The safety and efficacy of exenatide once weekly is evaluated over 52 weeks in the DURATION-1 trial in patients with type 2 diabetes. This long-acting glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist given as a once weekly subcutaneous injection was found to produce better glycemic control as compared to twice daily exenatide and had a good safety profile over the trial period. Its use can help to reduce the complexity of drug regimen in patients with type 2 diabetes while maintaining a good safety and efficacy profile.