Basal insulin combined incretin mimetic therapy with glucagon-like protein 1 receptor agonists as an upcoming option in the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a practical guide to decision making

Intensification of Basal Insulin Therapy with Lixisenatide in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in a Real-World Setting: The BASAL-LIXI Study

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Adding lixisenatide to basal insulin was effective for uncontrolled type 2 diabetes.

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Glycemic control improved and body weight lowered during 24 weeks of treatment.

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These benefits were achieved with a low risk of hypoglycemia in clinical practice.

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These findings in the clinical practice setting support those of clinical trials.

Background

Basal insulin reduces fasting blood glucose levels, but postprandial blood glucose levels may remain higher. Traditional strategies with rapid insulin intensification can cause hypoglycemic episodes and weight gain. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, such as the short-acting lixisenatide, are able to control postprandial excursions, without weight gain, and with a low risk of hypoglycemic events.

Objective

Due to the limited data on the combination of lixisenatide with basal insulin (with or without oral antidiabetes drugs) in clinical practice, this study evaluated changes in parameters associated with glycemic control and anthropometric data after 24 weeks of this therapy intensification.

Methods

This was a multicenter, retrospective observational study of 129 patients with type 2 diabetes that was uncontrolled by basal insulin. Their treatment was intensified by the addition of lixisenatide at least 24 weeks before being included in the study. Data were retrospectively collected to determine changes in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, blood glucose levels, weight, and body mass index. Adverse reactions and hypoglycemic events were also recorded.

Results

After 24 weeks of therapy intensification with lixisenatide, a significant reduction in HbA1c levels was observed (–1.1%; P < 0.001). An HbA1c <7% was achieved in 30.2% of patients, and 17.1% reached an HbA1c <6.5%. There was a reduction in fasting blood glucose (31.8 [60.3] mg/dL; P < 0.001) and postprandial blood glucose (55.0 [49] mg/dL; P < 0.001) levels, as well as body weight (4.0 [5.4] kg; P < 0.001) and body mass index (1.5 [1.9]; P < 0.001). The most commonly observed adverse reactions were nausea (n = 9), in line with previous studies. Hypoglycemia events were rare; only reported in 2 patients.

Conclusions

Intensification strategy based on lixisenatide added to basal insulin (with or without oral antidiabetes drugs) can be an effective treatment option in patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. In this small, selected population, glycemic control was significantly improved in terms of HbA1, fasting blood glucose levels, and postprandial glucose levels, with a reduction of body weight and low risk of hypoglycemic events. (Curr Ther Res Clin Exp. 2018; 79:XXX–XXX)

Strategies for implementing effective mealtime insulin therapy in type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is a growing global epidemic. Due to the progressive nature of the disease, many people with T2D require insulin at some point, most commonly a long-acting (basal) insulin to assist with 24-h control of glucose levels.

OBJECTIVE

This opinion paper provides an overview of considerations for primary care providers (PCPs) in intensifying the treatment regimen when basal insulin therapy is inadequate.

RESULTS

Control of mealtime hyperglycemia, in addition to fasting hyperglycemia, has been shown to be crucial in reaching A1c goals of <7.0%. However, initiating and optimizing mealtime insulin therapy can be challenging for both people with T2D and PCPs, due to a perceived lack of efficacy and burden of insulin treatment, causing "psychological insulin resistance" in people with T2D and clinical inertia among PCPs. Successful implementation of mealtime insulin therapy requires not only choosing appropriate treatment strategies, but also addressing patient-related behavioral and emotional barriers. Simplified treatment algorithms, combined with the use of advanced technology (devices such as insulin pens, pumps, and patches), and collaborative decision-making can help decrease barriers to effective mealtime insulin therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

It is possible to implement an effective basal-bolus insulin regimen in people with T2D in a way that improves glucose control while minimizing negative effects on quality-of-life, treatment satisfaction, and psychological well-being.

Addition of once daily prandial lixisenatide to basal insulin therapy in patients with type-2 diabetes results in a reduction of HbA1c as an effect of postprandial glucose lowering

AIMS

Basal insulin has been shown to effectively reduce fasting blood glucose (FBG), but postprandial plasma glucose (PPG) excursions may remain higher than normal. Glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 receptor agonists such as the short-acting lixisenatide are able to control such excursions by slowing gastric emptying. However, data regarding its use in a real world clinical setting are scarce.

