Liraglutide Effects in Insulin-Treated Patients in LEADER
Authors: TACK CORNELIS , JACOB STEPHAN , DESOUZA CYRUS , BAIN STEPHEN C. , NAUCK MICHAEL A. , PETRIE JOHN , POULTER NEIL R. , PRATLEY RICHARD E. , STEGMANN HELEN VANYA BIERING KJAER , BOSCH-TRABERG HEIDRUN , STARTSEVA ELENA , ZINMAN BERNARD ,   LEADER PUBLICATION COMMITTEE & INVESTIGATORS
Published: June 2018

Combining GLP-1 analogs and insulin has complementary benefits, but long-term data are sparse. In the LEADER cardiovascular (CV) outcomes trial (N=9340; median follow-up 3.8 years; NCT01179048), rates of major CV events and hypoglycemia were lower when liraglutide vs. placebo was added to standard care (frequently including insulin) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) at high risk for CV disease, and there were improvements in control of glycemia, body weight, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and lipids.

This post-hoc subgroup analysis assessed these outcomes by baseline insulin use: no insulin vs. basal-only vs. other.

At baseline, 5171 (55%) patients were not on insulin treatment, 3159 (34%) were on basal-only insulin and 1010 (11%) were treated with other insulin regimens (9.7% premix). Insulin use at baseline was balanced overall between randomized treatment groups, but fewer patients randomized to liraglutide (29%) vs. placebo (43%) initiated in-trial insulin.

In the basal-only subgroup, liraglutide reduced A1C vs. placebo (estimated treatment difference [ETD]: −0.48%, 95% CI: −0.57; −0.38), with a significant reduction in severe hypoglycemia rate (estimated rate ratio: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.26; 0.68). Liraglutide also reduced weight (ETD: −2.5 kg, 95% CI: −3.0; −2.1) and there were trends for reductions in SBP (ETD: −1.1 mmHg, 95% CI: −2.4; 0.1) and LDL cholesterol (ETD: -1.3 mg/dL, 95% CI: -3.6; 1.0). The CV risk reduction observed with liraglutide in the full trial population was similar in the basal-only subgroup (estimated hazard ratio: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.70; 1.00).

Results were similar in the no-insulin subgroup. There was heterogeneity in the results for the smaller, other insulin subgroup with reductions in A1C and weight, but no significant differences in other endpoints.

In conclusion, in basal insulin-treated patients with T2D and high CV risk, treatment with liraglutide improved glycemic control, reduced body weight and halved the severe hypoglycemia risk, with a similar CV risk reduction to patients not on insulin.

Disclosure

C. Tack: Advisory Panel; Self; Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Novo Nordisk A/S, AstraZeneca. Research Support; Self; AstraZeneca. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. S. Jacob: Advisory Panel; Self; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly and Company. Board Member; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Novo Nordisk Foundation. Advisory Panel; Self; MSD K.K.. Speaker's Bureau; Self; MSD K.K., Menarini Group, Roche Diabetes Care Health and Digital Solutions. C. Desouza: Consultant; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S, Sanofi. Research Support; Self; Merck & Co., Inc.. Advisory Panel; Self; Medscape. S.C. Bain: Research Support; Self; Novo Nordisk Inc., AstraZeneca. M.A. Nauck: Advisory Panel; Self; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Eli Lilly and Company, Fractyl Laboratories, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc., Berlin-Chemie AG, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Novo Nordisk A/S. Speaker's Bureau; Self; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Eli Lilly and Company, Berlin-Chemie AG, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Medscape, Novo Nordisk A/S. Research Support; Self; AstraZeneca, Berlin-Chemie AG, Eli Lilly and Company, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Novartis AG, GlaxoSmithKline plc., Novo Nordisk A/S. Consultant; Self; Nordic Bioscience, Empros. J. Petrie: Advisory Panel; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. Other Relationship; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Pfizer Inc.. Consultant; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. Research Support; Self; Merck KGaA, Itamar Medical Ltd., Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.. Other Relationship; Self; Diabetes UK, Applied Clinical Intelligence Ltd, Bayer AG, QuintilesIMS. N.R. Poulter: Advisory Panel; Self; AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk A/S, Amgen Inc.. Research Support; Self; Servier. Speaker's Bureau; Self; AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk A/S, Amgen Inc., Servier. Other Relationship; Self; International Society of Hypertension. R.E. Pratley: Other Relationship; Self; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Eisai Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc., Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Merck & Co., Inc., Novo Nordisk Inc., Pfizer Inc., Sanofi-Aventis, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc. H. Stegmann: Employee; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. H. Bosch-Traberg: Employee; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. E. Startseva: Employee; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. B. Zinman: Consultant; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly and Company, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Sanofi, Merck & Co., Inc., Abbott.