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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Your first Victoza® injection

Getting started with Victoza® is an important step in managing your diabetes. Victoza® is a noninsulin injectable medication for adults and children who are 10 years of age and older with type 2 diabetes. It is taken once a day and is delivered with the Victoza® pen.

Victoza® can be taken any time of day, with or without food. It’s best to get into a routine so you remember to take it at the same time every day. You do not have to adjust your dose based on what you eat or how active you are.

 

 

The Victoza® pen

Your Victoza® pen contains 18 mg of Victoza® and will deliver doses of 0.6 mg, 1.2 mg, or 1.8 mg. The number of doses that you can take with a Victoza® pen depends on the dose of medication that is prescribed for you. Your health care provider will tell you how much Victoza® to take.

The Victoza® pen can be used with Novo Nordisk disposable needles. If your state requires a prescription for needles, make sure that your health care provider also prescribes the needles along with Victoza®.

A thin needle

The recommended needle for the Victoza® pen is the NovoFine® 32-G Tip needle.

  • The majority of people studied using this needle experienced little or no paina
  • The NovoFine® 32-G Tip needle is the thinnest needle from Novo Nordisk that is available in the United Statesb
  • The higher the gauge, the thinner the needle. So a 32-gauge needle, for example, is thinner than a 23-gauge needle

aMulticenter, randomized, open-label, 2-period, crossover trial in insulin-treated patients with diabetes (type 1 or type 2). Patients were randomized to self-administer insulin injections with one needle type followed by the alternative, each for 7 to 14 days. The 2 needle types used were NovoFine® 32-gauge tip x 6 mm and NovoFine® 30-gauge tip x 8 mm.
bPen needles are sold separately and may require a prescription in some states.

How thin is the Victoza® pen needle?

NovoFine® Plus needle next to 2 human hairs

This image shows a NovoFine® Plus needle next to 2 human hairs.

NovoFine® Plus

The NovoFine® Plus needle can also be used with the Victoza® pen. Like NovoFine®, NovoFine® Plus is a 32-gauge needle. Features include:

  • Ultra short and thin - Designed for less pain
  • SuperFlow™ technology - Designed to enhance flow rates and reduce dosage force
  • Ultra strong - Designed to resist bending or breaking
  • Ergonomic shape - Designed for improved skin contact and grip

Injecting with the Victoza® pen

People testing the Victoza® pen (using practice injection tools) found it easy to learn how to use. The needle is designed to penetrate into the tissue underneath your skin. Victoza® will move into your bloodstream slowly, over time. The NovoFine® 32-gauge Tip needle is only 6 millimeters long. This may help you avoid injecting into muscle.

Always remove and safely discard the needle after each injection and store the Victoza® pen without an injection needle attached. This will reduce the potential for contamination, infection, and leakage while also ensuring dose accuracy.

Talk to your health care provider or pharmacist for more information about needles for your Victoza® pen. Or see the Instructions for Use.

Preparing for your first Victoza® injection

You will be ready for your first injection once you:

  • Have talked with your health care provider or pharmacist about how to use your Victoza® pen, and
  • Have read the Victoza® Instructions for Use.

When starting a new prefilled Victoza® pen, you must follow the “First-Time Use for Each New Pen” instructions that come with it. You only need to do this 1 time with each new pen. You should also follow these instructions if you drop your pen. Do not follow the “First-Time Use for Each New Pen” instructions before every injection, because you will run out of medicine too soon.

Remember, we’re here to help along the way. For questions or concerns about your Victoza® pen, you can call a Diabetes Health Coach at 1-877-905-1126, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM ET, or talk to your doctor.

 

 

Using the Victoza® pen

You may have concerns about using an injectable medication for managing your type 2 diabetes. But it’s important to realize the positive effect it may have on the management of your diabetes. And once you gain a little confidence in doing them on your own, Victoza® injections can become part of your daily routine.

