What Is Dasiglucagon? Definition and What Research Reports
Dasiglucagon is a synthetic peptide analog of human glucagon, modified so that it stays soluble and stable in a ready-to-use liquid rather than needing reconstitution from powder. Published literature describes it as a glucagon receptor agonist studied for severe hypoglycemia in diabetes, with a first regulatory approval reported in 2021. Randomized trials and meta-analyses reported rapid plasma glucose recovery after subcutaneous administration, with nausea and vomiting among the most frequently reported adverse events. This entry is definitional and educational only.
Definition
Dasiglucagon is a synthetic peptide analog of human glucagon — a glucagon receptor agonist built on the 29-amino-acid glucagon backbone with amino acid substitutions intended to keep the molecule soluble and chemically stable in aqueous solution, which is how the first-approval review described it when dasiglucagon received its initial regulatory approval in 2021 for severe hypoglycemia in people with diabetes (PMID 34047955). In plain terms: native glucagon is the pancreatic hormone that raises blood glucose, but it aggregates and degrades quickly in water, so traditional emergency kits required mixing a powder with a diluent at the moment of use. Dasiglucagon was engineered to skip that step, and review literature has consistently framed it as a "ready-to-use" glucagon analog rather than a new hormone class (PMID 35861467).
What Class of Molecule It Is and Where It Comes From
Dasiglucagon belongs to the glucagon analog family of peptide drugs. It is not a naturally occurring human peptide and is not extracted from tissue; it is a laboratory-designed sequence produced synthetically, with the substitutions chosen specifically to resist the fibrillation and degradation that limit native glucagon's shelf life in liquid form (PMID 34047955). Pharmacology reviews grouped it with other second-generation glucagon products developed to solve the same formulation problem, noting that the practical advance was stability and presentation rather than a novel receptor target (PMID 32267182).
Because dasiglucagon is an approved prescription medicine in at least one major jurisdiction, it occupies a different regulatory category from the many research peptides that are labelled research-use-only. Its literature base is therefore built largely from registrational clinical trials rather than preclinical or exploratory work.
Quick reference
| Attribute | What the literature describes |
|---|---|
| Molecule type | Synthetic peptide analog of human glucagon, a glucagon receptor agonist (PMID 34047955) |
| Key design feature | Soluble and stable in aqueous solution, supplied ready-to-use without reconstitution (PMID 35861467) |
| Route studied | Subcutaneous administration in clinical trials (PMID 29273578) |
| Primary indication in trials | Severe hypoglycemia in diabetes (PMID 34223944) |
| Other settings studied | Post-bariatric postprandial hypoglycemia (PMID 35320361) |
How the Term Is Used in Peptide Research
In peptide science writing, "dasiglucagon" is used in three fairly distinct ways.
- As a named drug. Most commonly, the term simply refers to the approved product studied in hypoglycemia trials, where researchers reported on its efficacy and tolerability in people with type 1 diabetes (PMID 36266088).
- As a case study in peptide engineering. Reviews used dasiglucagon as an example of how targeted amino acid substitutions can convert an unstable native hormone into a stable, liquid-stable therapeutic, which is why it appears in discussions of glucagon analog design (PMID 32267182).
- As a comparator in delivery-device literature. Because the molecule's stability enables pre-filled presentations, human-factors work has examined the usability and safety profile of the dasiglucagon autoinjector for hypoglycemia management (PMID 37663896).
The term is not used interchangeably with "glucagon." Native glucagon and dasiglucagon share a receptor target, but the published characterisation studies treated them as pharmacologically distinct entities with their own pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles (PMID 29273578).
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Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
An early characterisation study examined subcutaneous dasiglucagon in human subjects and reported that the analog produced rapid, dose-related increases in plasma glucose, with the authors describing the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic behaviour as consistent with a soluble, stable glucagon analog suitable for a ready-to-use formulation (PMID 29273578). That study formed the pharmacological basis for the later registrational programme.
