Highlights of American Diabetes Association meeting

The weekend saw a flood of new data on diabetes drug candidates and currently approved treatments presented at the 72nd Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in Philadelphia, highlights of some of which follow.

This morning, Denmark’s Novo Nordisk (NOV: N) highlighted new data showing that Victoza (liraglutide [rDNA origin] injection) provided greater reductions in HbA1c compared to exenatide and DPP-4 inhibitors, with weight loss and cost-effectiveness, when used in routine primary care according to current UK type 2 diabetes treatment guidelines. The study presented at the ADA also shows that more patients appeared to favor a drug with a liraglutide-like profile, which is given by injection, over a drug with a sitagliptin-like profile, which is given orally.

Global insulin leader Novo Nordisk also presented results from Phase IIIa study (n=1030) showing that ultra-long-acting insulin degludec significantly reduced nocturnal hypoglycemic rates by 36% than with insulin glargine (0.25 versus 0.39 episodes/patient per year; p=0.04). Overall confirmed hypoglycemic rates for insulin degludec and insulin glargine were 1.52 vs 1.85 episodes per patient per year, respectively (p=0.11); severe hypoglycemia were infrequent in both arms, but were significantly lower with insulin degludec (0.003 vs 0.023 episodes/patient-year; p=0.02); Fasting plasma glucose reductions were (-67.7 vs -59.5 mg/dl, respectively, EDT of -7.7 mg/dl, p=0.005).