iGlarLixi,a titratable once-daily fixed-ratio combination of basal insulin and lixisenatide for intensifying type 2 diabetes management for patients inadequately controlled on basal insulin with or without oral agents

Background: Achieving and maintaining glycemic control is important for people with type 2 diabetes (T2D), to reduce disease-related complications and mortality; however, about half of US patients fail to meet glycemic targets. iGlarLixi, a titratable fixed-ratio combination of insulin glargine 100?U/mL (iGlar) and lixisenatide for once-daily administration, was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in adults with T2D inadequately controlled on basal insulin (<60?U daily) or lixisenatide. iGlar and lixisenatide have complementary mechanisms of action, primarily targeting fasting plasma glucose and postprandial plasma glucose, respectively. In the US, iGlarLixi is available in a 3:1 ratio of iGlar and lixisenatide, respectively, across the dosage range of 15–60?U of iGlar and 5–20?µg of lixisenatide.

Methods: This study identified phase 3 trials which assessed the efficacy and safety of iGlarLixi. Relevant trials were LixiLan-O, which compared iGlarLixi with iGlar or lixisenatide alone in insulin-naïve patients, and LixiLan-L, which compared iGlarLixi with iGlar alone in insulin-experienced patients.

Results: Patients on iGlarLixi experienced greater A1C reduction and were more likely to achieve A1C <7.0% than its comparators. iGlarLixi mitigated the weight gain associated with iGlar without increasing hypoglycemia risk, and resulted in a lower frequency of gastrointestinal adverse events compared with lixisenatide.

Conclusions: iGlarLixi provides a new approach to therapy intensification in patients with T2D. iGlarLixi showed greater A1C efficacy compared with either iGlar or lixisenatide, mitigating iGlar-associated weight gain, without increasing hypoglycemia risk, and reducing the gastrointestinal side-effects seen with lixisenatide.