Lixisenatide dosage and evidence
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
The short answer
Lixisenatide is an FDA-approved daily shot for type 2 diabetes in the GLP-1 family. It was also tested for heart protection.
Evidence grade for Lixisenatide: Strong. The rule: at least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. The sum on this page: 2 completed trials, 6,068 people given it. A grade counts how much has been done to people, not whether it works.
- People given it
- 6,068
- Human studies
- 2
- Found nothing
- 0
Dose
Approved label amounts
10 and 20 mcg
The approved lixisenatide ladder is 10 mcg then 20 mcg, in mcg.
2 effects reported, 1 unwanted, 1 wanted, by people using it, not a trial
Goal pages: Fat loss and metabolism, Heart and circulation
In plain English
In plain English, from Aaron
This is how I would explain it to a friend. The evidence, with the numbers, is further down the page.
Lixisenatide is a daily shot for type 2 diabetes. It is sold as Adlyxin. It is in the same family as semaglutide (Ozempic), but it wears off fast. It mainly blunts the blood sugar spike after meals. It is approved and prescription only.
What people take it for
- Lower blood sugar after meals.
- Better control when insulin alone is not enough.
- Adding to insulin without gaining weight.
What studies in people showed
The biggest study had 6,068 people with type 2 diabetes who had just had a heart attack or bad chest pain. They took the drug or a dummy shot. Heart attacks, strokes and heart deaths happened at the same rate in both groups. So it was safe for the heart, but it did not protect it. In another study, people already on long-acting insulin added it for 24 weeks. Their long-term blood sugar number fell 0.4 points more than on a dummy. Blood sugar after meals improved, and they did not gain weight.
What people report
Reports, not study results
The good
- In the studies on this page, blood sugar after meals came down without weight gain.
The bad
- It did not protect the heart in its big study.
- The studies on this page do not list side effects, and we have not collected user reports on this one yet.
Where these come from: Everything here is from the two human studies on this page. We have not collected forum or user reports for this drug yet.
My bottom line
It is a modest diabetes add-on, safe for the heart but not protective. It is not a weight loss drug. Get your blood work done and talk to the doctor who treats your diabetes.
An opinion, not a finding. I am a coach, not a doctor.
What it has been measured to do
Measured in people
Goals Lixisenatide has been tested for in people, biggest studies first. We count only what the studies on this page say, so the real numbers may be higher.
- Heart attacks and strokes6,068 people · 1 study
- Blood sugar and insulinno headcount stated · 1 study
34 of the 36 indexed goals have no study of any kind behind Lixisenatide
No study in people, animals or cells on this page reports a result for these. That does not prove Lixisenatide does nothing for them. It does mean anything you have heard about Lixisenatide and one of these did not come from a study cited here.
Show full evidence
What is Lixisenatide?
Lixisenatide is an FDA-approved daily shot for type 2 diabetes in the GLP-1 family. It was also tested for heart protection.
Lixisenatide is a daily shot for type 2 diabetes, sold as Adlyxin. It is based on exendin-4, the Gila monster hormone. It wears off quickly. It mainly lowers blood sugar after meals, because it slows how fast food leaves your stomach. Longer-lasting drugs like semaglutide cause more weight loss. The biggest study, ELIXA, had 6,068 people with type 2 diabetes who had just had a heart attack or unstable chest pain. Heart attacks, strokes and heart deaths happened at the same rate as on a dummy shot. So it was safe for the heart, but it did not protect it. In GetGoal-L, people already on long-acting insulin added it. After 24 weeks, their long-term blood sugar number fell 0.4 points more than on a dummy. Blood sugar after meals improved, and they did not gain weight.
How does Lixisenatide work?
It switches on the GLP-1 receptor. That helps release insulin when blood sugar is high. It also strongly slows how fast food leaves your stomach, which blunts the blood sugar spike after meals.
The evidence, in charts
Fig. 1a · how many people
6,068people, across 1 study in people cited here
| Study | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| ELIXA, New England Journal of Medicine 2015 | 6,068 | 100% |
The whole total is one study of 6,068. Counts are the number of people each study on this page says it signed up. That includes studies that only watched people and gave nobody the compound. 1 more study in people gives no headcount and is not counted here. Studies still signing people up are left out, and only studies cited on this page are counted.
