Research

Hormonal

Cotadutide, a dual GLP-1 and glucagon receptor agonist, significantly improves hepatic parameters (AST, ALT, FIB-4, NFS, PRO-C3) and lipid profiles (triglycerides) in patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity, with effects on liver enzymes appearing independent of weight loss.

For individuals with type 2 diabetes and obesity, cotadutide (a dual GLP-1/glucagon agonist) offers significant improvements in liver health markers (like AST, ALT, and fibrosis scores) and triglyceride levels, potentially beyond what standard GLP-1 drugs like liraglutide achieve. This benefit appears linked to the glucagon component of the drug. Treatment involves daily subcutaneous injections, starting at a low dose and titrating up, which helps manage initial gastrointestinal side effects like nausea. Patients should discuss this option with their healthcare provider, especially if they have concerns about liver health or lipid profiles.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Cotadutide 300 μg reduced PRO-C3 levels at 54 weeks versus placebo... while liraglutide 1.8 mg did not have an effect on PRO-C3 levels... These results suggest a potential effect of cotadutide on transaminase levels that was independent of weight loss, along with effects on plasma lipid levels that may be dependent on the glucagon-activity component of cotadutide.
Rajaa Nahra et al. · Diabetes Care · 2021

Why this rating

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2b trial with a large sample size (n=834), though hepatic endpoints were assessed ad hoc.

Source

Effects of Cotadutide on Metabolic and Hepatic Parameters in Adults With Overweight or Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes: A 54-Week Randomized Phase 2b Study

Rajaa Nahra et al. · Diabetes Care · 2021

DOI 10.2337/dc20-2151

rct · n=834Cited 311×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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