Dulaglutide

Areas of active research — not promised effects

Each tag links to other compounds with research into that goal. Research use only: these are areas of study, not human-use claims.

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Trulicity (dulaglutide) holds full FDA approval as a prescription medication. It is a biologic and is not subject to the FDA-19 compounding shortage list provisions that affect semaglutide, tirzepatide, or liraglutide. As an approved biologic not on the shortage list, routine 503A/503B compounding is not permitted.

Transparent blend · bci-1.0 · never paid-placement

Primary name

Dulaglutide

Origin

Engineered biologic consisting of two modified DPP-4-resistant GLP-1(7-37) analogue sequences covalently linked to a modified human IgG4 Fc fragment, conferring resistance to proteolytic degradation and extending circulating half-life to approximately five days. Developed by Eli Lilly; brand name Trulicity. DrugBank: DB09045.

Appearance

Clear, colourless to slightly yellow solution in prefilled pen

Solubility

Supplied as ready-to-inject aqueous solution; not available as lyophilised powde…

Sequence not available in current seed.

Stability: Stable in prefilled pen at refrigerator temperature until expiry. Protected from light. Discard if solution is cloudy, discoloured, or contains particulates.

Vial sizes

0.75 mg · 1.5 mg · 3 mg · 4.5 mg

Purity grades

pharmaceutical

Salt forms

Free base (primary)

• GHS hazard class on file
• PPE & spill response
• Disposal guidance
• Not-for-human-consumption posture

How much research exists, and of what maturity — never a verdict on whether it works.

Mechanism of action

• Dulaglutide binds and activates the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor, a G-protein-coupled receptor expressed on pancreatic beta cells, the gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system, and cardiovascular tissue
• Receptor activation stimulates glucose-dependent insulin secretion, suppresses postprandial glucagon release, slows gastric emptying, and reduces appetite through central satiety signalling
• The IgG4 Fc fusion substantially increases molecular weight (~57 kDa), preventing renal clearance and protecting the GLP-1 moiety from DPP-4 cleavage, which together underpin its once-weekly dosing schedule
• In the REWIND cardiovascular outcomes trial (median follow-up 5.4 years), dulaglutide 1.5 mg weekly reduced the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) versus placebo in adults with type 2 diabetes who had established or high-risk cardiovascular disease

Pharmacokinetics (ADME)

Half-life

~5 days (terminal half-life; supports once-weekly dosing)

Clearance

Not renally cleared due to high molecular weight (~57 kDa); no dose adjustment required for renal or hepatic impairment

PK–PD note: Peak plasma concentration reached 24–72 hours post-subcutaneous injection; less than 50% accumulation at steady state with weekly administration…

Reading the evidence

• Evidence quality and gaps vary by application — see the cited grades above.
• Indexed-article counts span all evidence tiers, not only completed human trials.
• No first-party human-dosing, efficacy, or benefit claims are made here.

Key reviews & evidence-gap sources

• Zhang L et al. Efficacy and safety of dulaglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Sci Rep. 2016;6:18904. — Anchoring systematic review/meta-analysis of dulaglutide RCTs
• Jendle J et al. Efficacy and safety of dulaglutide... comprehensive review of the AWARD phase 3 clinical trial program. Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2016;32(8):776-790. — Narrative review of AWARD phase 3 program
• Fala L. Trulicity (Dulaglutide): A New GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Once-Weekly Subcutaneous Injection. Am Health Drug Benefits. 2015;8(Spec Feature):131-134. — Mechanism/approval overview; FDA approval date Sept 18, 2014
• Systematic review/meta-analysis: dulaglutide vs insulin glargine in T2DM (PubMed 33675117)
• Efficacy and safety of dulaglutide compared with first-line hypoglycemic drugs in Asian patients with T2DM: systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci Rep. 2022.

5 registered trials — 0 currently recruiting.

Phase 3
NCT07156539
A Phase 3 Study of HS-20094 in Patients With T2DM

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Phase 3
NCT02963766
A Study of Dulaglutide (LY2189265) in Children and Adolescents With Type 2 Diabetes

COMPLETED

Phase 3
NCT02152371
A Study of Dulaglutide (LY2189265) in Participants With Type II Diabetes

COMPLETED

—
NCT01511393
An Active Surveillance Program for Cases of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma (MTC)

ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION

Phase 3
NCT05680129
A Phase 3 Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of XW003 Compared With Dulaglutide in Participants With T2DM

COMPLETED

Summary (literature)

Per FDA prescribing information and REWIND trial data: most common adverse effects are gastrointestinal — nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, and abdominal pain — and are typically dose-dependent and transient. Rare but serious risks include pancreatitis, diabetic retinopathy complicati…

WADA status

Not specifically listed on the 2026 WADA Prohibited List. GLP-1 receptor agonists as a class are not currently prohibited in sport; WADA is monitoring the class…

Dominant research route: SC

Approved route in adults and pediatric patients ≥10 yrs with T2DM; PK characterized in healthy subjects and T2DM patients across 0.75–4.5 mg once-weekly doses

Bioavailability: Mean absolute bioavailability following single SC doses was 65% (0.75 mg) and 47% (1.5 mg); site of injection (abdomen, upper arm, thigh) had no statistically significant effect on exposure; steady-state reached at 2–4 weeks

FDA-approved route; TRULICITY is labeled 'for subcutaneous use' and is to be injected once weekly in the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm at any time of day with or without food

Not a studied/approved route; label specifies subcutaneous use only and states the drug should not be administered IV

Bioavailability: No IV bioavailability reported; IV administration is contraindicated per labeling (100% bioavailability by definition would bypass the SC absorption profile)

