24 Sep New Study Finds Type 2 Diabetes May Be Controlled With Once-Weekly Insulin

Remarks from:

Dr. Rosenstock

Julio Rosenstock, M.D
Director, Dallas Diabetes and Endocrine Center
Clinical Professor of Medicine
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, TX

MedicalResearch.com: Why was the study initiated / What is the background of the study?

Response: Most people with type 2 diabetes, would prefer simplicity, with fewer injections than currently provided by once-daily basal insulin treatment regimens. Therefore, there is a need to continue to offer innovative treatment options to support people living with type 2 diabetes and hopefully improve their glycemic outcomes. As a once-weekly basal insulin, insulin icodec has the potential to offer a simpler, efficacious and well-tolerated treatment option thereby reducing the potential burden on people living with type 2 diabetes.

 MedicalResearch.com: Can you briefly summarize the study and its findings?

Response: The study was a 26-week, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, treat-to-target phase 2 clinical trial of once-weekly insulin icodec compared with once-daily insulin glargine U100. It involved 247 insulin-naïve adults with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with metformin with or without a DPP-4 inhibitor.

In this clinical trial, adults with type 2 diabetes randomized to once-weekly insulin icodec achieved similar blood sugar control and a similar safety profile compared to once-daily insulin glargine U100 with reductions in HbA1c from a baseline of 8.1% and 8.0% to 6.7% and 6.9%, respectively after 26 weeks of treatment. These findings are important as it signals that people who need a basal insulin could potentially have a simpler once-weekly treatment regimen without compromising on blood sugar control and safety. 

MedicalResearch.com: What’s the most important thing you’d like people with type 2 diabetes to take away from this study?

Response: We understand that many people with type 2 diabetes who do need insulin therapy might be delaying starting because they are afraid of injections, or might not be keeping up with their daily injections. The findings of this study are exciting because it shows that there is potential to reduce the number of basal insulin injections in the future with this new compound.

Based on the findings, Dr. Julio Rosenstock lead investigator and Director of Dallas Diabetes Research Center at Medical City and Clinical Professor of Medicine Univ. of Texas Southwestern Medical Center stated; “Once-weekly insulin Icodec could facilitate type 2 diabetes management in those patients needing insulin by requiring fewer insulin injections (52 injections/year instead of 365 injections/year) and this will be a transformational innovation in insulin therapy, potentially improving both treatment acceptance and adherence and hopefully reducing therapeutic inertia”.

Citation:

Once-Weekly Insulin for Type 2 Diabetes without Previous Insulin Treatment Julio Rosenstock, M.D., Harpreet S. Bajaj, M.D., M.P.H., Andrej Janež, M.D., Ph.D., Robert Silver, M.D., Kamilla Begtrup, M.Sc., Melissa V. Hansen, M.D., Ph.D., Ting Jia, M.D., Ph.D., and Ronald Goldenberg, M.D., for the NN1436-4383 Investigators*

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This article was published on September 22, 2020, at NEJM.org. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2022474 Copyright © 2020 Massachusetts Medical Society

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Last Updated on September 24, 2020 by Marie Benz MD FAAD