Efficacy of dulaglutide after switching from incretin-related drugs in patients with type 2 diabetes and inadequate glycemic control

• Published in: Diabetology international 2022-01, Vol.13 (1), p.91-100
• Main Authors: Ito, Hiroyuki, Araki, Rie, Matsumoto, Suzuko, Izutsu, Takuma, Kusano, Eiji, Kondo, Jiro, Inoue, Hideyuki, Antoku, Shinichi, Yamasaki, Tomoko, Mori, Toshiko, Togane, Michiko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Clinical outcomes; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent); Dipeptidyl-peptidase IV; Drug use; Endocrinology; GLP-1 receptor agonists; Glucagon; Glucagon-like peptide 1; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Original; Original Article; Patient compliance; Patients; Peptidase
• ISSN: 2190-1678; 2190-1686
• DOI: 10.1007/s13340-021-00508-3

Aims The efficacy of dulaglutide was assessed according to the pretreatments administered before the initiation of dulaglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods In total, 89 patients treated using dulaglutide (0.75 mg, once a weekly) were investigated. The subjects were divided into the three groups based on the form in which therapy was started: additional therapy ( n  = 35), switched from dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors ( n  = 32) and switched from daily glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs, n  = 30). The changes in medication adherence were determined in the daily GLP-1 RAs group using questionnaire surveys. Results The HbA1c values significantly decreased after the initiation of dulaglutide in all groups (additional therapy group, − 1.4 ± 1.6%; DPP-4 inhibitors group, − 1.2 ± 1.3%; and daily GLP-1 RAs group, − 0.5 ± 0.7%). Forty-six percent of the subjects in the daily GLP-1 RAs group reported that the incidence of forgetting injections of GLP-1 RA was decreased. The reduction of HbA1c was significantly greater in the subjects who reported a decrease in the incidence of forgetting injections (0.9 ± 0.9%) in comparison to those in which there was no change (0.1 ± 0.4%). Conclusions Dulaglutide is considered effective in patients with type 2 diabetes and inadequate glycemic control, regardless of whether their pretreatment includes daily GLP-1 RA treatment.