Study: Dapagliflozin with metformin shows blood sugar reductions vs. glipizide

Four-year data from a phase 3 study examined the durability of glycemic response with dapagliflozin as add-on therapy to metformin vs. glipizide in patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with metformin alone. The data was presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, Austria.

Drug Overview: Farxiga (dapagliflozin)

The durability of glycaemic control was evaluated by calculating the coefficient of failure for HbA_1c and fasting plasma glucose from 18 weeks (end of titration period) to 208 weeks. Dapagliflozin and glipizide were down-titrated if medically indicated. The CoF was determined for 3 groups: patients who had at least 3 post-baseline values from after week 18 to week 208 (full analysis set), all patients who completed 208 weeks of treatment (all completers), and patients who completed 208 weeks of treatment but who were not down-titrated (completers not down-titrated). Patients who required rescue medication were excluded from the analyses.

The analysis demonstrated that glycaemic durability was significantly greater in the dapagliflozin group compared to the glipizide group, as demonstrated by the coefficient of failure for HbA_1c and fasting plasma glucose from 18 weeks to 208 weeks.

Treatment with dapagliflozin in combination with metformin was well-tolerated over the 208-week period, according to the study.

The results of this analysis provide further evidence of the long-term glycemic durability of dapagliflozin added to metformin in adult patients with type 2 diabetes who are unable to achieve glycaemic control on metformin alone, according to the study.

The study was sponsored by AstraZeneca.