Severe hypoglycemia trials
A phase 3 randomized, double-blind trial evaluated a 0.6 mg subcutaneous dose of dasiglucagon against placebo and against reconstituted glucagon in adults with type 1 diabetes during insulin-induced hypoglycemia, and researchers reported a substantially shorter median time to plasma glucose recovery with dasiglucagon than with placebo (PMID 35239971). Two independent meta-analyses pooled the randomized evidence: one focused on insulin-induced hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes and reported faster glucose recovery with dasiglucagon than placebo (PMID 37735694), and a separate systematic review and meta-analysis of severe hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes reported comparable conclusions on efficacy while also summarising the safety data (PMID 36266088). Narrative reviews reached the same summary position, describing dasiglucagon as an effective option studied for severe hypoglycemia (PMID 34223944).
Post-bariatric postprandial hypoglycemia
Beyond diabetes, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial investigated dasiglucagon in post-bariatric postprandial hypoglycemia, and the study reported that dasiglucagon mitigated postprandial hypoglycemia compared with placebo in that population (PMID 35320361).
Immunogenicity
Because dasiglucagon is a modified peptide, antibody formation was examined directly. A dedicated immunogenicity trial in type 1 diabetes assessed anti-drug antibody responses to repeated dasiglucagon exposure, and researchers reported findings that the authors interpreted as a low immunogenicity profile for the analog (PMID 34252289).
Hypothesis-level discussion
A more speculative 2024 paper discussed the relationship between hypoglycemia and Alzheimer disease risk and raised dasiglucagon as a possible point of interest within that hypothesis, which readers should treat as commentary rather than clinical evidence (PMID 38977507). No conclusion about neurological outcomes follows from that discussion.
Adverse Events: What Studies Report
Across the randomized programme, gastrointestinal effects dominated the reported tolerability picture. The phase 3 trial reported nausea and vomiting among the most frequent adverse events following dasiglucagon administration (PMID 35239971), and the systematic review and meta-analysis of severe hypoglycemia trials in type 1 diabetes likewise summarised nausea and vomiting as the characteristic adverse events associated with the analog (PMID 36266088). Pharmacotherapy reviews described the overall safety profile as broadly consistent with what has long been observed for glucagon-class agents (PMID 35861467). Immunogenicity was evaluated separately, and that trial reported a low anti-drug antibody signal (PMID 34252289). Human-factors work examining the autoinjector presentation reported on ease of use and use-related safety considerations rather than on pharmacological adverse events (PMID 37663896).
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Get the appWhat This Entry Does Not Cover
This is a definitional glossary entry. It does not describe how dasiglucagon is administered in practice, does not compare products, and does not evaluate whether any individual is a candidate for any glucagon-class medicine. Dose figures appear here only where a cited trial reported them, and they are reproduced as study facts, not as instructions. This page is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice; consult a licensed physician about any medical condition, medication or treatment decision.
Related Terms
- Glucagon — the native 29-amino-acid pancreatic hormone that dasiglucagon was designed to mimic in stable form (PMID 34047955).
- Glucagon receptor agonist — the pharmacological class to which dasiglucagon belongs (PMID 32267182).
- Severe hypoglycemia — the clinical setting in which most dasiglucagon trials were conducted (PMID 34223944).
