What are the side effects of Albiglutide Injection?
Last updated September 7, 2026.
**The most common side effects of albiglutide (Tanzeum), a once-weekly GLP-1 injection for type 2 diabetes, are injection site reactions and stomach symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.** Injection site reactions were reported often with albiglutide and usually look like redness, a rash, or itching where you gave the dose. Nausea and diarrhea tend to be mildest if you eat smaller meals, go easy on fatty and greasy food, and stop eating once you feel full. Low blood sugar becomes a real concern when albiglutide is paired with insulin or a sulfonylurea, so the dose of those medicines may need to come down. Less common but serious reactions include pancreatitis and allergic reactions, and the label carries a warning about thyroid C-cell tumors seen in rodents. Albiglutide was pulled from the US market in 2018 for commercial reasons rather than safety, so most people now use a different weekly GLP-1 medicine.
What to do
- Rotate your sites: Use a different spot on your abdomen, thigh, or upper arm each week so irritated skin has time to settle.
- Eat smaller and blander: Smaller meals, less fatty food, and stopping when you feel full cut down nausea during the first month.
- Watch for low blood sugar: If you also take insulin or a sulfonylurea, check your readings more often and ask about lowering those doses.
- Know the urgent signs: Severe stomach pain going through to your back, repeated vomiting, or swelling of the face, lips, or throat needs same-day care.
- Flag thyroid symptoms: Report a lump in your neck, hoarseness, or trouble swallowing to your clinician instead of waiting for your next visit.
- Ask about a replacement: Albiglutide is no longer sold in the US, so bring your current prescription list to a clinician and discuss another option.