METHODS

24 week, prospective, multicentre, non-interventional study in 1437 patients with type-2 diabetes receiving 20μg lixisenatide once daily in combination with basal insulin. The per-protocol set (PPS) comprised 540 patients.

RESULTS

HbA_1c levels were found to decrease significantly over 24 weeks of treatment in the PPS (0.94±0.99% [7.9±8.5]; p≤0.001). An HbA_1c of <7% (53mmol/mol) was achieved in 26.9% of patients, with 9.8% reaching <6.5% (48mmol/mol) and 30.0% reaching their individual treatment goal. There was a slight decrease in FBG (2.84±30.4mg/dl; p≤0.001), and a significant reduction in PPG, with levels decreasing by between 35mg/dl (1.9mmol/l) and 38mg/dl (2.1mmol/l), respectively on average after all main meals in basal optimised patients (PPS; ≤140mg/dl). Body weight decreased from 101 to 98kg with a mean difference of 3.10±4.10kg (p≤0.001). There were few reports of hypoglycaemia and no reports of serious hypoglycaemia and need for external help. AEs were infrequent, and were in line with previous studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Lixisenatide in combination with basal insulin was shown to be an effective treatment strategy for patients with type 2 diabetes, controlling HbA_1c levels by reduction of PPG excursions during the whole day.

[Why is a combination of basal insulin with a GLP-1 receptor agonist useful in many patients with type 2 diabetes?]

BACKGROUND

In 2015, the combination of basal insulin and GLP-1 receptor agonist (RA) was incorporated into the guideline recommendations for type 2 diabetes as an option for the last escalation step. The two antidiabetics to be injected subcutaneously are complementary regarding their respective main effects and limitations. Basal insulin is predominantly active between meals and in the fasting state, whereas the main action of GLP-1 RA consists in preventing an excessive postprandial blood glucose increase. Moreover, GLP-1 RA is characterised by a low intrinsic risk of hypoglycaemia, body weight reduction and a positive impact on cardiovascular risk factors. Unlike GLP-1 RA, no upper dose limits are defined for basal insulin. However, initiation of insulin therapy is associated with disadvantages in terms of hypoglycaemia and weight increase. Therefore, patients achieving their treatment goals with GLP-1 RA alone are better treated without insulin.

METHOD

In a review, study results on combinations of basal insulin and GLP-1-RA versus comparative therapies are presented.

RESULTS

Most of the studies were carried out in patients pre-treated with basal insulin. The add-on of GLP-1 RA was commonly associated with significant reductions of body weight and also resulted in additional HbA_1c reductions compared with an increase of the basal insulin dose. The add-on of a short acting insulin to an existing basal insulin therapy enabled similar HbA_1c reductions to the add-on of a GLP-1 RA, but simultaneously increased the number of episodes of hypoglycaemia and might lead to more unfavourable body weight developments. A fixed combination of insulin degludec and liraglutide (IDegLira) showed an effective and rather steady blood glucose reduction in a 24-hour interval vs. basal insulin or GLP-1 RA alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Combinations of basal insulin and a GLP-1 RA improve glycaemic control in many patients with type 2 diabetes without any significant increase of the risk of hypoglycaemia and without weight gain, especially compared to a dose increase of the basal insulin or add-on of a short-acting insulin.

Current therapeutic approaches in the management of hyperglycemia in chronic renal disease

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are intricately intertwined. DM is the most common cause of CKD. Adequate control of DM is necessary for prevention of progression of CKD, while careful management of the metabolic abnormalities in CKD will assist in achieving better control of DM. Two of the key organs involved in glucose production are the kidney and the liver. Furthermore, the kidney also plays a role in glucose filtration and reabsorption. In CKD, monitoring of glycemic control using traditional methods such as Hemoglobin A1c (Hba1c) must be done with caution secondary to associated hematological abnormalities in CKD. With regard to medication management in the care of patients with DM, CKD has significant effects. For example, the dosages of oral and non-insulin anti-hyperglycemic agents often need to be modified according to renal function. Insulin metabolism is altered in CKD, and a reduction in insulin dose is almost always needed. Dialysis also affects various aspects of glucose homeostasis, necessitating appropriate changes in therapy. Due to the aforementioned factors glycemic management in patients with DM and CKD can be quiet challenging.

