OBJECTIVES: Comparing the efficacy and safety of liraglutide 1.2mg once daily with other hypoglycemic agents in adults with type 2 diabetes through systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis was conducted. PUBMED and MEDLINE (Jan 2000 – July 2011) were searched to identify English-language randomized control trials. Keywords included: type 2 diabetes, liraglutide, and randomized controlled trials. Inclusion criteria were:  RCTs >12 weeks in duration, type 2 diabetes patients≥18 years old, comparing liraglutide 1.2mg once daily with placebo or other active diabetic medications. Meta-analysis was conducted for the following outcomes: change from baseline in HbA1c, systolic blood pressure and weight as well as the number of hypoglycemic episodes. Two reviewers independently assessed trials for inclusion and extracted data. Differences were solved by consensus. 41 RCTs were identified and 5 RCTs met the inclusion criteria. The comparators were rosiglitazone, glimepiride, placebo and sitagliptin, and were collectively  defined as the “comparators”. HbA1c, weight and systolic blood pressure were analyzed as weighted mean differences (WMD), and the number of hypoglycemic episodes as relative risks (RR). STATA 11.0 (StataCorp, College Station, Tex) was used to perform the meta-analysis. RESULTS: In comparison to the “comparator group”, patients receiving liraglutide 1.2mg reduced HbA1c by 0.54% more (95% confidence interval, CI=-0.81 to -0.28, p<0.001); weight loss with liraglutide 1.2mg was 0.54 kg more than with comparators ( 95% CI=-0.72 to -0.36, p<0.001); liraglutide 1.2mg reduced systolic pressure 0.14mmHg more than the comparators (95% CI=-0.22 to -0.06, p<0.001); Hypoglycemia episodes were similar between liraglutide 1.2mg and the comparators (RR=0.86, 95%CI: 0.39 to 1.93, p=0.722). CONCLUSIONS: Liraglutide 1.2mg once daily is effective in glycemic control, has the advantage of promoting weight loss and reducing systolic blood pressure versus the comparators for treating type 2 diabetes.