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Start learning freeReferences
- Dasiglucagon: First Approval (Drugs, 2021)
- Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Characteristics of Dasiglucagon, a Novel Soluble and Stable Glucagon Analog (Diabetes Care, 2018)
- Evaluating dasiglucagon as a treatment option for hypoglycemia in diabetes (Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy, 2020)
- Dasiglucagon: an effective medicine for severe hypoglycemia (European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 2021)
- Evaluating Ease of Use and Patient Safety of Dasiglucagon Hypo Pal Autoinjector for the Management of Hypoglycemia (Patient Preference and Adherence, 2023)
- Hypoglycemia and Alzheimer Disease Risk: The Possible Role of Dasiglucagon (Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, 2024)
- Dasiglucagon for the Treatment of Insulin-induced Hypoglycemia in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: A Meta-analysis (Balkan Medical Journal, 2023)
- Clinical efficacy and safety of dasiglucagon in severe hypoglycemia associated with patients of type 1 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, 2023)
- Dasiglucagon Effectively Mitigates Postbariatric Postprandial Hypoglycemia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial (Diabetes Care, 2022)
- Dasiglucagon-A Next-Generation Glucagon Analog for Rapid and Effective Treatment of Severe Hypoglycemia: Results of Phase 3 Randomized Double-Blind Clinical Trial (Diabetes Care, 2021)
- Immunogenicity of the Novel Glucagon Analogue Dasiglucagon: Results of a Dedicated Immunogenicity Trial in Type 1 Diabetes (Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics, 2021)
- Dasiglucagon: A Novel Ready-to-Use Treatment for Severe Hypoglycemia (Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 2023)
Frequently asked questions
What is dasiglucagon in one sentence?▾
Dasiglucagon is a synthetic peptide analog of human glucagon, engineered with amino acid substitutions so it remains soluble and stable in liquid form, and it was described in the first-approval literature as a glucagon receptor agonist approved in 2021 for severe hypoglycemia in people with diabetes (PMID 34047955). Reviews framed it as a ready-to-use glucagon product rather than a new hormone class (PMID 35861467).
How is dasiglucagon different from regular glucagon?▾
The difference is formulation stability rather than receptor target. Native glucagon degrades and aggregates in water, historically requiring reconstitution from powder, while dasiglucagon was designed to stay stable in aqueous solution and be supplied ready-to-use (PMID 35861467). Characterisation work treated the analog as pharmacologically distinct, reporting its own pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile after subcutaneous administration (PMID 29273578).
What did the phase 3 trial report?▾
A phase 3 randomized, double-blind trial compared a 0.6 mg subcutaneous dose of dasiglucagon with placebo and with reconstituted glucagon during insulin-induced hypoglycemia in adults with type 1 diabetes, and researchers reported a markedly shorter median time to plasma glucose recovery with dasiglucagon than with placebo (PMID 35239971). Pooled meta-analysis of the randomized evidence reached a similar conclusion (PMID 37735694).
What adverse events did studies report?▾
Nausea and vomiting were the adverse events most frequently reported in the phase 3 severe hypoglycemia trial (PMID 35239971), and a systematic review and meta-analysis of type 1 diabetes trials summarised the same gastrointestinal pattern (PMID 36266088). A dedicated immunogenicity trial in type 1 diabetes evaluated anti-drug antibody responses and reported findings the authors interpreted as a low immunogenicity profile (PMID 34252289).
Has dasiglucagon been studied outside diabetes?▾
Yes. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial examined dasiglucagon in post-bariatric postprandial hypoglycemia, and the study reported that dasiglucagon mitigated postprandial hypoglycemia relative to placebo (PMID 35320361). Separately, a 2024 commentary discussed hypoglycemia and Alzheimer disease risk and raised dasiglucagon as a hypothesis-level point of interest, not as clinical evidence (PMID 38977507).
Is dasiglucagon a research-use-only peptide?▾
No. Unlike many peptides discussed in educational contexts, dasiglucagon has a regulatory approval; the first-approval review documented its 2021 approval for severe hypoglycemia in diabetes (PMID 34047955). Its evidence base therefore comes largely from registrational clinical trials and pharmacotherapy reviews rather than exploratory preclinical work (PMID 32267182). This information is educational and not medical advice.
Why does the delivery device appear in dasiglucagon literature?▾
Because liquid stability allows pre-filled presentations, human-factors research examined the dasiglucagon autoinjector, evaluating ease of use and use-related safety considerations for hypoglycemia management (PMID 37663896). That work assessed the device and handling rather than pharmacological effects, complementing the efficacy data summarised in narrative reviews of severe hypoglycemia treatment (PMID 34223944).
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References
This page summarises published research for education — it is not medical advice, and nothing here is a recommendation to use, purchase, or dose any substance. Study parameters described are what researchers reported, not instructions. Consult a qualified clinician before any health decision.