Effectiveness of insulin degludec/liraglutide versus insulin degludec/insulin aspart in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes

Junko Oya; Tomoko Nakagami; Yukiko Hasegawa; Yuichiro Kondo; Aki Katamine; Mika Shimizu; Ryo Kubota; Rika Suda; Tetsuya Babazono

doi:10.1007/s13340-023-00681-7

Effectiveness of insulin degludec/liraglutide versus insulin degludec/insulin aspart in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes

Diabetol Int. 2024 Jan 8;15(2):237-243. doi: 10.1007/s13340-023-00681-7. eCollection 2024 Apr.

Authors

Junko Oya¹, Tomoko Nakagami¹, Yukiko Hasegawa¹, Yuichiro Kondo¹, Aki Katamine¹, Mika Shimizu¹, Ryo Kubota¹, Rika Suda¹, Tetsuya Babazono¹

Affiliation

¹ Division of Diabetology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, 8-1, Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666 Japan.

PMID: 38524940
PMCID: PMC10959845 (available on 2025-01-08)
DOI: 10.1007/s13340-023-00681-7

Abstract

Aims: To evaluate and compare the effectiveness of once-daily insulin degludec/liraglutide (IDegLira) to that of once-daily insulin degludec/insulin aspart (IDegAsp) after switching from basal insulin therapy at 6 months by assessing changes in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), body weight, and insulin doses in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Materials and methods: A total of 91 patients with T2D with HbA1c levels exceeding 7.0% were included in this study. Adjusted least square mean changes in HbA1c, body weight, and total insulin doses were compared between the IDegLira group and IDegAsp group. Subgroup analyses were performed, stratified by median values of HbA1c (< 8.5 and ≥ 8.5%), obesity (body mass index < 25 and ≥ 25 kg/m²), and basal insulin doses (< 14 and ≥ 14 units) at baseline to assess treatment interaction by subgroup.

Results: The IDegLira group showed a greater reduction in HbA1c levels than the IDegAsp group (- 0.17 vs - 0.79%, p = 0.003) with comparable body weight changes. The analyses of adjusted mean changes of total insulin doses showed that the IDegAsp group had a larger increase than the IDegLira group (3.64 vs 1.30 unis, p = 0.016). The effect of IDegLira on HbA1c levels was superior to that of IDegAsp in patients with high HbA1c. There were no inter-group differences in the rate of hypoglycemic episodes.

Conclusions: Once-daily IDegLira had greater effects on HbA1c and a lesser increase in insulin doses than IDegAsp when patients are switched from basal insulin therapy. Moreover, the effect on HbA1c was enhanced in patients with high HbA1c levels at baseline.

Keywords: HbA1c; Insulin degludec/insulin aspart; Insulin degludec/liraglutide; Type 2 diabetes.

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