A novel combination of insulin degludec and liraglutide (IDegLira) was compared to insulin degludec (IDeg) alone to measure safety and efficacy in patients with type 2 diabetes. The study was conducted for 26 weeks in 413 patients who were on insulin and metformin with or without sulfonylurea/glinides. The study found that there was a greater improvement in A1C with the IDegLira than IDeg, and the IDegLira resulted in a 2.7 kilogram weight loss versus no weight change with IDeg. This study suggests that adding liraglutide to insulin treatment in diabetics leads to greater glycemic control, and the added benefit of weight loss, compared to insulin treatment alone. 

Both glucagon and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) decrease appetite and can increase weight loss, and glucagon increases energy expenditure. Combining both peptides may have beneficial effects on body-weight regulation. A double-blind crossover study was conducted using sub-anorectic infusion doses of each peptide alone, both peptides in combination, or a placebo into 13 volunteers for 120 minutes, followed by an ad libitum meal and indirect calorimetry measure. Glucagon or GLP-1 given individually did not reduce food intake; however, co-infusion at the same doses led to a significant reduction in food intake by 13 percent and an increase in energy expenditure of 53 kilocalories per day. These observations support the idea that GLP-1 and glucagon together may be an effective treatment for obesity.