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Efficacy and safety of linagliptin/metformin single-pill combination as initial therapy in drug-naïve Asian patients with type 2 diabetes

Mu Y, Pan C, Fan B, Hehnke U, Zhang X, Zhang X, Wang X, Liu J et al.

Diabetes research and clinical practice, 2017

733 participants

Abstract

AIM: To assess efficacy/safety of initial linagliptin/metformin single-pill combination (SPC) therapies versus individual drug components over 24weeks in treatment-naïve Asian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and insufficient glycemic control.

METHODS: Patients (initial glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c] ⩾7.5% to 8.0% [64mmol/mol]). The main group primary endpoint was HbA1c change from baseline to week 24.

RESULTS: At week 24, adjusted mean change from baseline in HbA1c (main group, n=733) was: linagliptin 5mg qd, -1.3%; metformin 500mg bid, -1.6%; metformin 1000mg bid, -2.1%; linagliptin 2.5mg/metformin 500mg bid, -2.2%; linagliptin 2.5mg/metformin 1000mg bid, -2.3%. The first test of primary HbA1c analysis (linagliptin 2.5mg/metformin 1000mg bid vs. metformin 1000mg bid) was borderline non-significant; however, SPCs produced significantly greater reductions in HbA1c from baseline versus respective monotherapies in all but one pre-defined sensitivity analysis. In the severe hyperglycemia group (n=143), linagliptin 2.5mg/metformin 1000mg bid produced a superior HbA1c reduction (-4.7%) versus linagliptin 5mg qd (-3.5%) after 12weeks. Hypoglycemic adverse events were low across groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Initial linagliptin/metformin SPC significantly improved glycemic control in this population.

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 733 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

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