ADA Highlights: Sanofi, Eli Lilly Unveil Latest Diabetes Research with GLP-1 Therapies Still in Focus

Compiled by: Violet

The 79th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) were recently held, during which a series of the latest research findings on diabetes were released. Sina Medicine has provided a special summary report.

1. Sanofi’s Soliqua Outperformed Competitors in Glycemic Control Trials

At the 79th ADA Scientific Sessions, Sanofi presented data from its Phase III LixiLan-G trial, which compared Sanofi’s Soliqua with other GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs). After 26 weeks, Soliqua reduced mean glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels by 0.6%, and patients treated with Soliqua achieved HbA1c levels below the ADA-recommended target of 7%, compared to those receiving other GLP-1 RAs.

Soliqua is an injectable treatment. It consists of two medications: insulin glargine and lixisenatide. Marketed as Suliqua in Europe, it is indicated for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes when metformin alone or metformin combined with another oral antidiabetic drug or basal insulin does not provide adequate glycemic control. In the United States, it is approved as Soliqua 100/33 and is prescribed as an adjunct to diet and exercise in adults with type 2 diabetes.

2. Sanofi’s Toujeo Offers Better Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes Patients with Renal Impairment

Approximately 40% of patients with type 2 diabetes will progress to kidney problems, and these patients are more difficult to treat, partly due to their increased blood glucose fluctuations.

At the ADA Annual Scientific Sessions, Sanofi stated that its Toujeo demonstrated superior efficacy in glycemic control for patients with type 2 diabetes and moderate-to-severe renal impairment, achieving a 1.72% reduction in HbA1c, a key glycemic metric, compared to a 1.3% reduction with its main competitor, Novo Nordisk’s Tresiba. Furthermore, Toujeo was not associated with any increased incidence of hypoglycemia.

3. AstraZeneca’s Farxiga Reduces the Composite Risk of Renal Function Decline in Type 2 Diabetes by 47%

AstraZeneca Presents DECLARE Trial Results at the ADA Scientific Sessions, Showing Farxiga Reduces the Composite Risk of Renal Function Decline (Including Kidney Disease and Renal Death) by 47% in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes at High Risk for End-Stage Renal Disease. Previously, the DECLARE trial, involving 17,000 patients, had already demonstrated positive outcomes in heart failure. Last November, results showed that Farxiga reduced hospitalizations for heart failure or cardiovascular death by 17%.

4. Lilly’s ultra-rapid-acting insulin lispro demonstrates glycemic efficacy comparable to Humalog

Two Phase III studies demonstrated that in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, Lilly’s ultra-rapid-acting insulin lispro (URLi) achieved non-inferior reductions in glycated hemoglobin (A1C) at 26 weeks compared with Humalog® (insulin lispro). The data also showed that URLi significantly attenuated postprandial glucose excursions at 1 and 2 hours after meals. Data from the study in patients with type 1 diabetes indicated that URLi significantly improved daytime glucose levels. URLi is an investigational novel mealtime insulin formulation designed to better manage blood glucose levels. Lilly has currently submitted regulatory applications for URLi in Europe and Japan and plans to submit an application in the United States later this year.

5. Dulaglutide is safe and effective in patients with type 2 diabetes and moderate to severe chronic kidney disease

At the recently held 79th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), results from the AWARD-7 study demonstrated that in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and moderate-to-severe chronic kidney disease (CKD), weekly administration of 1.5 mg dulaglutide significantly reduced the incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and markedly lowered the rate of hypoglycemic events compared to insulin or lower doses of dulaglutide. Furthermore, dulaglutide led to weight loss in patients, whereas insulin was associated with weight gain.

To date, few therapeutic interventions have been able to reduce the risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in diabetes or attenuate the decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) by up to 40% in advanced stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD). As a novel glucose-lowering agent, dulaglutide offers renal protection and may even prevent serious complications, demonstrating efficacy even in patients with stage 3 or 4 CKD.

6. Eli Lilly’s Blockbuster Diabetes Drug Trulicity Reduces Cardiac Risk by 12%

Detailed results from the REWIND study, a cardiovascular (CV) outcomes trial of Trulicity® (dulaglutide), demonstrated a significant 12% reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). MACE was defined as a composite endpoint of non-fatal myocardial infarction (heart attack), non-fatal stroke, or CV death. The benefit on MACE was consistent regardless of the presence or absence of pre-existing CV disease, and the reduction in CV risk was sustained throughout the trial period. Eli Lilly presented these findings at the 79th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and simultaneously published them in The Lancet.

Trulicity is a once-weekly injectable prescription medicine used to improve blood sugar (glucose) in adults with type 2 diabetes, and it should be used in conjunction with diet and exercise. Trulicity is not recommended as the first-line treatment for diabetes and cannot replace insulin. It has not been studied in children under 18 years of age.

7. Teplizumab Can Delay the Onset of Type 1 Diabetes by at Least Two Years

Protive Bio Announces That Experimental Results of Its Teplizumab Immunotherapy Show PRV-031 (Teplizumab), an Anti-CD3 Monoclonal Antibody Administered in a 14-Day Course, Significantly Delays the Onset and Diagnosis of Clinical Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) Compared with Placebo, Postponing T1D Onset by Approximately 24 Months in Both Children and Adults.

In contrast, approximately 60% of participants in the study remained free of type 1 diabetes after a single course of PRV-031, twice the rate observed in the placebo group. This suggests that immunotherapy can be used to prevent or delay the onset of clinical type 1 diabetes by at least two years in individuals who are almost certain to develop the disease.

8. Medtronic Achieves Online Synchronization of Diabetes Monitoring Through Tidepool Collaboration

Medtronic is collaborating with the non-profit organization Tidepool to co-develop a new interactive operational version of the app for its MiniMed insulin pump. Medtronic will provide financial support and assist in building the software development kit (SDK) to enable communication between the app on smartphones and various Bluetooth-enabled devices, thereby ensuring the app receives FDA approval.

Tidepool’s Loop app, currently under development for iPhone and Apple Watch, adjusts basal insulin rates every five minutes using an algorithm that predicts the user’s needs over the next 30 minutes, helping patients keep their blood glucose levels within a safe range. The developers aim to make the app compatible with multiple insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems.

References:

1、 Provention’s Teplizumab Can Delay Onset of Type 1 Diabetes, Trial Results Show

2、Dulaglutide is Safe and Effective for People with Type 2 Diabetes and Moderate to Severe Chronic Kidney Disease

3、Trulicity (dulaglutide) significantly reduced major cardiovascular events for broad range of people with type 2 diabetes

4、Lilly's ultra rapid lispro provided similar A1C reductions compared to Humalog (insulin lispro), with superior post-meal blood glucose reductions

5、ADA: AstraZeneca's Farxiga scores in kidney outcomes study, cutting risks 47%

6、ADA: Sanofi's Toujeo tops Novo Nordisk's Tresiba in tough-to-treat diabetes subgroup

7、ADA: Medtronic steps toward diabetes interoperability with Tidepool collaboration

8、Sanofi's Soliqua Edges Out Competitors in Blood Sugar Control Trial