Liraglutide and its Effectiveness Against Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity
By: Abigail Lin, (Monta Vista High School)
Summary
I did my research project on the drug called liraglutide. This drug is used to treat Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by helping to lower blood sugar levels. Liraglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist and polypeptide that binds to the GLP-1 receptors of the cells in the intestine and pancreatic beta cells. This causes them to generate more ATP and secrete insulin. Pregnant women and those with a family history of Thyroid cancer should not take liraglutide. In addition, some side effects may include nausea, diarrhea, back pain, and shivering. Although not confirmed, experiments done with rats show that liraglutide may cause Thyroid C-cell tumors.
There are 2 types of liraglutide, Saxenda and Victoza. Saxenda contains a larger dose of liraglutide and is mainly taken for weight loss, while Victoza is taken in smaller doses and used to maintain blood sugar levels. Both are injected by a subcutaneous injection with an applicator pen once a day. To inject, press on the pen until a small amount of liquid beads at the top. Then insert in the abdomen, upper thigh, or upper arm to administer into the body.
Studies show that liraglutide is effective in weight loss, and those who participated lost 1.3-2 kilograms in 13-24 months. Results varied, but those who weighed over 100 kilograms generally lost more weight with this medicine. Overall, liraglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that is used to help treat blood sugar and obesity. Research has shown that taking liraglutide is effective in helping lose weight.
Insulin will bind to fat/ muscle cells to open the Glut-4 and take glucose in. But when you have type 2, when the insulin binds to the insulin receptors, no signal is passed to the Glut-4, causing it to not open. This leads to higher blood sugar levels. Taken from literature. Citation: Type 2 Diabetes. (2025). Diabetes Teaching Center. (Source)
Video Presentation
Impact Statement
I'm Abigail, an incoming freshman at Monta Vista High School in California. During the two weeks that I took part in Elios summer program, I learned about things that happen inside our bodies. How Diabetes Mellitus and cancer can be diagnosed and treated. What took me by surprise the most was that over 90% of diabetes cases are Type 2! This new knowledge inspired me to do my Capstone project on Diabetes Mellitus, and I eventually settled on the drug 'liraglutide'. As I advanced in researching my drug, I've been exposed to so many new things that I would've never learned had I not taken this summer program. Things like the fact that there are 2 different commercial brands of liraglutide, Saxenda and Victoza. I now know that they are both used in different ways, despite both containing liraglutide. This program taught me what sites would be good to use for further research, as well as how to format and create a proper poster. These skills will always be with me for whenever I need then next. This would have never been possible without my amazing mentor, who was always there when I needed help!
Student Reflection
By: Abigail Lin. The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Elio Academy.