In the present study, we found for the first time that combination treatment with liraglutide and metformin synergistically inhibited cell growth (as shown by reducing cell viability, cell number, colony formation and PCNA protein level), promoted cell apoptosis (characterized by upregulating the protein levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3), and suppressed cell migration (as indicated by both wound-healing and transwell migration assays) in the human pancreatic cancer cell line MiaPaca-2. Here, CASP3 is linked to familial pancreatic carcinoma.