Study Yields Positive Results for Type 2 Diabetes Injectable Prescription
Semaglutide offers a non-insulin solution that, in combination with healthy diet and exercise, may improve blood sugar.
A recent study has demonstrated that 78.7% of individuals with diabetes who were treated with semaglutide (Ozempic, Novo Nordisk) 1.0 mg achieved the American Diabetes Association (ADA) HbA1Ctarget of <7%, compared with the placebo and SGLT-2i combination at 18.7%. The same applies for more stringent American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) HbA1C target of £6.5%, since 56.1% of participants with the semaglutide saw results compared to 3.9% with the placebo.1
The results of the SUSTAIN 9 Phase 3b trial, conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of semaglutide 1.0 mg when added to SGLT-2 inhibitor (SGLT-2i) therapy, have been published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.1 According to the company website, the non-insulin drug is an injectable prescription medicine for adults with type 2 diabetes.2
In the trial, adults with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to receive either once-weekly semaglutide or placebo in addition to an SGLt-2i, either on its own or in combination with metformin or sulfonylurea.
The semaglutide injection 1.0 mg demonstrated a statistically significant and superior reduction in HbA1c of 1.5% vs. 0.1% with placebo, each in combination with SGT2-I treatment, from an overall mean baseline of 8.0%. Additional findings of a secondary endpoint showed that semaglutide 1.0 mg had a statistically significant and superior decrease in body weight of 4.7 kg vs. 0.9 kg with placebo, from an overall mean baseline of 91.7 kg.1
The safety profile of semaglutide 1.0 mg in combination with SGLT-2i therapy was consistent with the overall SUSTAIN clinical trial program. The most common adverse event (AE) was nausea. Gastrointestinal AEs were reported in 37.3% and 13.2% of people treated with Ozempic® 1.0 mg and placebo, respectively. Serious AEs occurred in 4.7% and 4.0% of people, respectively. Severe or blood glucose-confirmed hypoglycaemic events were reported in 4 people treated with Ozempic® 1.0 mg (2.7%) vs 0 people with placebo.1
References
- Novo Nordisk: Ozempic superior in lowering blood sugar and weight vs placebo, both in combination with SGLT-2 inhibitors [news release]. Novo nordisk website. Published March 4, 2019. https://www.novonordisk.com/media/news-details.2237167.html. Accessed March 4, 2019.
- Ozempic website. https://www.ozempic.com/. Accessed March 4, 2019.
