ADA: Empagliflozin added to metformin showed greater reductions in blood glucose, body weight versus glimepiride
In a 2-year study, empagliflozin as add-on to metformin demonstrated significantly greater decreases in hemoglobin A1c (a measure of average blood glucose over the past 2 to 3 months), body weight and blood pressure compared with glimepiride as add-on to metformin in adults with type 2 diabetes.
In a 2-year study, empagliflozin as add-on to metformin demonstrated significantly greater decreases in hemoglobin A1c (a measure of average blood glucose over the past 2 to 3 months), body weight and blood pressure compared with glimepiride as add-on to metformin in adults with type 2 diabetes.
Data from the study of 1,545 randomized and treated adults with type 2 diabetes that compared the efficacy and safety profiles of empagliflozin 25 mg with glimepiride, each in combination with metformin, were presented at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Scientific Sessions in San Francisco.
Other findings included:
- Mean reduction in A1c levels was 0.66% for empagliflozin compared with 0.55% for glimepiride.
- Mean change in body weight was a loss of 3.1 kg for empagliflozin compared with a gain of 1.3 kg for glimepiride.
- Mean change in systolic blood pressure was a reduction of 3.1 mm Hg for empagliflozin compared with an increase of 2.5 mm Hg for glimepiride.
- Mean change in diastolic blood pressure was a reduction of 1.8 mm Hg for empagliflozin compared with an increase of 0.9 mm Hg for glimepiride.
Significantly fewer hypoglycemic events were reported for empagliflozin compared with glimepiride (2.5% vs. 24.2%, respectively). Overall adverse event rates in the two arms were 86.4% and 86.3% for empagliflozin and glimepiride, respectively. Urinary tract infections were reported in 13.7% of patients in the empagliflozin arm and 13.1% of patients in the glimepiride arm, and genital infections were reported in 11.8% and 2.2% for empagliflozin and glimepiride, respectively.
“This study was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety profiles of empagliflozin 25 mg with glimepiride, each in combination with metformin among patients with type 2 diabetes,” said Christophe Arbet-Engels, MD, PhD, vice president, metabolic-clinical development and medical affairs, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals. “This new data adds to the clinical profile for empagliflozin and bolsters its large clinical registration program.”
Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company sponsored the study.
FDA Approves Two More Denosumab Biosimilars, Conexxence and Bomyntra
March 27th 2025The fourth pair of denosumab biosimilars, Conexxence and Bomyntra, are expected to launch in the United States in mid 2025, as a result of a global settlement with Amgen, according to a company news release.
Read More
FDA Approves First Drug for Excess Hunger in Prader-Willi Syndrome
March 27th 2025Vykat XR will be available in April to treat the intense hunger that is a hallmark of the rare genetic disease Prader-Willi syndrome. The price is based on a patient’s weight, and the average patient in the clinical trials would have had an average annual cost of $466,200 for the first year.
Read More