If you were given instructions from your health care provider on how to use the Victoza® pen and you have read the Instructions for Use and Medication Guide, you may be ready for your first injection.

Get live support when you need it most

Diabetes Health Coaches are on hand to help you through the injection process. Call a Health Coach at 1-877-905-1126, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM ET.

When to start your Victoza® injections

First, be sure to use Victoza® exactly as prescribed by your health care provider. Victoza® must be taken every day. It’s best to get into a routine so you remember to take Victoza® once a day, at the same time every day.

Self-injecting with the Victoza® pen

Inject your dose of Victoza® under the skin (this is called a subcutaneous injection) in one of these injection sites: your stomach area (abdomen), upper leg (thigh), or upper arm, as instructed by your health care provider. Do not inject into a vein or muscle.

Also, make sure you read about and understand the proper care and storage of your Victoza® pen in the Victoza® Medication Guide.

 

 

How to care for your Victoza® pen

Follow these instructions on how to care for your Victoza® pen. Remember that your doctor or diabetes care team should teach you how to use the pen. You should also read the Instructions for Use and Medication Guide, which provide full information.

If you have questions about using, caring for, or storing your Victoza® pen, call 1-877-905-1126 to speak with a Diabetes Health Coach. They’re available Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM ET.

Caring for the Victoza® pen

  • After removing the needle and discarding it properly, put the cap back on your Victoza® pen and store your Victoza® pen without the needle attacheda
  • Do not try to refill your Victoza® pen—it is prefilled and is disposable
  • Do not try to repair your pen or pull it apart
  • Keep your Victoza® pen away from dust, dirt, and liquids
  • If cleaning is needed, wipe the outside of the pen with a clean, damp cloth

Victoza® storage

Before use

  • Store your new, unused Victoza® pen in the refrigerator at 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C)
  • If Victoza® is stored outside of the refrigerator (by mistake) prior to first use, it should be used or thrown away within 30 days
  • Do not freeze Victoza® or use Victoza® if it has been frozen. Do not store Victoza® near the refrigerator cooling element

Victoza® pen in use

  • Use a Victoza® pen for only 30 days. Throw away a used Victoza pen 30 days after you start using it, even if some medicine is left in the pen
  • Store your Victoza® pen at 59ºF to 86ºF (15ºC to 30ºC), or in a refrigerator at 36ºF to 46ºF (2°C to 8°C)
  • When carrying the Victoza® pen away from home, store the pen at a temperature between 59°F and 86°F (15°C and 30°C)
  • If Victoza® has been exposed to temperatures above 86°F (30°C), it should be thrown away
  • Protect your Victoza® pen from excessive heat and sunlight
  • Keep the cap on when your Victoza® pen is not in use
  • Always remove the needle after each injection and store your pen without the needle attached. This reduces the risk of contamination, infection, leakage, and inaccurate dosing

Important information

  • Always use a new needle for each injection to prevent contamination
  • Always remove the needle after each injection, and store your pen without the needle attached. This reduces the risk of contamination, infection, leakage of liraglutide, blocked needles, and inaccurate dosing
  • Keep your Victoza® pen and all medicines out of the reach of children
  • If you drop your Victoza® pen, repeat “First Time Use for Each New Pen” (steps A through D) in the Instructions for Use
  • Be careful not to bend or damage the needle
  • Do not use the cartridge scale to measure how much Victoza® to inject
  • Be careful when handling used needles to avoid needlestick injuries
  • You can use your Victoza® pen for up to 30 days after you use it the first time

Victoza® pen safety

Do not store the Victoza® pen with the needle attached.b Always remove the needle after each injection and store your pen without the needle attached. This reduces the risk of contamination, infection, leakage, and inaccurate dosing.

Do not share your Victoza® pen with other people, even if the needle has been changed. You may give other people a serious infection, or get a serious infection from them.

For more information about how to dispose of used pen needles and used Victoza® pens, see the Instructions for Use.

bPen needles are sold separately and may require a prescription in some states.