To Örebro University

Background and aims: This 52 week, parallel-arm, open-label, phase 3 study compared two doses of the once weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist dulaglutide (DU) versus bedtime insulin glargine, all combined with pre-meal insulin lispro with or without metformin, in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus inadequately controlled on conventional insulin therapy. Insulin glargine and insulin lispro were titrated to attempt to reach glycaemic targets.

Materials and methods: Patients (N = 884; mean baseline characteristics: age 59.4 years; duration of diabetes 12.7 years; HbA1c 8.5%; body weight 91.1 kg; BMI 32.5 kg/m2; total daily insulin dose 56 U) were randomised (1:1:1) to once weekly DU 1.5 mg, DU 0.75 mg, or bedtime insulin glargine titrated-to-target. The primary objective was to compare the change in HbA1c from baseline of DU 1.5 mg with insulin glargine at 26 weeks for noninferiority (margin 0.4%) and if met, then superiority was tested.

Results: At 26 and 52 weeks, both DU doses were statistically superior to insulin glargine for HbA1c change from baseline. Insulin glargine was associ-ated with greater fasting serum glucose reduction compared with both DU doses. The mean prandial insulin doses at 26 weeks were 93 U for DU 1.5 mg, 97 U for DU 0.75 mg, and 68 U for insulin glargine. The insulin glargine dose was 65 U. Similar insulin doses were observed at 52 weeks. Body weight decreased with DU 1.5 mg and increased with DU 0.75 mg and insulin glar-gine at 52 weeks. The rate of documented symptomatic hypoglycaemia (≤3.9 mmol/L) at 52 weeks was 31.0, 35.0,and 39.9 events/patient/year for DU 1.5 mg, DU 0.75 mg, and insulin glargine, respectively. The number of severe hypoglycaemia events was 11 for DU 1.5 mg, 15 for DU 0.75 mg, and 22 for insulin glargine. Nausea, diarrhoea, and vomiting were more common with DU 1.5 mg (25.8%, 16.6%, and 12.2%, respectively) and DU 0.75 mg (17.7%, 15.7%, and 10.6%) versus insulin glargine (3.4%, 6.1%, and 1.7%).

Conclusion: DU compared to insulin glargine, both combined with insu-lin lispro, resulted in better glycaemic control, less body weight gain, no in-creased risk of hypoglycaemia, and more common reporting of gastrointes-tinal adverse events.