Once-weekly semaglutide use in patients with type 2 diabetes: Real-world data from the SURE Italy observational study

Aims

SURE Italy, a multicentre, prospective, open-label, observational, real-world study, investigated once-weekly semaglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in routine clinical practice.

Materials and Methods

Adults with T2D and ≥1 documented glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level within 12 weeks of semaglutide initiation were enrolled. The primary endpoint was change in HbA1c from baseline to end of study (EOS; ~30 weeks). Other endpoints included changes in body weight, waist circumference and patient-reported outcomes, and the proportion of patients achieving HbA1c <7.0% or <6.5%, weight loss ≥5% and a post-hoc composite endpoint (HbA1c reduction of ≥1%-point and weight loss ≥5%). These endpoints were reported for patients on semaglutide at EOS [effectiveness analysis set (EAS)]. Safety data were reported in the full analysis set.

Results

Of 579 patients who initiated semaglutide (full analysis set), 491 completed the study on treatment (EAS). Mean baseline HbA1c was 8.0%, and 20.7% (120 of 579) of patients had HbA1c <7.0%. Mean semaglutide dose at EOS was 0.66 ± 0.28 mg. In the EAS, mean HbA1c and body weight decreased by 1.1%-point (95% confidence interval 1.20, 1.05; P < .0001) and 4.2 kg (95% confidence interval 4.63, 3.67; P < .0001), respectively. At EOS, 61.7% and 40.8% of patients achieved HbA1c <7.0% and <6.5%, respectively, 40.5% achieved weight loss ≥5% and 25.3% achieved the post-hoc composite endpoint. Patient-reported outcomes improved from baseline to EOS. No new safety concerns were identified.

Conclusions

In routine clinical practice in Italy, patients with T2D treated with once-weekly semaglutide for 30 weeks achieved clinically significant improvements in HbA1c, body weight and other outcomes.     

Efficacy and safety of oral semaglutide by baseline age in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes: A subgroup analysis of the PIONEER 9 and 10 Japan trials

A post-hoc exploratory analysis of the PIONEER 9 and 10 trials evaluated the effect of baseline age (<65 and ≥65 years) on the efficacy and safety of oral semaglutide in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes. In PIONEER 9 and 10, patients were randomized to once-daily oral semaglutide (3, 7 or 14 mg) or a comparator (placebo or once-daily subcutaneous liraglutide 0.9 mg [PIONEER 9]; once-weekly subcutaneous dulaglutide 0.75 mg [PIONEER 10]) for 52 weeks, with 5 weeks’ follow-up. In total, 701 patients were included (PIONEER 9: N = 243; PIONEER 10: N = 458). Glycaemic efficacy of oral semaglutide was similar in Japanese patients aged <65 years compared with those ≥65 years, and there did not appear to be a clear pattern between age subgroup and body weight changes. Across treatment arms, adverse events generally occurred in greater proportions of patients aged ≥65 versus <65 years. There was generally a higher rate of premature trial product discontinuation because of adverse events in the older age group. These results indicate that oral semaglutide is efficacious in Japanese patients irrespective of age.     

Safety and efficacy of once‐weekly semaglutide vs additional oral antidiabetic drugs in Japanese people with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes: A randomized trial

Aim

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of once‐weekly subcutaneous semaglutide as monotherapy or combined with an oral antidiabetic drug (OAD) vs an additional OAD added to background therapy in Japanese people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) inadequately controlled on diet/exercise or OAD monotherapy.

Methods

In this phase III, open‐label trial, adults with T2D were randomized 2:2:1 to semaglutide 0.5 mg or 1.0 mg, or one additional OAD (a dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor, biguanide, sulphonylurea, glinide, α‐glucosidase inhibitor or thiazolidinedione) with a different mode of action from that of background therapy. The primary endpoint was number of adverse events (AEs) after 56 weeks.

Results

Baseline characteristics were balanced between treatment arms (601 randomized). More AEs were reported in the semaglutide 0.5 mg (86.2%) and 1.0 mg (88.0%) groups than in the additional OAD group (71.7%). These were typically mild/moderate. Gastrointestinal AEs were most frequent with semaglutide, which diminished over time. The mean glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) concentration (baseline 8.1%) was significantly reduced with semaglutide 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg vs additional OAD (1.7% and 2.0% vs 0.7%, respectively; estimated treatment difference [ETD] vs additional OAD ?1.08% and ?1.37%, both P < .0001). Body weight (baseline 71.5 kg) was reduced by 1.4 kg and 3.2 kg with semaglutide 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg, vs a 0.4‐kg increase with additional OAD (ETD ?1.84 kg and ?3.59 kg; both P < .0001). For semaglutide‐treated participants, >80% achieved an HbA1c concentration <7.0% (Japanese Diabetes Society target).

