Trulicity vs Victoza is a weekly dulaglutide shot vs a daily liraglutide shot. Both are older GLP-1 medicines FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes. Both also have FDA-approved uses for lowering major heart-event risk in certain adults with type 2 diabetes. Neither is approved for weight loss.
There is no head-to-head trial that ranks them for A1C on this page. The practical differences are dosing schedule (weekly vs daily), who makes them, whether a generic liraglutide pen is available to you, and what your plan prefers.
The RX Index is the independent GLP-1 decision resource that scores telehealth providers and treatment paths on clinical legitimacy, care quality, transparency, access and cost.
Trulicity vs Victoza at a glance
| Trulicity (dulaglutide) | Victoza (liraglutide) | |
|---|---|---|
| How often | Once a week | Once a day |
| How it works | GLP-1 only | GLP-1 only |
| Maker | Eli Lilly | Novo Nordisk |
| Type 2 diabetes, adults | Yes | Yes |
| Type 2 diabetes, kids 10+ | Yes (max 1.5 mg) | Yes (up to 1.8 mg) |
| Label dose (adults) | Start 0.75 mg, up to 4.5 mg weekly | Start 0.6 mg, then 1.2 mg, up to 1.8 mg daily |
| Heart-risk reduction (type 2 diabetes) | Yes — established heart disease or multiple heart risk factors (REWIND) | Yes — established heart disease (LEADER) |
| FDA-approved for weight loss | No | No (weight-loss liraglutide is Saxenda) |
| Most common side effects | Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, belly pain, decreased appetite | Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, decreased appetite, indigestion, constipation |
| Serious shared warning | Boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors; do not use with MTC or MEN 2 | Same boxed warning; do not use with MTC or MEN 2 |
| List / WAC (Nov 6, 2026) | $1,006.93 a month | $543.51 (2 pens) or $815.27 (3 pens) |
| Cash path | Starting at $389 a month via LillyDirect | Generic liraglutide at Cost Plus Drugs about $153–$194 shipped (stock varies) |
Sources for every row are in the sections below. Prices checked November 6, 2026.
If you're deciding between these older GLP-1s and newer weekly options, The RX Index's Find My GLP-1 Path tool is free, takes about 2 minutes and needs no signup.
What is each one FDA-approved for?
Both are type 2 diabetes medicines with heart-risk indications. Neither is a weight-loss brand.
| FDA-approved use | Trulicity | Victoza |
|---|---|---|
| Blood sugar control, adults with type 2 diabetes | Yes | Yes |
| Blood sugar control, kids 10 and older with type 2 diabetes | Yes | Yes |
| Lower risk of major heart events in adults with type 2 diabetes | Yes, with established heart disease or multiple heart risk factors | Yes, with established cardiovascular disease |
| Weight loss | No | No |
For the weight-loss liraglutide brand, see Victoza vs Saxenda. For newer weekly diabetes shots, see Trulicity vs Ozempic, Trulicity vs Mounjaro and Victoza vs Ozempic. The GLP-1 FDA indications chart maps every approved use.
How do you take them?
- Trulicity: One injection a week, any time of day, with or without food. Adults usually start at 0.75 mg. After at least 4 weeks, the dose may go to 1.5 mg, then up by 1.5 mg steps to a maximum of 4.5 mg. Kids 10 and older max out at 1.5 mg.
- Victoza: One injection a day, any time of day, independent of meals. Adults start at 0.6 mg for one week (that starting dose is meant to reduce stomach side effects, not for long-term control), then 1.2 mg, and may go to 1.8 mg after another week. Kids 10 and older use the same steps with at least one week at each dose.
Don't convert milligrams between the two on your own. They are different molecules. Your prescriber decides any switch.
Does Trulicity or Victoza lower A1C more?
