Have questions about Victoza®?

Find out more about how noninsulin Victoza® works with your body to help control blood sugar.

What is Victoza®?

Victoza® is a noninsulin diabetes medication used along with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar in adults and children 10 years of age and older with type 2 diabetes. Victoza® starts to lower blood sugar levels in as soon as 2 weeks, lowers A1C, and keeps it down.Victoza® also reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events, such as heart attack, stroke, or death, in adults with type 2 diabetes with known heart disease.

Victoza® comes in a prefilled pen you use just once a day. While not a weight-loss product, Victoza® may help adults lose some weight. In clinical studies of adults with type 2 diabetes, ranging from 26 to 52 weeks in length, many lost some weight. In a large study, when Victoza® was added to metformin, adults lost on average up to 6.2 pounds. While many adults in clinical trials lost weight, some did gain weight.

Victoza® can be taken with long-acting insulin and with diabetes pills. It is used along with healthy eating habits and exercise to help keep blood sugar under control.

aVictoza® has been shown to keep A1C down in a 2-year medical study.

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Featured Question

Can Victoza® reduce my risk of heart attack, stroke, or death?

With type 2 diabetes, your risk for heart attack or stroke is significantly greater than it is for someone without diabetes. In addition to lowering A1C, Victoza® also reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death in adults with type 2 diabetes with known heart disease.

Learn more about managing your risk ►

How does Victoza® work?

Victoza® works in 3 ways like the hormone GLP-1 (7-37)b to help control blood sugar. GLP-1 is normally released from your small intestine when you eat. It helps your pancreas produce more insulin and helps keep your liver from making too much sugar. GLP-1 also slows down the process of food leaving your stomach, which helps control your blood sugar levels after meals.

bGLP-1 (7-37) represents <20% of the total circulating GLP-1 produced by your body.

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Your risk for getting low blood sugar is higher if you take Victoza® with another medication that can cause low blood sugar, such as a sulfonylurea or insulin. In children who are 10 years of age and older, the risk for low blood sugar may be higher with Victoza® regardless of use with another medicine that can also lower blood sugar. Talk to your doctor about the signs and symptoms of low blood sugar.

Victoza® is not for weight loss, but it may help adults lose some weight. In clinical studies of adults with type 2 diabetes, ranging from 26 to 52 weeks in length, many lost some weight. In a large study, when Victoza® was added to metformin, adults lost on average up to 6.2 pounds. While many adults in clinical trials lost weight, some did gain weight.

How Victoza® can help you ►

How is Victoza® different from other treatments for type 2 diabetes?

Victoza® is an injectable medicine used to help lower blood sugar in adults and children who are 10 years of age and older with type 2 diabetes, but it is not insulin. It is used along with healthy eating habits and exercise to help keep blood sugar under control. Victoza® is also used to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke or death in adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease.

How Victoza® may help lower blood sugar ►

Featured Question

What can I expect when I start taking Victoza®?

Our weekly planner spells out what you should know and do along the way. It's designed to help you get started and stay on track with Victoza®.

Visit Victoza® Step by Step ►

Does Victoza® replace my other diabetes medications?

Victoza® may be taken alone, with oral diabetes medications (pills), or with long-acting insulin. Your health care professional will tell you if you should continue taking the medications you're taking now.

When using Victoza® and insulin, take them as separate injections. Never mix insulin and Victoza® together in the same syringe. It is acceptable to inject Victoza® and insulin in the same body region, but the injections should not be adjacent to each other.

Your risk for getting hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is higher if you take Victoza® with another medication that can cause low blood sugar, such as a sulfonylurea or insulin. In children who are 10 years of age and older, the risk for low blood sugar may be higher with Victoza® regardless of use with another medicine that can also lower blood sugar.

Learn how Victoza® is different ►

How do I take Victoza®?

Victoza® is injected once a day. It can be taken at any time during the day, with or without food. It's best to get into a routine so you remember to take Victoza® at the same time every day.

Victoza® comes in a prefilled pen. Needles are sold separately and may require a prescription in some states. Your health care professional will teach you how to inject Victoza® before you use it for the first time. Also, be sure to check out the next section of this FAQ, "Using the Victoza® Pen."

Learn more about Victoza® injections ►

The makers of Victoza® have another noninsulin option for adults with type 2 diabetes.
Click to learn more, then ask your health care provider if this option could help lower your blood sugar.

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