree, or strong evidence for one use sits beside weak evidence for another.
Animal or lab studies only
Studied in cells or animals, not properly in people. Animal results may not apply to humans.
The grade describes how much research exists and in whom. It is not a judgment that a compound works or is safe.
Side effects and safety
The most common side effects, in at least 5% of people, are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and decreased appetite. Trulicity carries a boxed warning: dulaglutide caused thyroid C-cell tumors in rats, and it is not known whether it causes them in humans, so it must not be used by people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2, or by anyone who has had a serious allergic reaction to it. Other label warnings cover pancreatitis, low blood sugar when used with insulin or a sulfonylurea, serious allergic reactions, kidney injury from dehydration, severe stomach and bowel side effects (updated in March 2026; it is not recommended with severe gastroparesis), diabetic eye disease complications, gallbladder disease and aspiration risk during anesthesia or deep sedation, so tell your healthcare provider about any planned surgery or procedure. Reports since approval include bowel blockage, severe constipation, kidney failure and hair loss. Limited data in pregnancy cannot rule out a risk; the label says to use it only if the benefit justifies the risk to the baby.
Source1
Questions people ask
What are the side effects of Trulicity?
Mostly digestive, and more common at higher doses. In the label’s placebo-controlled trials, nausea affected 12.4% of people on 0.75 mg and 21.1% on 1.5 mg, compared with 5.3% on placebo; vomiting affected 6.0% and 12.7%, compared with 2.3%. Diarrhea, abdominal pain, decreased appetite, indigestion and tiredness were also more common than on placebo. Overall, stomach and bowel side effects affected 32% and 41% of people, compared with 21% on placebo, and 1.3% and 3.5% stopped Trulicity because of them. Severe stomach and bowel side effects were reported in 2.2% and 4.3%, compared with 1.4%. Children in the pediatric trial had more injection-site reactions than adults.
Is Trulicity used for weight loss?
No. Trulicity is approved to improve blood sugar in type 2 diabetes and to lower heart risk in adults with type 2 diabetes, not for weight management. People did lose some weight in its trials: in AWARD-11, adults with type 2 diabetes lost an average of 3.0, 3.8 and 4.6 kg over 36 weeks on the 1.5, 3 and 4.5 mg doses. Your prescriber decides which medicine, if any, suits you.
Sources
- DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2026: TRULICITY (dulaglutide) injection, prescribing information (opens in a new tab)
- Diabetes Care, 2021: Efficacy and Safety of Dulaglutide 3.0 mg and 4.5 mg Versus Dulaglutide 1.5 mg in Metformin-Treated Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in a Randomized Controlled Trial (AWARD-11) (opens in a new tab)
How does the Trulicity pen work?
Each Trulicity pen is a single-dose, prefilled pen that holds one dose and is used once. Pens come in four strengths, each in 0.5 mL: 0.75 mg, 1.5 mg, 3 mg and 4.5 mg, with 4 pens in a carton. You can inject into your stomach or thigh; another person should give it if it goes in the back of your upper arm. The needle starts to retract about 5 to 10 seconds after you start. The label says Trulicity can be taken any time of day, with or without food, and the liquid should be clear and colorless. If you also use insulin, give them as separate injections and never mix them. See injection sites and rotation and sharps disposal, and follow your prescriber.
What if I miss a dose of Trulicity?
The label says to take the missed dose as soon as possible if there are at least 3 days (72 hours) until your next scheduled dose. If fewer than 3 days remain, skip it and take the next dose on your regular day. You can change your injection day, as long as your last dose was 3 or more days before the new day. Dulaglutide has a half-life of about 5 days, and steady levels build up over 2 to 4 weeks of weekly doses. Follow your prescriber’s instructions; see also missed GLP-1 doses.
Does Trulicity need to be refrigerated?
Yes. Store Trulicity in the refrigerator at 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C) and protect it from light. If needed, each pen can be kept at room temperature, up to 86°F (30°C), for a total of 14 days. Do not freeze it, and do not use a pen that has been frozen. See GLP-1 pen storage and travel.
Is there still a Trulicity shortage?
No, according to the FDA. Its shortage database lists the dulaglutide injection shortage as resolved, and dulaglutide was not on the FDA’s list of current drug shortages updated October 15, 2026. If your pharmacy cannot fill a strength, ask your prescriber or pharmacist.
Sources
- TRULICITY (dulaglutide) injection, prescribing informationDailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2026 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- FDA Drug Shortages: Dulaglutide InjectionU.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- FDA Drug Shortages: Current and Resolved Drug Shortages and Discontinuations Reported to FDAU.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Dulaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes (REWIND): a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trialLancet, 2019 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Efficacy and Safety of Dulaglutide 3.0 mg and 4.5 mg Versus Dulaglutide 1.5 mg in Metformin-Treated Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in a Randomized Controlled Trial (AWARD-11)Diabetes Care, 2021 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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