No head-to-head trial on this page ranks them. Separate label results:
| Trial (from the label) | Setting | Drug | A1C change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trulicity AWARD-11, 36 weeks | Add-on to metformin | Trulicity 1.5 / 3 / 4.5 mg weekly | −1.5 / −1.6 / −1.8 points |
| Victoza monotherapy, 52 weeks | Diet and exercise | Victoza 1.2 / 1.8 mg daily | −0.8 / −1.1 points (glimepiride −0.5) |
| Victoza add-on to metformin, 26 weeks | Metformin background | Victoza 1.2 / 1.8 mg daily | −1.0 / −1.0 points (placebo +0.1) |
Treat these as separate studies, not a race. Both lower A1C; newer weekly options such as Ozempic and Mounjaro are often the next conversation when A1C or weight still needs work.
Weight change (not a labeled use)
Neither drug is FDA-approved for weight loss. Weight was measured as a secondary result:
- Trulicity AWARD-11 (36 weeks): 3.0 / 3.8 / 4.6 kg lost on 1.5 / 3 / 4.5 mg (about 7 / 8 / 10 lb) from starting weights around 95–96 kg.
- Victoza monotherapy (52 weeks): About 2.1 kg (about 4.6 lb) on 1.2 mg and 2.5 kg (about 5.5 lb) on 1.8 mg, vs a gain of about 1.1 kg on glimepiride.
If weight loss is the main goal, ask about labeled weight-loss GLP-1s (Saxenda, Wegovy, Zepbound) rather than off-label use of these diabetes brands. See Trulicity vs Zepbound and Victoza vs Saxenda.
Heart outcomes: both have CV indications
| Trulicity (REWIND) | Victoza (LEADER) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who was studied | Adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease or multiple heart risk factors | Adults with type 2 diabetes and established heart disease |
| Main result | MACE 12.0% vs 13.4% placebo; HR 0.88 (0.79, 0.99); median 5.4 years | MACE 13.0% vs 14.9% placebo; HR 0.87 (0.78, 0.97) |
Both beat placebo on major heart events in their outcomes trials. The populations and follow-up times differ, so these are not head-to-head rankings.
If you're considering a switch to a newer weekly GLP-1 and need help checking coverage, Ro's insurance team can run a free check for select brand-name pens (Wegovy, Ozempic, Zepbound). Ro does not list Trulicity or Victoza as primary weight-loss menu products.
Check your GLP-1 coverage with Ro for free (sponsored affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
Trulicity vs Victoza side effects
Stomach side effects dominate both labels. Rates come from different trial pools:
| Nausea in each drug's own trials (not head to head) | Placebo | Drug |
|---|---|---|
| Trulicity 0.75 mg weekly | 5.3% | 12.4% |
| Trulicity 1.5 mg weekly | 5.3% | 21.1% |
| Victoza 1.2 mg daily | 5% | 18% |
| Victoza 1.8 mg daily | 5% | 20% |
Both carry a boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors seen in rodents. Do not use either if you or a family member has had medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), or if you have Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). Both also warn about pancreatitis, gallbladder problems, kidney injury from dehydration, diabetic eye-disease complications, and low blood sugar with insulin or a sulfonylurea.
Get medical help right away for severe belly pain, an allergic reaction, or a neck lump. More drugs side by side: GLP-1 side effects comparison chart.
Trulicity vs Victoza cost
| Price (checked Nov 6, 2026) | Trulicity | Victoza / liraglutide |
|---|---|---|
| Brand list / WAC | $1,006.93 a month | $543.51 (2 pens) or $815.27 (3 pens) |
| Cash / self-pay | Starting at $389 a month via LillyDirect | Cost Plus Drugs generic: 2-pen $152.80 shipped (out of stock today); 3-pen $194.20 shipped (in stock) |
| TrumpRx | Original $987.19; savings $598.19 (about $389) | Not relied on for Victoza on this page |
| Commercial / Medicare patient-pay (Lilly stats for Trulicity) | About 40% commercial pay $0 (90% under $75); about 70% Medicare pay $0 (90% under $47) | Depends on plan; brand Victoza may be limited availability per FDA (shipping delay) |
| Generic | No dulaglutide generic on the US market as of our check | Yes — multiple liraglutide generics; Cost Plus prices above |
Paying cash, generic liraglutide can undercut Trulicity's $389 LillyDirect price when the 3-pen pack is in stock. With insurance, formulary preference often matters more than list price.