Pleiotropic effects of insulin and GLP-1 receptor agonists: Potential benefits of the association

The combination of basal insulin and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) is an emerging option for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). GLP-1RAs have been shown to improve glycaemic control with a low risk of hypoglycaemia and to promote body weight loss. However, GLP-1 receptors (GLP-1Rs) are widely expressed in extrapancreatic tissues and could sustain pleiotropic actions of GLP-1RAs beyond glycaemic control. The underlying molecular mechanisms maintaining these extrapancreatic actions of GLP-1 are complex, and involve GLP-1R signalling in both the brain and several peripheral tissues. The present review focuses specifically on the role of GLP-1RAs in the cardiovascular system and liver. Preclinical data in rodents and pilot studies in humans suggest that GLP-1RAs may have potential beneficial effects on heart function, blood pressure, postprandial lipaemia, liver steatosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Long-term studies are now warranted to determine the safety and clinical relevance of the association between insulin and GLP-1RAs in T2D.

The value of short- and long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus: experience with exenatide

BACKGROUND

Only about half of patients with type 2 diabetes treated with antihyperglycemic drugs achieve glycemic control (HbA1c <7%), most commonly due to poor treatment adherence. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists act on multiple targets involved in glucose homeostasis and have a low risk of causing hypoglycemia. While GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists share the same mechanism of action, clinical profiles of individual agents differ, particularly between short- and long-acting agents. In this article, recent findings regarding the pharmacology of GLP-1 agonists are reviewed, and the clinical effects of short- versus long-acting agents are compared.

DATA SOURCES

Relevant articles were identified through a search of PubMed using the keywords glucagon-like peptide-1, GLP-1, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, GLP-1R agonist, and exenatide for publications up to 22 May 2015. Supporting data were obtained from additional searches for albiglutide, dulaglutide, liraglutide and lixisenatide as well as from the bibliographies of key articles.

FINDINGS

Short-acting GLP-1R agonists produce greater reductions in postprandial glucose levels by slowing gastric emptying, whereas long-acting GLP-1R agonists produce greater reductions in fasting blood glucose by stimulating insulin secretion from the pancreas. These characteristics can be exploited to provide individualized treatment to patients. A large body of evidence supports the benefits of short- and long-acting exenatide as add-on therapy in patients with inadequate glycemic control despite maximum tolerated doses of metformin and/or sulfonylurea. Exenatide is generally well tolerated and no new safety concerns were identified during long-term follow-up of up to 5 years. A limitation of this review of short-and long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonists is that it focuses on exenatide rather than all the drugs in this class. However, the focus on a single molecule helps to avoid any confusion that may be introduced as a result of differences in molecular structure and size.

CONCLUSIONS

Short-acting GLP-1R agonists including exenatide are well suited to patients with type 2 diabetes with exaggerated postprandial glucose excursions and for co-administration with basal insulin therapy. Long-acting GLP-1R agonists including once weekly exenatide offer greater convenience and are well suited to patients who require specific control of fasting hyperglycemia.

The Role of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists in Type 2 Diabetes: Understanding How Data Can Inform Clinical Practice in Korea

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) reduce glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c, 0.5% to 1.0%), and are associated with moderate weight loss and a relatively low risk of hypoglycemia. There are differences between Asian and non-Asian populations. We reviewed available data on GLP-1RAs, focusing on Korean patients, to better understand their risk/benefit profile and help inform local clinical practice. Control of postprandial hyperglycemia is important in Asians in whom the prevalence of post-challenge hyperglycemia is higher (vs. non-Asians). The weight lowering effects of GLP-1RAs are becoming more salient as the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Korean patients increases. The higher rate of gastrointestinal adverse events amongst Asian patients in clinical trials may be caused by higher drug exposure due to the lower body mass index of the participants (vs. non-Asian studies). Data on the durability of weight loss, clinically important health outcomes, safety and optimal dosing in Korean patients are lacking. Use of GLP-1RAs is appropriate in several patient groups, including patients whose HbA1c is uncontrolled, especially if this is due to postprandial glucose excursions and patients who are overweight or obese due to dietary problems (e.g., appetite control). The potential for gastrointestinal adverse events should be explained to patients at treatment initiation to facilitate the promotion of better compliance.