Study finds that dapagliflozin demonstrates glycemic responses similar to other oral agents
Dapagliflozin produces larger reductions in HbA1c in individuals who have higher baseline levels.
Dapagliflozin produces larger reductions in HbA1c in individuals who have higher baseline levels, according to a study presented in June at the American Diabetes Association's 73rd Scientific Sessions, in Chicago.
Dapagliflozin is a selective SGLT2 inhibitor that reduces hyperglycemia by removing excess blood glucose through the urine. A recent study included the results of 2 trials that directly compared the glycemic efficacy of dapagliflozin with other oral anti-diabetic drugs. Patients included in the study had a wide range of baseline HbA1c.
Dapagliflozin was compared with other drugs in 2 randomized, double-blind clinical trials. The first was a 52-week trial of dapagliflozin (≤10 mg) compared with glipizide (≤20 mg) as an add-on to metformin. The second study was a 24-week trial of dapagliflozin 10 mg compared with metformin extended-release 2,000 mg, both as monotherapies.
Patients’ mean baseline HbA1c was 7.7% in study 1 and 9.1% in study 2. Dapagliflozin, as well as the other drugs studied, achieved greater reductions in HbA1c in patients with higher baseline HbA1c. Additionally, within each study, reductions by dapagliflozin and the other drugs were similar for each baseline HBA1c category.
Consistent with the insulin-dependent mechanism of action, patients taking dapagliflozin had low rates of hypoglycemia. In study 1, 3.5% of patients taking dapagliflozin and 40.8% of patients taking glipizide had hypoglycemia, and in study 2, 0.9% of patients taking dapagliflozin and 2.9% of patients taking metformin had hypoglycemia.
