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Empagliflozin as Add-on Therapy in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Inadequately Controlled With Linagliptin and Metformin: A 24-Week Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel-Group Trial

Eirik Wigtil Søfteland, Juris Jendrik Meier, Bente Vangen, Robert Toorawa, Mario Maldonado‐Lutomirsky, Uli C. Broedl

Diabetes Care, 2016

606 participants · 131 citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of empagliflozin versus placebo as add-on therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes and inadequate glycemic control with linagliptin and metformin. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Patients with HbA1c ≥8.0% and ≤10.5% (≥64 and ≤91 mmol/mol) while receiving stable-dose metformin received open-label linagliptin 5 mg (n = 606) for 16 weeks. Subsequently, those with HbA1c ≥7.0 and ≤10.5% (≥53 and ≤91 mmol/mol) were randomized to receive double-blind, double-dummy treatment with empagliflozin 10 mg (n = 112), empagliflozin 25 mg (n = 111), or placebo (n = 110) for 24 weeks; all patients continued treatment with metformin and linagliptin 5 mg. The primary end point was the change from baseline in HbA1c after 24 weeks of double-blind treatment. RESULTS At week 24, empagliflozin significantly reduced HbA1c (mean baseline 7.96–7.97% [63–64 mmol/mol]) versus placebo; the adjusted mean differences in the change from baseline with empagliflozin 10 and 25 mg versus placebo were −0.79% (95% CI ‒1.02, ‒0.55) (−8.63 mmol/mol [‒11.20, ‒6.07 mmol/mol]) and −0.70% (95% CI ‒0.93, ‒0.46) (−7.61 mmol/mol [‒10.18, ‒5.05 mmol/mol]), respectively (both P < 0.001). Fasting plasma glucose and weight were significantly reduced in both empagliflozin groups versus placebo (P < 0.001 for all comparisons). More patients receiving placebo than empagliflozin 10 and 25 mg reported adverse events during double-blind treatment (68.2%, 55.4%, and 51.8%, respectively).…

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: 606 participants or records.

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