Lixisenatide

What it means

Lixisenatide was approved in the US in 2016 as Adlyxin, a once-daily injection for type 2 diabetes. It has a short half-life, so its main effect is on the rise in blood sugar after the meal it is taken before, largely through slower stomach emptying.

Sanofi stopped selling stand-alone Adlyxin in the US at the start of 2023, citing business reasons. Lixisenatide is still available in Soliqua 100/33, a single pen that combines it with long-acting insulin glargine for adults with type 2 diabetes.

Lixisenatide is not approved for weight management. Pairing it with insulin may help limit the weight gain insulin can cause, but average weight change in trials was small.

As with other drugs in the class, nausea is the most common complaint. Because Soliqua contains insulin, low blood sugar is a key risk, and the dose is set in insulin units by the prescriber.

Why it matters

If you see lixisenatide on a pharmacy list, it is almost always part of an insulin combination for diabetes, not a weight-loss option.