REMIT-iGL

1. men and women aged 30-80 years;

2. type 2 diabetes mellitus within 5 years of diagnosis;

3. stable diabetes drug regimen in the 10 weeks before randomization;

4. HbA1c 6.5-9.5% on no glucose lowering drugs, or </= 8.5% on 1 glucose-lowering drug, or </= 8.0% on 2 glucose lowering drugs;

5. body mass index >/= 23 kg/m2;

6. ability and willingness to perform self-monitoring of capillary blood glucose (SMBG);

7. ability and willingness to self-inject iglarlixi; and

8. provision of informed consent.

1. current use of insulin therapy;

2. history of hypoglycemia unawareness, or severe hypoglycemia requiring assistance;

3. history of end-stage renal disease or renal dysfunction as evidenced by eGFR<45 mL/min/1.73 m2 by MDRD formula;

4. history of lactic acidosis or diabetic ketoacidosis;

5. active liver disease or elevated alanine transferase (ALT) levels >\\= 2.5 times upper limit of normal at the time of enrolment;

6. history or clinical suspicion of pancreatitis or medullary thyroid cancer, or a calcitonin level >/= 20 pg/ml;

7. cardiovascular disease (unless cleared for a moderate intensity exercise program by a specialist) including:

8. history of any disease requiring frequent intermittent or continuous systemic glucocorticoid treatment;

9. history of bariatric surgery, or planned bariatric surgery in the next 1.5 years;

10. history of any major illness with a life expectancy of < 3 years;

11. history of injury or any other condition that significantly limits participant's ability to achieve moderate levels of physical activity;

12. excessive alcohol intake, acute or chronic;

13. currently pregnant, or breastfeeding, or not using a reliable method of birth control for the duration of the trial in all females with childbearing potential;

14. inability to take glargine, lixisenatide or metformin