Once-weekly dulaglutide versus insulin glargine in the early control of fasting serum glucose and HbA1c

•Benefit:risk profiles of antihyperglycemic drugs are important in type 2 diabetes•Efficacy (glycemia) and safety (hypoglycemia, weight gain) outcomes can be combined.•We compared dulaglutide and insulin glargine using these outcomes as a composite.•Dulaglutide had a more favorable efficacy-to-safety profile than insulin glargine.•The difference between therapies was evident 4 weeks and maintained at 26 weeks.