Trulicity for Kidney Disease: Evidence, Eligibility
Trulicity is not FDA approved for kidney disease. It is approved for type 2 diabetes and heart risk.
- For kidney disease
- Not an approved use
- Active ingredient
- dulaglutide
- How it is taken
- weekly injection
Trulicity overview
Its half-life is about 5 days: after 5 d, half is gone, and about 3% remains after five half-lives (25 d).
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed).
Who qualifies?
| Source | Who qualifies |
|---|---|
| FDA label | For adults and children 10 and older who have type 2 diabetes, this medicine lowers blood sugar when used with diet and exercise. |
| FDA label | In adults who have type 2 diabetes plus heart disease or several heart risk factors, this medicine lowers the risk of a heart attack, stroke, or heart-related death. |
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed).
Kidney disease: what is different?
| What changes | What the label says |
|---|---|
| Acute Kidney Injury Due to Volume Depletion | Fluid loss from vomiting or diarrhea may lead to kidney injury. Drink fluids and report heavy fluid loss. |
The FDA labels say: FDA label (DailyMed).
The source of these label warnings is: FDA label (DailyMed).
Coverage for kidney disease
These medicines may be covered by Medicare Part D when the prescription is for diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
Sources: humana.com.
- Trulicity Coupon and Savings Card
- Trulicity Price
- Trulicity Cost Without Insurance
- Does Medicare Cover Trulicity? Criteria, Copay, How to Appeal
- Cheapest Way to Get Trulicity
- Is Trulicity Covered by Insurance? Criteria, Copay, Appeal
- Does Blue Cross Blue Shield Cover Trulicity? Criteria, Copay
- Does Medicaid Cover Trulicity? Criteria, Copay, How to Appeal
Other options for kidney disease:
| Medicine | For kidney disease | How it is taken | Trial result |
|---|---|---|---|
 Ozempic | FDA approved | weekly injection | the risk of kidney failure, a major loss of kidney function, or death from kidney or heart causes was 24% lower |
| Trulicity | Not an approved use | weekly injection | Not listed |
 Wegovy | Not an approved use | weekly injection or daily tablet | Not listed |
 Rybelsus | Not an approved use | daily tablet | Not listed |
 Mounjaro | Not an approved use | weekly injection | Not listed |
 Zepbound | Not an approved use | weekly injection | Not listed |
 Foundayo | Not an approved use | daily tablet | Not listed |
 Saxenda | Not an approved use | daily injection | Not listed |
 Victoza | Not an approved use | daily injection | Not listed |
| Byetta | Not an approved use | twice-daily injection | Not listed |
Sources used: PubMed, FDA label (DailyMed).
Questions to ask your prescriber
- How will we keep track of my kidney numbers?
- When fluids will not stay down, what should I do?
For full prescribing details, see Trulicity on DailyMed.