Lixisenatide (Adlyxin): Pens, Dosing and Half-Life
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Lixisenatide: pen strength and half-life

Pen strength · Half-life ~3 hours

Short answer: Lixisenatide has a half-life of about 3 hours. Levels peak 1 to 3.5 hours after a dose. People vary, so treat these as estimates.

What is lixisenatide?

Lixisenatide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist injected under the skin once a day, within an hour before the first meal, for type 2 diabetes. It was approved in 2016 as Adlyxin, and is also sold combined with insulin glargine as Soliqua 100/33.

Also known as: Adlyxin, Soliqua (with insulin glargine).

Pens: nothing to mix

Adlyxin comes in two ready-to-use 3 mL pens, each holding 14 doses: a green 50 mcg/mL pen (10 mcg per dose) and a burgundy 100 mcg/mL pen (20 mcg per dose). The FDA label starts at 10 mcg once a day for 14 days, to reduce stomach side effects (this dose does not control blood sugar), then 20 mcg once a day from day 15. It is injected in the belly, thigh or upper arm within 1 hour before the first meal of the day, rotating sites. A missed dose is injected within 1 hour before the next meal. Pens are never shared, even with a new needle.

If you also use a powder peptide, the free peptide reconstitution calculator handles the vial math.

Approval status and label warnings

The FDA Adlyxin label approves lixisenatide, with diet and exercise, to improve blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. It has no boxed warning. The label warns about anaphylaxis and serious allergic reactions, pancreatitis, low blood sugar when used with a sulfonylurea or basal insulin, kidney injury from dehydration, severe stomach side effects (it is not recommended with severe gastroparesis), gallbladder disease, and inhaling stomach contents during anesthesia. It is not recommended with end-stage kidney disease. Because it slows stomach emptying, birth control pills are taken at least 1 hour before or 11 hours after a dose.

Drugs@FDA lists Adlyxin (BLA 208471, approved July 2016) as a prescription product, with a label update in March 2026. We did not find a current Adlyxin listing on DailyMed; lixisenatide is listed there as part of Soliqua 100/33. See also exenatide and liraglutide.

Lixisenatide half-life and time to peak

  • Half-lifeabout 3 hours
  • Time to peak (Tmax)1 to 3.5 hours

The FDA Adlyxin label gives a median time to peak of 1 to 3.5 hours after an injection under the skin in people with type 2 diabetes, with no meaningful difference between the belly, thigh and arm. After repeated doses the mean terminal half-life was about 3 hours.

Numbers shown are taken from the source above. Half-life varies from person to person and with injection site.

How to track lixisenatide in Dose Track

  1. Add lixisenatide as a custom compound. Start typing its name and Dose Track fills in the details from its research library for you to check, and it sits next to everything else you take.
  2. Log each pen as you use it, with the injection site, so you can see your history at a glance.
  3. Set reminders on your own schedule, whether that is daily, weekly or every few days.
  4. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

How Dose Track handles GLP-1s · Reconstitution calculator · Half-life calculator

ExenatideByetta · half-life about 2.4 hours LiraglutideVictoza, Saxenda · half-life about 13 hours SemaglutideOzempic, Wegovy · half-life about 7 days DulaglutideTrulicity · half-life about 5 days

Frequently asked questions

Do you need to mix lixisenatide?+
Adlyxin comes in two ready-to-use 3 mL pens, each holding 14 doses: a green 50 mcg/mL pen (10 mcg per dose) and a burgundy 100 mcg/mL pen (20 mcg per dose). The FDA label starts at 10 mcg once a day for 14 days, to reduce stomach side effects (this dose does not control blood sugar), then 20 mcg once a day from day 15. It is injected in the belly, thigh or upper arm within 1 hour before the first meal of the day, rotating sites. A missed dose is injected within 1 hour before the next meal. Pens are never shared, even with a new needle.
What is the half-life of lixisenatide?+
The FDA Adlyxin label gives a median time to peak of 1 to 3.5 hours after an injection under the skin in people with type 2 diabetes, with no meaningful difference between the belly, thigh and arm. After repeated doses the mean terminal half-life was about 3 hours.
When is lixisenatide injected?+
The FDA Adlyxin label says once a day within 1 hour before the first meal of the day, preferably the same meal each day. A missed dose is injected within 1 hour before the next meal.
How is lixisenatide different from semaglutide?+
Both act on the GLP-1 receptor. Adlyxin (lixisenatide) has a label half-life of about 3 hours and is injected once a day before breakfast; semaglutide lasts much longer and is injected once a week or taken as a daily tablet.
Can I track lixisenatide in Dose Track?+
Yes. Lixisenatide is in Dose Track's research library, so when you add it as a custom compound its details are filled in for you to check. You can then log each shot next to your other compounds and get reminders. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

Sources

  1. Adlyxin (lixisenatide) injection prescribing information, sections 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 12.3. FDA label, March 2026.
  2. Drugs@FDA: Adlyxin (lixisenatide), BLA 208471.
  3. Soliqua 100/33 (insulin glargine and lixisenatide) injection (Sanofi). DailyMed, March 2026.

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