Obesity and overweight

Active Ingredient: Liraglutide

Indication for Liraglutide

Population group: only children (1 year - 12 years old) , adolescents (12 years - 18 years old)
Therapeutic intent: Curative procedure

Adolescents (≥12 years)

Liraglutide can be used as an adjunct to a healthy nutrition and increased physical activity for weight management in adolescent patients from the age of 12 years and above with:

  • obesity (BMI corresponding to ≥30 kg/m² for adults by international cut-off points)* and
  • body weight above 60 kg.

Treatment with liraglutide should be discontinued and re-evaluated if patients have not lost at least 4% of their BMI or BMI z score after 12 weeks on the 3.0 mg/day or maximum tolerated dose.

* IOTF BMI cut-off points for obesity by sex between 12-18 years (see table 1), in accordance with study design of the Trial 4180.

Table 1. IOTF BMI cut-off points for obesity by sex between 12–18 years:

Age (years)BMI corresponding to 30 kg/m² for adults by international
cut-off points.
MalesFemales
1226.0226.67
12.526.4327.24
1326.8427.76
13.527.2528.20
1427.6328.57
14.527.9828.87
1528.3029.11
15.528.6029.29
1628.8829.43
16.529.1429.56
1729.4129.69
17.529.7029.84
1830.0030.00

Children (6 to <12 years)

Liraglutide is indicated as an adjunct to healthy nutrition and increased physical activity for weight management in children from the age of 6 to <12 years with

  • obesity (BMI ≥95th percentile)* and
  • body weight ≥45 kg

Treatment with liraglutide should be discontinued and re-evaluated if patients have not lost at least 4% of their BMI or BMI z score after 12 weeks on the 3.0 mg/day or maximum tolerated dose.

* CDC BMI cut-off points for obesity (≥95th percentile) by sex between 6 to <12 years (see table 2), in accordance with study design of the Trial 4392.

Table 2. Cut-off points for BMI (Weight in kg/Height in m²) for obesity (≥95th percentile) by sex for children from 6 and <12 years of age:

Age (Years)Obesity
BMI ≥95th percentile
MalesFemales
618.4118.84
6.518.7619.23
719.1519.68
7.519.5920.17
820.0720.70
8.520.5721.25
921.0921.82
9.521.6222.40
1022.1522.98
10.522.6923.57
1123.2124.14
11.523.7324.71

For this indication, competent medicine agencies globally authorize below treatments:

0.6 mg once daily starting dose followed by 0.6 mg dose escalation per week to a maximum dose of 3.0 mg once daily

For:

Dosage regimens

In case that patient weight is > 60 kg

Subcutaneous, 0.6 milligrams liraglutide, once daily, over the duration of 1 week. Afterwards, subcutaneous, 1.2 milligrams liraglutide, once daily, over the duration of 1 week. Afterwards, subcutaneous, 1.8 milligrams liraglutide, once daily, over the duration of 1 week. Afterwards, subcutaneous, 2.4 milligrams liraglutide, once daily, over the duration of 1 week. Afterwards, subcutaneous, 3 milligrams liraglutide, once daily.

Detailed description

For adolescents from the age of 12 to below 18 years old a similar dose escalation schedule as for adults should be applied (see table). The dose should be increased until 3.0 mg (maintenance dose) or maximum tolerated dose has been reached. Daily doses higher than 3.0 mg are not recommended.

Dose escalation schedule:

 DoseWeeks
Dose escalation
4 weeks
0.6 mg1
1.2 mg1
1.8 mg1
2.4 mg1
Maintenance dose3.0 mg

Missed doses

If a dose is missed within 12 hours from when it is usually taken, the patient should take the dose as soon as possible. If there is less than 12 hours to the next dose, the patient should not take the missed dose and resume the once-daily regimen with the next scheduled dose. An extra dose or increase in dose should not be taken to make up for the missed dose.

Dosage considerations

Liraglutide is administered once daily at any time, independent of meals. It should be injected in the abdomen, thigh or upper arm. The injection site and timing can be changed without dose adjustment. However, it is preferable that liraglutide is injected around the same time of the day, when the most convenient time of the day has been chosen. Injection sites should always be rotated to reduce the risk of injection site amyloid deposits.

0.6 mg once daily starting dose followed by 0.6 mg dose escalation per week to a maximum dose of 3.0 mg once daily

For:

Dosage regimens

In case that patient weight is ≥ 45 kg

Subcutaneous, 0.6 milligrams liraglutide, once daily, over the duration of 1 week. Afterwards, subcutaneous, 1.2 milligrams liraglutide, once daily, over the duration of 1 week. Afterwards, subcutaneous, 1.8 milligrams liraglutide, once daily, over the duration of 1 week. Afterwards, subcutaneous, 2.4 milligrams liraglutide, once daily, over the duration of 1 week. Afterwards, subcutaneous, 3 milligrams liraglutide, once daily.

Detailed description

Children (6 to <12 years)

For children from the age of 6 to below 12 years old a similar dose escalation schedule as for adults should be applied (see table). The dose should be increased until 3.0 mg (maintenance dose) or maximum tolerated dose has been reached. Daily doses higher than 3.0 mg are not recommended. Liraglutide in children should be initiated by a physician experienced in the management of obesity in children.

Dose escalation schedule:

 DoseWeeks
Dose escalation
4 weeks
0.6 mg1
1.2 mg1
1.8 mg1
2.4 mg1
Maintenance dose3.0 mg

Missed doses

If a dose is missed within 12 hours from when it is usually taken, the patient should take the dose as soon as possible. If there is less than 12 hours to the next dose, the patient should not take the missed dose and resume the once-daily regimen with the next scheduled dose. An extra dose or increase in dose should not be taken to make up for the missed dose.

Dosage considerations

Liraglutide is administered once daily at any time, independent of meals. It should be injected in the abdomen, thigh or upper arm. The injection site and timing can be changed without dose adjustment. However, it is preferable that liraglutide is injected around the same time of the day, when the most convenient time of the day has been chosen. Injection sites should always be rotated to reduce the risk of injection site amyloid deposits.

Active ingredient

Liraglutide

Liraglutide is a GLP-1 analogue with 97% sequence homology to human GLP-1 that binds to and activates the GLP-1 receptor. The GLP-1 receptor is the target for native GLP-1, an endogenous incretin hormone that potentiates glucose-dependent insulin secretion from the pancreatic beta cells. Unlike native GLP-1, liraglutide has a pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile in humans suitable for once daily administration.

Read more about Liraglutide

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