Conclusions

Semaglutide was well tolerated, with no new safety issues identified. Semaglutide treatment significantly reduced HbA1c and body weight vs additional OAD treatment in Japanese people with T2D.     

Clinical characteristics,treatment patterns,and persistence in individuals with type 2 diabetes initiating a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist: A retrospective analysis of the Diabetes Prospective Follow-Up Registry

Aims

To describe clinical characteristics, treatment patterns and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) persistence in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) initiating their first GLP-1 RA.

Materials and Methods

A real-world analysis of adults with T2D initiating GLP-1 RA therapy between 2007 and June 2020 from the multicentre Diabetes Prospective Follow-Up (DPV) Registry, stratified by antidiabetes therapy at the time of GLP-1 RA initiation: oral antidiabetic drugs (OAD), insulin ± OAD or lifestyle modification (LM). GLP-1 RA treatment persistence in individuals with ≥12 months follow-up was determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis.

Results

Overall, 15 111 individuals with T2D initiating GLP-1 RA therapy (55% men) were identified; median [interquartile range (IQR)] age [58.7 (50.6-66.7) years], diabetes duration [8.5 (3.6-14.7) years], glycated haemoglobin [HbA1c; 8.2 (7.1-9.8)%]. Median (95% confidence interval) GLP-1 RA persistence in eligible individuals (n = 5189) was 11 (10-12) months; OAD 12 (11-14) months (n = 2453); insulin ± OAD 11 (9-12) months (n = 2204); and LM 7 (5-9) months (n = 532). Median treatment persistence tended to increase from 2007-2012 to 2017-2020. Median (IQR) HbA1c decreased from baseline [8.2 (7.1-9.8)%] to discontinuation [7.5 (6.6-8.7)%], with a greater decrease observed in individuals with persistence >12 months versus ≤12 months. Individuals who discontinued GLP-1 RA therapy predominantly switched to insulin (if not already using) or dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors.

Conclusion

Real-world registry data revealed improved outcomes with longer median GLP-1 RA persistence; ~50% of patients overall achieved HbA1c <7% at 12 months. Persistence was highest with baseline OAD and/or insulin, and tended to increase over the period 2007-2020.     

The novel dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist tirzepatide transiently delays gastric emptying similarly to selective long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonists

The effect of dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist (RA) tirzepatide on gastric emptying (GE) was compared to that of GLP-1RAs in non-clinical and clinical studies. GE was assessed following acute and chronic treatment with tirzepatide in diet-induced obese mice versus semaglutide or long-acting GIP analogue alone. Participants [with and without type 2 diabetes (T2DM)] from a phase 1, 4-week multiple dose study received tirzepatide, dulaglutide or placebo. GE was assessed by acetaminophen absorption. In mice, tirzepatide delayed GE to a similar degree to that achieved with semaglutide; however, these acute inhibitory effects were abolished after 2 weeks of treatment. GIP analogue alone had no effect on GE or on GLP-1's effect on GE. In participants with and without T2DM, once-weekly tirzepatide (≥5 and ≥4.5 mg, respectively) delayed GE after a single dose. This effect diminished after multiple doses of tirzepatide or dulaglutide in healthy participants. In participants with T2DM treated with an escalation schedule of tirzepatide 5/5/10/10 or 5/5/10/15 mg, a residual GE delay was still observed after multiple doses. These data suggest that tirzepatide's activity on GE is comparable to that of selective GLP-1RAs.     

Effect of nutrition on postprandial glucose control in hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes receiving fully automated closed-loop insulin therapy

Fully automated closed-loop insulin delivery may offer a novel way to manage diabetes in hospital. However, postprandial glycaemic control remains challenging. We aimed to assess the effect of nutritional intake on postprandial glucose control in hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes receiving fully closed-loop insulin therapy. The effects of different meal types and macronutrient composition on sensor glucose time-in-target (TIT, 3.9-10.0 mmol/L) and mean sensor glucose were assessed with hierarchical linear models using a Bayesian estimation approach. TIT was lower and the mean sensor glucose slightly higher, after breakfast compared with lunch and dinner, whereas the insulin dose was higher. Across meals, when carbohydrates were replaced by fat, or to a lesser extent by protein, postprandial glucose control improved. For breakfast, a 3.9% improvement in TIT was observed when 10% of the energy from carbohydrates was replaced by fat. Improvements were slightly lower during lunch and dinner (3.2% and 3.4%) or when carbohydrates were replaced by protein (2.2 and 2.7%, respectively). We suggest that reducing carbohydrate at the expense of fat or protein, could further improve glucose control during fully closed-loop insulin therapy in hospital.