For more, see Trulicity price, Victoza cost and the shortage tracker.
Compare weekly GLP-1 options for your goals
Which should you ask your doctor about?
| If this sounds like you | What to ask about |
|---|---|
| You want one shot a week | Trulicity, or a newer weekly option such as Ozempic or Mounjaro |
| You want the lowest cash price and can inject daily | Generic liraglutide / Victoza path, if available |
| Heart protection with type 2 diabetes matters | Either label's CV claim may fit; ask which trial population matches you |
| Weight loss is the main goal | A labeled weight-loss GLP-1 — not Trulicity or Victoza |
| You're on Victoza and tired of daily injections | Ask about switching to a weekly GLP-1 |
| Kids 10+ with type 2 diabetes | Both have pediatric approvals; dose caps differ |
Our best GLP-1 for diabetes and GLP-1 comparison guides cover newer options.
Find the GLP-1 path that fits you
Let Ro check coverage for a weekly GLP-1 (sponsored affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
Weekly vs daily in real life
The clinical labels look similar: both are GLP-1 receptor agonists for type 2 diabetes with heart-risk indications. The lived difference is the calendar.
- Trulicity is one pen a week. That helps people who forget daily medicines or who already juggle many pills.
- Victoza is every day. Some people prefer the smaller daily dose steps; others find daily injections exhausting after years on therapy.
- Missed-dose rules differ. Victoza's label has specific guidance if more than three days have passed since the last dose (reinitiate at 0.6 mg). Trulicity has its own weekly missed-dose window. Follow the label and your pharmacist — do not improvise a conversion from one brand to the other.
Where these two sit among newer options
Trulicity and Victoza are often the starting point before someone asks about Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy or Zepbound:
- Still focused on diabetes A1C: compare Trulicity vs Ozempic, Trulicity vs Mounjaro and Victoza vs Ozempic.
- Weight is now the main goal: Victoza is not the weight brand — that is Saxenda (being discontinued). Trulicity has no weight-loss brand; see Trulicity vs Zepbound or Wegovy comparisons elsewhere on the site.
- Whole-class view: best GLP-1 for diabetes and the GLP-1 comparison.
Cost patterns without inventing your copay
- Brand list prices make Victoza look cheaper than Trulicity on paper ($543.51–$815.27 packs vs $1,006.93 a month), but insurance negotiation and copays rewrite that.
- Cash: generic liraglutide at Cost Plus Drugs can undercut Trulicity's $389 LillyDirect price when the 3-pen pack is in stock. Trulicity has no US generic.
- Medicare / commercial averages Lilly publishes for Trulicity (many patients at $0) do not automatically apply to Victoza; ask your plan.
- Supply: FDA still flagged brand Victoza as limited availability (shipping delay) on our November 6, 2026 check. Generics were listed as available.
Practical next steps
- Pick the schedule you can stick with — weekly or daily — before optimizing for a trial table.
- Ask whether your plan prefers one preferred GLP-1 over the other; formulary position often beats list price.
- If you are paying cash, get a real pharmacy quote for generic liraglutide and for Trulicity LillyDirect in the same week.
- If A1C or weight is still not at goal, ask about stepping to a newer weekly agent rather than maxing an older pen forever.
- Screen for MTC/MEN 2 family history before any switch inside the GLP-1 class.
Who these pages are for
Searchers comparing Trulicity and Victoza are usually already on one of them, or a clinician mentioned both as "older GLP-1" options. This page is not a recommendation to stay on older therapy forever. It is a label-and-cost map so you can ask a sharper question at the next visit: keep the current schedule, switch weekly-for-daily (or the reverse), or step up to a newer weekly agent with a different evidence base and price tag.