TRULICITY is formulated and approved only for subcutaneous injection; IV administration is not to be used

Not a studied/approved route; label specifies subcutaneous use only and states the drug should not be administered IM

Bioavailability: No IM bioavailability reported; IM administration is not to be used per labeling

TRULICITY is approved only for subcutaneous injection; IM administration is not to be used

No oral formulation studied; dulaglutide is a ~63 kDa GLP-1/Fc-fusion protein with no oral dosage form developed or approved

Bioavailability: No oral bioavailability established; as a large peptide-protein fusion construct it is expected to undergo proteolytic degradation in the GI tract and is not orally administered

Dulaglutide is engineered as a DPP-4-resistant GLP-1 analog fused to an IgG4 Fc fragment for half-life extension; unlike oral semaglutide (which uses an SNAC absorption enhancer), no oral delivery technology has been applied to dulaglutide and no oral route has been investigated

Animal & human figures are kept visibly separate so studied animal doses are never misread as human guidance.

Sorted A–Z by vendor — never by price

Trulicity is patent-protected through ~2027–2029; brand-only with no generic competition. GoodRx prices stable at $860–$1,050/carton across 2025–2026. Lilly wholesale acquisition cost ~$987/carton unchanged. No research-chem price trend applicable.

Researched storefront prices, bucketed

p25 $286.67 · median $317.32 · p75 $350.00 · 7 researched vendors

Legit, COA-backed band: $158.66–$398.45/mg.

Value rule: don't just buy the cheapest — a price under $3/mg is a red flag. Pair price with COA and independent-test grade.

Estimated cost of research (10 mg)

Vial (best researched price)

$1587

Bacteriostatic water (generic estimate)

$6

Syringes / supplies (generic estimate)

$12

What each test proves — general guidance, plus this compound's researched purity data

Independent labs cited for this compound

One compound-specific recall found: a 2022 Class II temperature-abuse recall of Trulicity (dulaglutide) single-dose pens by Cardinal Health (NM distribution, completed). No counterfeit-Trulicity-specific criminal seizures or underdosing recalls were identified in retrieved sources; counterfeit GLP-1 enforcement to date has centered on semaglutide/tirzepatide.

Buyer red-flag checklist

• Foreign-sourced GLP-1 APIs (including dulaglutide) subject to DWPE under Import Alert 66-80 unless manufacturer is on FDA Green List
• FDA identified 21% noncompliance rate among 48 evaluated GLP-1 API manufacturing sites (CGMP violations or non-response to records requests)
• Pattern of GLP-1 API sites registering, offering product for import, refusing FDA records requests, then deregistering
• Compounded GLP-1 products exempt from certain CGMP requirements, heightening risk that API quality concerns are not controlled during compounding
• Dulaglutide listed on FDA drug shortage list (as of Oct 2024), increasing reliance on compounded/unapproved sources
• Trulicity carries a boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors; FDA cited misleading promotion in a 2022 untitled letter

GMP vs research-grade: the chemistry (SPPS + HPLC + MS) is identical — the difference is the quality system.

Underdosing / mislabeling: No independent lab-test aggregates (Janoshik/MZ Biolabs/Finnrick) specific to dulaglutide were identified in retrieved sources; dulaglutide is primarily distributed as the branded, FDA-approved Trulicity pen rather than as a compounded research peptide, limiting available third-party purity/underdosing data.

• Detention Without Physical Examination (DWPE) of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonist Bulk Drug Substances, including dulaglutide API. Shipments are detained unless the manufacturer appears on the FDA 'Green List' of facilities evaluated as CGMP-compliant. FDA found 21% of 48 evaluated GLP-1 API sites noncompliant under section 501 of the FD&C Act.66-80
• An RUO label is not an import exemption — CBP judges actual intended use.
• Lyophilized powder is ambient-stable in transit; temperature control needed for > 7-day transit.
• US-warehouse vendors dodge import scrutiny — they cost more but ship more reliably.

Every item dated & sourced

Not prohibited. GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g., semaglutide, tirzepatide) are included in WADA's Monitoring Program (tracked in- and out-of-competition) but are not on the Prohibited List; dulaglutide is not specifically named in the 2026 Monitoring Program document retrieved.

No granted patents identified in current seed. Composition-of-matter coverage is limited given the peptide's synthetic origin.

• IACUC / IRB research context
• RUO buyer responsibilities & documentation
• Veterinary / alternative-use where lawful
• Jurisdiction-aware "who may lawfully obtain"

What people discuss

Reported concerns — discussion, not established effects

Reading caveats

• Self-selection toward users with side effects posting more frequently
• Off-label weight-loss use overrepresented in social media relative to approved T2DM population
• Comparison bias vs newer GLP-1s (semaglutide/tirzepatide) tends to frame dulaglutide as less preferred
• Shortage frustration inflating negative sentiment in 2022–2026 window
• Aggregator review scores (Drugs.com 5.3/10, WebMD 3.3/5) skew toward complainers

Manually researched from reddit, youtube, x— theme weights are research estimates, not live counts; aggregated & de-identified. No individual posts, quotes, or usernames are ever shown.

Relative research / market volume — populated once the activity stream is wired

Inline tooltips for lyophilized, RUO, EU/mg, SPPS, 503A and more.

Toggle plain-language ↔ scientific in the header.

• How to read a COA
• Free base vs acetate
• Understanding evidence grades

Once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist Fc-fusion approved for type 2 diabetes glycemic control and cardiovascular risk reduction in adults. Approximately 1,246 articles are indexed (literature last scanned 2026-05-29). US regulatory status: FDA-approved prescription drug. Research use only.

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