Postprandial plasma glucose effects of once-weekly albiglutide for the treatment of type 2 diabetes

Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) vary in their structure, duration of action, efficacy, and safety. In order to optimize glycemic control, it is important to target both fasting (FPG) and postprandial plasma (PPG) glucose. Although phase 3 trials document the effect of GLP-1 RAs on glycated hemoglobin, few data are available to assess their effect on PPG. Albiglutide is a once-weekly GLP-1 RA with a half-life of ≈ 5 days. The goal of this review is to summarize the effects of albiglutide on PPG in four phase 2 trials and to describe the PPG-lowering effects of the GLP-1 RAs. At clinically relevant doses (30-64 mg), albiglutide consistently lowered PPG after each meal in addition to its effect on lowering FPG. Multiple weekly subcutaneous injections of albiglutide led to improvements in a variety of glycemic measures, including maximal reductions in PPG from baseline, postmeal glucose excursions, and FPG. Albiglutide, a longer-acting GLP-1 RAs, provides reductions in FPG, PPG following meals, and glucose over 24 hours.