A Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Drug-Drug Interaction Study of Tofogliflozin (a New SGLT2 Inhibitor) and Selected Anti-Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Drugs

No apparent pharmacokinetic interactions were found between henagliflozin: A novel sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor and glimepiride in healthy Chinese male subjects

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE

Henagliflozin is a novel selective sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor with similar inhibitory effect to ertugliflozin. Glimepiride is widely used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with few cardiovascular side effects. In the present study, we aimed at evaluating the pharmacokinetic (PK) interactions between henagliflozin and glimepiride.

METHODS

An open-label, single-centre, single-arm, 3-period, 3-treatment, self-control study was conducted in twelve healthy Chinese male subjects. During each study period, subjects received a single oral dose of glimepiride 2 mg, multiple oral doses of henagliflozin 10 mg or a combination of the two drugs. Serial blood samples were collected 24 h post-dosing for PK analyses. Finger-tip blood glucose was also tested for safety evaluation.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Co-administration of henagliflozin with glimepiride did not affect their plasma PK profiles. For henagliflozin, the 90% confidence intervals for the geometric mean ratio (GMR) for the maximum plasma concentrations at steady-state (C_{max ss} ) and the area under the plasma concentration-time curve during a dosing interval at steady-state (AUC_{τ, ss} ) of combination therapy to henagliflozin alone were 1.00 (0.93-1.08) and 1.00 (0.98-1.02), respectively. For glimepiride, the corresponding values of combination therapy to glimepiride alone were 1.00 (0.88-1.13) for maximum plasma concentrations (C_max ), 0.91 (0.84-0.99) for the area under the plasma concentration-time curve from 0-24 h (AUC_0-24h ) and 0.91 (0.83-1.00) for the plasma concentration-time curve from 0 h to infinite (AUC_0-inf ), respectively. All values fell within the equivalence range of 0.8-1.25. All monotherapies and combination therapy led to no serious adverse events and were well tolerated.

WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION

Multiple doses of henagliflozin did not exert a significant change on glimepiride PK profiles and a single dose of glimepiride had little effect on henagliflozin blood concentration. Thus, henagliflozin can be co-administered with glimepiride without dose adjustment of either drug.

The effects of 12-month administration of tofogliflozin on electrolytes and dehydration in mainly elderly Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effect of 12 months of treatment with tofogliflozin on electrolytes and dehydration in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

METHODS

This retrospective study involved mainly elderly patients with T2DM who had received tofogliflozin for 12 months. Data on glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), serum electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride), haematocrit, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN)/creatinine ratio were retrieved and analysed.

RESULTS

Data from 69 patients (77% of whom were ≥65 years) showed that there was a significant reduction in HbA1c over the 12-month treatment period with tofogliflozin. However, the drug had no significant effect on levels of haematocrit, electrolytes, eGFR or BUN/creatinine ratio.

CONCLUSION

This retrospective analysis of data from mainly elderly Japanese patients with T2DM showed that 12-month administration of tofogliflozin exhibited glucose-lowering capabilities with accompanying low risk of electrolyte abnormalities and dehydration.

Pharmacokinetic Characteristics and Clinical Efficacy of an SGLT2 Inhibitor Plus DPP-4 Inhibitor Combination Therapy in Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) generally requires a combination of several pharmacological approaches to control hyperglycaemia. Combining a sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitor (SGLT2I, also known as gliflozin) and a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPP-4I, also known as gliptin) appears to be an attractive strategy because of complementary modes of action. This narrative review analyzes the pharmacokinetics and clinical efficacy of different combined therapies with an SGLT2I (canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin, ertugliflozin, ipragliflozin, luseogliflozin, tofogliflozin) and DPP-4I (linagliptin, saxagliptin, sitagliptin, teneligliptin). Drug-drug pharmacokinetic interaction studies do not show any significant changes in peak concentrations (C _max) and total exposure (area under the curve of plasma concentrations [AUC]) of either drug when they were administered together orally compared with corresponding values when each of them was absorbed alone. Two fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) are already available (dapagliflozin-saxagliptin, empagliflozin-linagliptin) and others are in development (ertugliflozin-sitagliptin). Preliminary results show bioequivalence of the two medications administered as FDC tablets when compared with coadministration of the individual tablets. Dual therapy is more potent than either monotherapy in patients treated with diet and exercise or already treated with metformin. SGLT2I and DPP-4I could be used as initial combination or in a stepwise approach. The additional glucose-lowering effect appears to be more marked when a gliflozin is added to a gliptin than when a gliptin is added to a gliflozin. Combining the two pharmacological options is safe and does not induce hypoglycaemia.

Reappraisal and perspectives of clinical drug-drug interaction potential of α-glucosidase inhibitors such as acarbose, voglibose and miglitol in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus

1. Amidst the new strategies being developed for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with both established and newer therapies, alpha glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs) have found a place in several treatment protocols. 2. The objectives of the review were: (a) to compile and evaluate the various clinical pharmacokinetic drug interaction data for AGIs such as acarbose, miglitol and voglibose; (b) provide perspectives on the drug interaction data since it encompasses coadministered drugs in several key areas of comorbidity with T2DM. 3. Critical evaluation of the interaction data suggested that the absorption and bioavailability of many coadministered drugs were not meaningfully affected from a clinical perspective. Therefore, on the basis of the current appraisal, none of the AGIs showed an alarming and/or overwhelming trend of interaction potential with several coadministered drugs. Hence, dosage adjustment is not warranted in the use of AGIs in T2DM patients in situations of comorbidity. 4. The newly evolving fixed dose combination strategies with AGIs need to be carefully evaluated to ensure that the absorption and bioavailability of the added drug are not impaired due to concomitant food ingestion.