Albiglutide
Metabolic / DiabetesAlso known as: Tanzeum, Eperzan, GSK716155
Mechanism
Albiglutide was a once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for type 2 diabetes. It fused two GLP-1 molecules to albumin to extend its half-life. While effective for blood sugar control and shown to reduce cardiovascular events (HARMONY Outcomes trial), it was discontinued commercially in 2018 due to low market uptake relative to competing GLP-1 drugs.
Technical detail
Albiglutide is a recombinant fusion protein consisting of two tandem copies of modified human GLP-1(7-36) fused to human albumin (molecular weight ~73 kDa). The albumin fusion confers resistance to DPP-4 degradation and extends half-life to approximately 5 days, enabling once-weekly dosing. Activates GLP-1R with standard incretin signaling: cAMP/PKA-driven potentiation of GSIS, glucagon suppression, and gastric motility reduction. The HARMONY Outcomes trial showed a 22% reduction in MACE.
Evidence
- moderate
Pozzilli et al. (2020) — Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism — PMID: 32219329
In adults with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes, albiglutide 30-50 mg weekly for 52 weeks did not meaningfully preserve residual beta-cell function versus placebo, with adverse events broadly similar between groups.
- moderate
Shaddinger et al. (2019) — Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice — PMID: 31004676
In 308 adults with type 2 diabetes, weekly liquid albiglutide was noninferior to lyophilized albiglutide for HbA1c reduction at 26 weeks, with similar fasting glucose improvement and no new safety concerns.
- strong
Hernandez et al. (2018) — Lancet — PMID: 30291013
In 9,463 adults with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, once-weekly albiglutide reduced the composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke versus placebo (HR 0.78) over a median 1.6 years.