Trulicity™, a once-weekly GLP-1 injectable medication, now available to help Canadians with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar

Trulicity™ pen design based on needs of patients

Toronto, ON, February 16, 2016 – Eli Lilly Canada announced the approval of Trulicity TM (dulaglutide), a once-weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist indicated for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes to improve glycemic control. GLP-1 is a naturally occurring intestinal hormone that is released when people eat, causing reduced appetite and the release of insulin. 1

Trulicity is delivered in a pre-filled, single-use pen with a pre-attached hidden needle, and can be used in combination with diet and exercise, metformin (with or without a sulfonylurea), and mealtime (prandial) insulin. 2

The Health Canada approval of Trulicity is based on data from the AWARD clinical trial program, designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of dulaglutide in adults with type 2 diabetes. This data demonstrates that Trulicity reduces blood sugar (HbA1c, fasting glucose, and postprandial glucose) and may provide a weight benefit when used as indicated. 3 The most common adverse events reported with Trulicity include nausea, diarrhea and vomiting and were reported more frequently than with placebo-treated patients. 4

In a recent Canadian survey, over half of those surveyed who currently use an injectable diabetes treatment say they would change something about their medication. 5 Among those, 70 per cent say they would prefer not to have to administer a daily injection. 6

"Patients with diabetes often struggle to manage their disease, and often have concerns when faced with the need to add an injectable medicine to their treatment regimen," said Dr. Vincent Woo, Endocrinologist at the Winnipeg Clinic in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

"Trulicity is a positive step forward for patients to advance their control – control of their disease, weight and blood pressure. It’s a tool that may even help with compliance, because it only needs to be administered once each week."

The Trulicity pen was designed based on feedback collected through extensive consumer research to address common patient concerns about administering an injectable medicine. Patients were looking for something that is simple to use, pre-loaded with a hidden needle and requires administration only once each week.

"Managing type 2 diabetes can be challenging. As a physician, something I hear often from patients is their concern about potentially having to advance to a daily injectable medication as part of their treatment regimen,” said Dr. Ronald Goldenberg, Endocrinologist in Thornhill, Ontario. “Trulicity is a new once-weekly injectable treatment option that has been shown to be effective at improving blood sugar and may result in weight loss when used as indicated. It is a pre-filled, single-use pen that is only administered one day per week. This simple to use treatment may be welcome news for patients who are struggling to manage their glucose levels."

"Our aim is to help patients effectively self-manage their diabetes in order to achieve their goals,” said Diabetes Nurse Educator Lori Berard, from the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. “A treatment option where the patient doesn’t see or handle the needle may help address the challenges sometimes associated with the transition from oral to injectable medication, and a simple device may make injectable therapy seem less daunting."

About Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the body either cannot produce insulin or cannot properly use the insulin it produces. 7 Approximately 3.3 million Canadians have type 1 or type 2 diabetes and this number is expected to rise to 4.8 million by 2024. 8 Diabetes can result in a variety of serious complications, including heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, problems with erection (impotence) and amputation. 9 Metabolic control has demonstrated reduction in the risk of microvascular complications. 10

About Eli Lilly Canada Inc.

Eli Lilly and Company is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by Colonel Eli Lilly, who was committed to creating high quality medicines that meet people’s needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and contribute to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism.

Eli Lilly Canada was established in 1938, the result of a research collaboration with scientists at the University of Toronto which eventually produced the world’s first commercially-available insulin. Lilly Canada now employs more than 400 people across the country, working in the areas of oncology, endocrine disorders, men’s and women’s health, autoimmunity, neuroscience and diabetes. To learn more about Lilly Canada, please visit us at www.lilly.ca.

# # #

TM Registered trademark owned by Eli Lilly and Company; used under license.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Sydney Dare
Environics Communications
416-969-2665
[email protected]                                 

Helen Stone
Eli Lilly Canada
416-693-3169
[email protected]

References:

  1. Drucker, DJ., et al. The incretin system: glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors in type 2 diabetes. Lancet 2006; 368: 1696-705. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17098089 

  2. Product Monograph, TRULICITY TM, November 10, 2015. Pg. 3 

  3. Product Monograph, TRULICITY TM, November 10, 2015. Pg. 24 

  4. Product Monograph, TRULICITY TM, November 10, 2015. Pg. 8  

  5. Trulicity Leger Poll 2015 – Patient Perceptions of Injectable Medication in Type 2 Diabetes. Online survey conducted among 1002 Canadians with type 2 diabetes from October 26 – November 18, 2015. 

  6. Trulicity Leger Poll 2015 – Patient Perceptions of Injectable Medication in Type 2 Diabetes. Online survey conducted among 1002 Canadians with type 2 diabetes from October 26 – November 18, 2015.

  7. Canadian Diabetes Association. Types of Diabetes. http://www.diabetes.ca/about-diabetes/what-is-diabetes. Last accessed February 17, 2015. 

  8. Canadian Diabetes Association. Diabetes Charter for Canada, http://www.diabetes.ca/getmedia/6ba73187-45ec-43b8-a0e5-054ab6ce032a/diabetes-charter-backgrounder-alberta-english.pdf. Last accessed January 13, 2016.  

  9. Canadian Diabetes Association. Complications. http://www.diabetes.ca/diabetes-and-you/complications. Last accessed February 17, 2015.

  10. Stratton IM, Adler AI, Neil HAW, et al. Association of glycaemia with macrovascular and microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes (UKPDS 35): prospective observational study. BMJ: British Medical Journal. 2000;321(7258):405-412. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC27454/. Last accessed January 26, 2016.