In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who require additional glucose-lowering on top of first-line metformin monotherapy, sulfonylureas are the most common choice for second-line therapy followed by dipeptidyl peptidase inhibitors (DPP-4i). This article summarises presentations at a symposium entitled "Real-World Evidence and New Perspectives with Gliclazide MR" held at the International Diabetes Federation Congress in Busan, South Korea on 4 December 2019. Although guideline recommendations vary between countries, the guidelines with the highest quality ratings include sulfonylureas as one of the preferred choices as second-line therapy for T2DM. Data from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have consistently demonstrated that sulfonylureas are effective glucose-lowering agents and that the risk of severe hypoglycaemia with these agents is low. In addition, both RCTs and real-world observational studies have shown no increased risk of mortality or cardiovascular disease with the use of newer-generation sulfonylureas compared with other classes of glucose-lowering treatments. However, differences between sulfonylureas do exist, with gliclazide being associated with a significantly lower risk of mortality or cardiovascular mortality compared with glibenclamide, as well as the lowest incidence of severe hypoglycaemia compared with other agents in this class. Recent real-world studies into the effectiveness and safety of gliclazide appear to confirm these findings, and publication of new data from these studies in patients with T2DM in the UK, and in Muslim patients who are fasting during Ramadan, are awaited with interest. Another study being undertaken with gliclazide is a pan-India study in patients with maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) subtypes 1, 3 and 12. Patients with these MODY subtypes respond particularly well to sulfonylurea treatment, and sulfonylureas are the first-line agents of choice in these patients. These new and ongoing studies will add to the cumulative data on the efficacy and safety of certain sulfonylureas in patients with diabetes.
Keywords: Gliclazide MR; Guidelines; Maturity onset diabetes of the young; Ramadan; Sulfonylureas; Type 2 diabetes.