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Initial combination therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: considerations for metformin plus linagliptin.

ABSTRACT: For patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, management of hyperglycemia is typically complex, and few patients successfully achieve and maintain recommended targets for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Increasingly, combination therapy is recommended early in the disease course, or even directly at diagnosis in patients with relatively high HbA1c levels. A recent randomized, placebo-controlled, Phase III trial investigated the initial combination of linagliptin and metformin in patients with inadequate glycemic control to assess the benefits of initial combination compared with monotherapy. Linagliptin and metformin act in complementary ways, and the combination treatment showed superior efficacy compared with either monotherapy. Notably, responses were largest in patients with higher baseline HbA1c levels compared with moderate levels, suggesting this combination could be considered in these patients. This may be particularly relevant for those unwilling to start insulin because they prefer oral therapy or need to avoid body weight gain. Neither metformin nor linagliptin is associated with weight gain, and in this trial the combination was also weight neutral. As this combination therapy was well tolerated, with a low frequency of hypoglycemia, these findings suggest that initial combination of linagliptin plus metformin may have advantages for a large proportion of patients in clinical practice.

SUBMITTER: Freeman JS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3884752 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Initial combination therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: considerations for metformin plus linagliptin.

Freeman Jeffrey S JS

Drugs in context 20130821

For patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, management of hyperglycemia is typically complex, and few patients successfully achieve and maintain recommended targets for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Increasingly, combination therapy is recommended early in the disease course, or even directly at diagnosis in patients with relatively high HbA1c levels. A recent randomized, placebo-controlled, Phase III trial investigated the initial combination of linagliptin and metformin in patients with inadequ ...[more]

PMID: 24432043

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Project description:OBJECTIVE:To assess the effect of metformin versus placebo both in combination with insulin analogue treatment on changes in carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in patients with type 2 diabetes. DESIGN AND SETTING:Investigator-initiated, randomised, placebo-controlled trial with a 2 × 3 factorial design conducted at eight hospitals in Denmark. PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS:412 participants with type 2 diabetes (glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) ? 7.5% (? 58 mmol/mol); body mass index >25 kg/m2) were in addition to open-labelled insulin treatment randomly assigned 1:1 to 18 months blinded metformin (1 g twice daily) versus placebo, aiming at an HbA1c ? 7.0% (? 53 mmol/mol). OUTCOMES:The primary outcome was change in the mean carotid IMT (a marker of subclinical cardiovascular disease). HbA1c, insulin dose, weight and hypoglycaemic and serious adverse events were other prespecified outcomes. RESULTS:Change in the mean carotid IMT did not differ significantly between the groups (between-group difference 0.012 mm (95% CI -0.003 to 0.026), p=0.11). HbA1c was more reduced in the metformin group (between-group difference -0.42% (95% CI -0.62% to -0.23%), p<0.001)), despite the significantly lower insulin dose at end of trial in the metformin group (1.04 IU/kg (95% CI 0.94 to 1.15)) compared with placebo (1.36 IU/kg (95% CI 1.23 to 1.51), p<0.001). The metformin group gained less weight (between-group difference -2.6 kg (95% CI -3.3 to -1.8), p<0.001). The groups did not differ with regard to number of patients with severe or non-severe hypoglycaemic or other serious adverse events, but the metformin group had more non-severe hypoglycaemic episodes (4347 vs 3161, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS:Metformin in combination with insulin did not reduce carotid IMT despite larger reduction in HbA1c, less weight gain, and smaller insulin dose compared with placebo plus insulin. However, the trial only reached 46% of the planned sample size and lack of power may therefore have affected our results. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:NCT00657943; Results.

Project description:OBJECTIVE:To update clinicians with an overview of empagliflozin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), with focus on use in combination regimens. METHODS:Keyword searches were conducted in the Medline database to identify literature reporting clinical trials of at least 12 weeks' duration using empagliflozin treatment in patients with T2DM. RESULTS:When given as monotherapy or in combination therapy (as add-on or single-pill therapy) with metformin, pioglitazone, sulfonylurea, linagliptin, and insulin, empagliflozin produced clinically meaningful reductions in glycated hemoglobin levels, plasma glucose concentrations, bodyweight, and blood pressure. These changes were sustained during long-term treatment. In a dedicated cardiovascular event trial, empagliflozin on top of standard of care demonstrated a significant reduction in the risk of cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality. Across the clinical trials, empagliflozin combination therapies were well tolerated, and empagliflozin used alone was not associated with increased risk of hypoglycemia versus placebo. Indeed, the combination of empagliflozin and metformin had a significantly reduced rate of hypoglycemia compared with the combination of metformin and a sulfonylurea. On the other hand, empagliflozin treatment did have increased risk of genital infections compared with placebo. In clinical trials to date, diabetic ketoacidosis was not seen more frequently with empagliflozin than with placebo, but physicians should be alert to the possibility of this rare event. CONCLUSION:Empagliflozin has the potential to make an important contribution to the treatment of patients with T2DM. In some patients, empagliflozin may be used as monotherapy, but it is most likely to be used in combination with other therapies. Given the reduced risk of mortality seen when empagliflozin was added to standard care in patients at high cardiovascular risk, as well as the lack of alternative options for patients at lower cardiovascular risk, empagliflozin may be added to ongoing regimens for a significant proportion of patients.

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Initial combination therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: considerations for metformin plus linagliptin.

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Initial combination therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: considerations for metformin plus linagliptin.

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