Combined insulin detemir and liraglutide therapy in type 2 diabetic patients: a base for an alliance

Combined glucose-lowering therapy, comprising of basal insulin with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogues, has become central to the treatment of type 2 diabetes both at the start of insulin therapy, and as an alternative to basal-bolus insulin. The combination of insulin detemir (insulin analogue) with liraglutide (GLP-1 analogue) reduces fasting and postprandial glycaemia, lowers the risk of hypoglycaemia and does not have a negative impact on body weight. In this literature review, the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profiles, as well as the potential benefits of combined insulin detemir and liraglutide therapy on diabetic nephropathy and high cardiovascular disease risk were determined. Data from randomised clinical trials and the National Registry were used to assess the clinical efficacy of combined insulin detemir and liraglutide therapy. The different mechanistic actions of insulin detemir and liraglutide resulted in an additive glucose-lowering effect, which did not affect the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profiles of each therapeutic agent.