Study finds that dapagliflozin demonstrates glycemic responses similar to other oral agents

Dapagliflozin produces larger reductions in HbA_1c 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 HbA_1c.

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 HbA_1c was 7.7% in study 1 and 9.1% in study 2. Dapagliflozin, as well as the other drugs studied, achieved greater reductions in HbA_1c in patients with higher baseline HbA_1c. Additionally, within each study, reductions by dapagliflozin and the other drugs were similar for each baseline HBA_1c 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.