Summary
Exenatide has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Type 2 Diabetes would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Type 2 Diabetes. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Exenatide to Type 2 Diabetes: 7 have completed; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT00477581). The largest enrolment is 467 participants (NCT00641056). Registration activity spans 2006 to 2017. The literature layer holds 14 publications for this pair: 5 Cochrane reviews, 4 meta-analyses and 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2025 to 2026. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus ranks 767 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: 1.6-1.7% at 7 years on standard care (population-level cohorts UK and US).
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 78.0 (trials 28.0, literature 30.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 8 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 7 completed, 1 other |
| Linked publications | 14 (5 Cochrane reviews, 5 clinical trial publications, 4 meta-analyses) |
| Agent type | Biologic |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | Open Targets, ChEMBL |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT03361098 | DECREASE: Dapagliflozin Plus Exenatide on Central REgulation of Appetite in diabeteS typE 2 2017 | completed | Phase 4 | 65 |
| NCT00477581 | A Study to Compare the Effects of Exenatide and Sitagliptin on Postprandial Glucose in Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus 2007 | completed | Phase 4 | 102 |
| NCT00641056 | Efficacy of Exenatide Once Weekly and Once-Daily Insulin Glargine in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Treated With Metformin Alone or in Combination With Sulfonylurea (DURATION - 3) 2008 | completed | Phase 3 | 467 |
| NCT02638805 | Study of the Safety and Tolerability of Switching to ITCA 650 in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Receiving Liraglutide 2015 | completed | Phase 3 | 136 |
| NCT01785771 | A Study to Evaluate ITCA 650 for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes in Patients With High Baseline HbA1c 2013 | terminated | Phase 3 | 100 |
| NCT02895672 | GLP-1/Basal Insulin Combination Therapy 2016 | completed | Not applicable | 150 |
| NCT00775684 | Effect of Exenatide, Sitagliptin or Glimepiride on Functional ß -Cell Mass 2008 | completed | Not applicable | 47 |
| NCT00803920 | Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) in Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes Taking Twice-Daily Exenatide or Once-Weekly Exenatide 2006 | completed | Not applicable | 8 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication Serial assessment of NT-proBNP and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist therapy in type 2 diabetes: Insights from EXSCELKittipibul V, Nguyen M, Welsh P et al. · American heart journal · 2026 · PMID 42102896
- Clinical trial publication Exenatide induces an enhanced endogenous glucagon-like peptide-1 secretory response in patients receiving basal insulinParikh M, Pu J, Shen J et al. · The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2026 · PMID 41604435
- Cochrane review Efficacy and safety of novel antidiabetic drugs in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease: a network meta-analysisZhu X, Wang X, Zhang P et al. · Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026 · PMID 41987895
- Cochrane review Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists in children with obesity and type 2 diabetes. an umbrella reviewMirghani H, Albishi L, Alblewi SM · Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026 · PMID 41798193
- Meta-analysis GLP1-1RAs improve walking distance and reduce amputation in people with type 2 diabetes and peripheral artery disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials and cohort studiesGiugliano D, Longo M, Di Martino N et al. · Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · 2026 · PMID 41508745
- Meta-analysis Exploring the rates of Gastrointestinal adverse effects among five GLP-1 receptor agonists: A systematic review and Meta-Analysis of randomized controlled trialsJoy B, Ramsamooj A, Ibrahim S et al. · Endocrine · 2026 · PMID 41489846
- Meta-analysis Injection-site and dermatologic reactions associated with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists: Insights from meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials and real-world evidenceTaj S, Zuber M, Rashid M et al. · Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · 2026 · PMID 41395692
- Clinical trial publication Impact of changes in conventional risk factors induced by once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist exenatide on cardiovascular outcomes: an EXSCEL post hoc analysisColeman RL, Adler AI, Mentz RJ et al. · Cardiovascular diabetology · 2025 · PMID 40849664
- Clinical trial publication Proteomic pathways across the ejection fraction spectrum in patients with heart failure and diabetes mellitus: an EXSCEL trial substudyPeters AE, Nguyen M, Green JB et al. · Scientific reports · 2025 · PMID 40825966
- Clinical trial publication Changes in β-Cell Function and Insulin Sensitivity During Treatment With Dapagliflozin Alone or in Combination With Exenatide in Type 2 DiabetesTriplitt C, Cersosimo E, Alatrach M et al. · Diabetes care · 2025 · PMID 40627548
- Cochrane review Evaluating the Rates of Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Cancer Among GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled TrialsWen J, Nadora D, Bernstein E et al. · Endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism · 2025 · PMID 40988099
- Cochrane review Impact of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists on Suicide Behavior: A Meta-Analysis Based on Randomized Controlled TrialsChen J, Zhang Q, Wu Q et al. · Journal of diabetes · 2025 · PMID 40887719
- Cochrane review Efficacy, Safety, and Future of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-AnalysisKatz G · Hormone and metabolic research = Hormon- und Stoffwechselforschung = Hormones et metabolisme · 2025 · PMID 40409279
- Meta-analysis Assessing the shadows: A meta-analysis of GLP-1 agonists and suicidal ideationAlansari AO, Alharbi AS, Alshehri KM et al. · Medicine · 2025 · PMID 41366934
Mechanism and notes
No mechanism of action is recorded for this pair in the source databases.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Exenatide approved for Type 2 Diabetes?
Exenatide has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Type 2 Diabetes would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Type 2 Diabetes. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Exenatide in clinical trials for Type 2 Diabetes?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Exenatide to Type 2 Diabetes: 7 have completed; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT00477581). The largest enrolment is 467 participants (NCT00641056). Registration activity spans 2006 to 2017.
What does the evidence show for Exenatide in Type 2 Diabetes?
Exenatide has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Type 2 Diabetes. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.