Bring your latest A1C, your pharmacy's cash quote, and your plan's preferred GLP-1 list. Those three facts decide more than any average from a 2010s outcomes trial.
Switching is a clinician decision
People often ask for a milligram-to-milligram conversion between Trulicity and Victoza. There isn't a safe DIY chart for that. The molecules differ, the pens differ, and each label's titration schedule exists to limit stomach side effects. If you change medicines, your prescriber picks the starting dose, the monitoring plan for blood sugar, and whether insulin or a sulfonylurea dose also needs to change.
The same rule applies if you later move from either drug to Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy or Zepbound. This page compares two diabetes GLP-1s; it does not tell you how to self-titrate across the class.
What we actually verified
- Read the Trulicity prescribing information (revised March 2026) for uses, doses, boxed warning, AWARD-11, REWIND and side-effect rates.
- Read the Victoza prescribing information for uses, doses, boxed warning, LEADER, monotherapy and metformin add-on results, and side-effect rates.
- Opened Lilly Trulicity pricing / LillyDirect (headless Chrome) and TrumpRx Trulicity.
- Opened Novo Victoza list pricing, Cost Plus Drugs API for generic liraglutide, and FDA's liraglutide shortage API.
- Did kilogram-to-pound and TrumpRx savings math ourselves.
All checks were done on November 6, 2026. What we did not do: verify a current Victoza manufacturer savings-card dollar tier, or get insurer/pharmacy quotes. Confirm costs before you fill.
Frequently asked questions
Is Trulicity the same as Victoza?
No. Trulicity is dulaglutide (weekly, Eli Lilly). Victoza is liraglutide (daily, Novo Nordisk). Both are GLP-1 medicines for type 2 diabetes, but they are different drugs.
Which is better, Trulicity or Victoza?
There is no single winner. Trulicity is weekly; Victoza is daily and has FDA-approved generics. Both lower A1C and both have heart-risk indications from separate outcomes trials. Your schedule, coverage and goals decide the fit.
Can I switch from Victoza to Trulicity?
Only with your prescriber's plan. Do not convert doses yourself. The medicines are not interchangeable milligram for milligram.
Are Trulicity or Victoza approved for weight loss?
No. Weight-loss liraglutide is sold as Saxenda. Dulaglutide has no separate weight-loss brand.
Which is cheaper without insurance?
On November 6, 2026, LillyDirect listed Trulicity starting at $389 a month. Cost Plus Drugs listed generic liraglutide (Victoza) at about $194 shipped for a 3-pen pack when in stock, which can be lower — but the 2-pen pack was out of stock on our check. Your pharmacy quote can differ.
Should I move to a newer weekly GLP-1 instead?
Often that is the next conversation when A1C, weight or convenience still needs work. Options include Ozempic, Mounjaro and others — see our diabetes comparison guides above. A free coverage check can clarify what your plan will pay for a weekly brand-name pen.
Still not sure which GLP-1 path fits you? Take The RX Index's free Find My GLP-1 Path quiz — about 2 minutes, no signup.
Sources
- Trulicity prescribing information (PDF) (Eli Lilly, revised March 2026; checked November 6, 2026)
- Victoza prescribing information (PDF) (Novo Nordisk; checked November 6, 2026)
- Lilly: Trulicity cost information (list price) (checked November 6, 2026)
- LillyDirect: Trulicity self-pay (checked November 6, 2026)
- TrumpRx: Trulicity (checked November 6, 2026)
- Novo Nordisk: Victoza list price (checked November 6, 2026)
- Cost Plus Drugs: liraglutide pricing API (checked November 6, 2026)
- FDA drug shortages API: liraglutide (checked November 6, 2026)
- Ro: weight-loss pricing (checked November 6, 2026; cited for coverage-check context only)