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Approaches to treating T2DM, a disease characterized by the dual defect of islet cell dysfunction and insulin resistance, include agents that increase the secretion of insulin by the pancreas (secretagogues), agents that increase the sensitivity of target organs to insulin (sensitizers), and agents that decrease the glucose absorption rate from the gastrointestinal tract.Liraglutide, the GLP-1 receptor agonist to reach the market, possesses a 97% homology to GLP-1 with only two amino acid changes and the addition of a fatty acid side chain. Specifically, the lysine in position 34 has been replaced with an arginine, and the lysine in position 26 has been modified with a C16 acyl chain via a glutamoyl spacer. Liraglutide derives its resistance to DPP-4 degradation from its propensity to form micelles and to bind to albumin. Unlike its predecessor exenatide, which requires two daily subcutaneous injections before the first and last meals of the day, liraglutide is approved as a once-daily treatment regimen and may be used in combination with metformin or a sulfonylurea in patients with insufficient glycemic control with either monotherapy or combined dual therapy. It is also approved in combination with the dual therapy of metformin and a thiazolidinedione in patients with insufficient glycemic control. Liraglutide displayed a binding potency of 61 pM (EC50= 55 pM for GLP-1) for the cloned human GLP-1 receptor.