Lixisenatide is a once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist (MW ~4858.5 g/mol) based on the exendin-4 scaffold, with a modified C-terminal tail containing six lysine residues. It was developed by Sanofi and FDA-approved in July 2016 (Adlyxin) for type 2 diabetes. It is also marketed as Lyxumia outside the United States. Lixisenatide is available in a fixed-ratio combination with insulin glargine as Soliqua 100/33.
Category: Metabolic / GLP-1 Agonist. Evidence rating: A (strong human clinical data).
Clinical status: FDA-approved (Adlyxin for T2D, July 2016; Soliqua 100/33 combination, November 2016)
Lixisenatide is a 44-amino-acid peptide that activates the GLP-1 receptor with high affinity. It is derived from exendin-4 with deletion of a proline residue and addition of six C-terminal lysine residues, which enhance resistance to DPP-4 degradation. As a prandial (short-acting) GLP-1 agonist,…
Research base: 0 registered clinical trials and 1 indexed publication reference Lixisenatide.
Safety considerations: Common (>=5%): nausea (25%), vomiting (10%), headache (9%), diarrhea (8%); GI side effects are typically transient, most common during first 2-3 weeks of treatment; Hypoglycemia: increased risk when combined with sulfonylureas or insulin; dose reduction of concomitant medications may be needed.
Reviewed by the PeptideAtlas Editorial Team. Last reviewed: 2026-08-12.
Related peptides: Semaglutide, Liraglutide, Exenatide.
Compare: Lixisenatide vs Semaglutide, Lixisenatide vs Liraglutide, Lixisenatide vs Exenatide.
Lixisenatide is classified as a "short-acting" or "prandial" GLP-1 agonist due to its ~3-hour half-life. It is particularly effective at reducing postprandial glucose through potent gastric emptying delay, making it a good complement to basal insulin (which targets fasting glucose). Longer-acting GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide produce more weight loss and greater overall HbA1c reduction.
Soliqua 100/33 is a fixed-ratio combination of insulin glargine (100 units/mL) and lixisenatide (33 mcg/mL), administered as a single daily injection. It provides basal insulin coverage plus the prandial glucose-lowering effect of lixisenatide, simplifying treatment compared to separate injections.
Approximately 70% of patients develop anti-lixisenatide antibodies, likely because its exendin-4-based sequence differs from human GLP-1. However, in most patients these antibodies are low-titer and do not significantly affect glycemic response. In about 2.4% of patients, high-titer antibodies may reduce efficacy.
Lixisenatide has a smaller market share than semaglutide, dulaglutide, or liraglutide, partly due to its more modest efficacy as monotherapy. Its primary niche is as part of the Soliqua combination product with basal insulin, which offers a practical single-injection approach for patients requiring insulin intensification.