Fig. 1b · evidence mix
All 2 sources here are studies in people.
- Study in people · done in people2100%
Counted from the list of sources on this page. It counts only what we cite, so there may be more studies out there. A review counts once, however many studies it sums up.
Fig. 2 · evidence over time
Sources here come from just two years, 2013 and 2015.
Too few different years on this page to draw a timeline. The newest source on file is from 2015, more than five years ago. Research on it may have gone quiet.
Fig. 3 · legal status at a glance
US
Approved
UK
Approved
AU
Approved
CA
Approved
Approved in all four countries shown. This is what the law says, not a verdict on the science. See Legal status below for the full text and any notes.
Fig. 5 · what the molecule is
- Kind of compound
- Peptide
- Molecule weight
- 4,858.5 Da
- Half-life
- About 3 hoursShort, 1 to 6 hours
- Chain length
- None on file
No amino acid sequence is on file for Lixisenatide, so none is drawn rather than guessed from a name.
The studies we cite
- Study in people2015Lixisenatide in patients with type 2 diabetes and acute coronary syndrome (ELIXA)
This drug was tested for heart protection and gave none. Just over six thousand people with type 2 diabetes who had recently had a heart attack or unstable chest pain took lixisenatide or a dummy injection. Heart attacks, strokes and deaths from heart disease happened at the same rate in both groups. The trial was built to show the drug was not harmful to the heart, and it cleared that bar. It was large enough to have found a benefit, and there was none.
6,068 patients: primary MACE hazard ratio 1.02, showing noninferiority to placebo but no cardiovascular benefit.
- Study in people2013Adding once-daily lixisenatide for type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled by established basal insulin (GetGoal-L)
Added on top of insulin, the drug helped a little. People with type 2 diabetes whose insulin was not controlling them took lixisenatide or a dummy injection for six months. Their three month average blood sugar fell about 0.4 points further than the dummy group. The gain came mostly from lower blood sugar after meals. Nobody put on weight, which matters because insulin usually causes that. A 0.4 point move is a small effect, not a transforming one.
Placebo-corrected HbA1c reduction of 0.4% at 24 weeks with improved postprandial glucose and no weight gain.
Where to buy Lixisenatide
Lixisenatide is an approved medicine. The approved product comes from a pharmacy, with a prescription. The vials below are sold “for research” and are not the approved drug.
1 seller lists Lixisenatide in our latest read. They are ranked by trust score, then by archive rating, then by certificate tier, then by the lowest price per milligram. Archive evidence is counted before source-backed. Each path is out of 4, and the two are not added. A higher price does not raise the score. The letter is the certificate chip. 0 of them have a published certificate that names Lixisenatide.
Some seller links may pay this site when you buy through them. A payment never changes a seller's tier or rank, and no seller has a say in any page.
| Seller | Trust score | Vial sizes | From, per mg | Certificate for Lixisenatide | Seller link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Molecules | 28 InsufficientSource-backed 1 of 4. Archive evidence 1 of 4.C | 10 mg | $81.0 | None found for Lixisenatide | View |
- LC Lab-confirmed: the issuing laboratory echoed this certificate back
- A Current certificate, independent laboratory named, laboratory not yet checked
- B Certificate published, but no laboratory link, older than a year, or the laboratory did not recognise the published lookup
- C No certificate could be read
Every listing and vial size for Lixisenatide · How the trust score is counted
Sellers named on the price pages are ranked by certificate tier, then price, and any affiliate income is disclosed there. Naming a seller is not a recommendation to buy or use anything.
Common questions
Has Lixisenatide been tested in people?
Yes. 6,068 people given it across 2 completed trials cited here, 0 of which found nothing. Lixisenatide is an FDA-approved daily shot for type 2 diabetes in the GLP-1 family. It was also tested for heart protection.
What is the Lixisenatide dosage?
Approved label amounts. 10 and 20 mcg The approved lixisenatide ladder is 10 mcg then 20 mcg, in mcg.
Is Lixisenatide FDA-approved?
FDA-approved (Adlyxin)
How is lixisenatide different from semaglutide?
Both work on the same gut hormone signal. Lixisenatide wears off fast, is taken daily and mostly lowers blood sugar after meals. Semaglutide lasts all week and causes more weight loss.