Interim Analysis of the Effects of Exenatide Treatment on A1C, Weight and Cardiovascular Risk Factors over 82 Weeks in 314 Overweight Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Aim: Exenatide, an incretin mimetic for the adjunct treatment of type 2 diabetes (DM2), reduced A1C and weight in 30-week placebo-controlled trials. This analysis examined the effects of exenatide on glycaemic control and weight over an 82-week period in patients with DM2 unable to achieve adequate glycaemic control with sulphonylurea (SU) and/or metformin (MET).

Methods: This interim analysis is of 314 patients who received exenatide in the 30-week placebo-controlled trials and subsequently in 52 weeks of open-label uncontrolled extension studies for 82 weeks of exenatide in total. Patients continued their SU and/or MET regimens throughout.

Results: Patients completed 82 weeks of exenatide treatment [n = 314, 63% M, age 56 +/- 10 years, weight 99 +/- 21 kg, body mass index 34 +/- 6 kg/m2, A1C 8.3 +/- 1.0% (mean +/- SD)]. Reduction in A1C from baseline to week 30 [-0.9 +/- 0.1% (mean +/- SE)] was sustained to week 82 (-1.1 +/- 0.1%), with 48% of patients achieving A1C < or = 7% at week 82. At week 30, exenatide reduced body weight (a secondary endpoint) from baseline (-2.1 +/- 0.2 kg), with progressive reduction at week 82 (-4.4 +/- 0.3 kg). Similar results were observed for the intent-to-treat population (n = 551), with reductions in A1C and weight at week 82 of -0.8 +/- 0.1% and -3.5 +/- 0.2 kg respectively. The 82-week completer cohort showed statistically significant improvement in some cardiovascular risk factors. The most frequent adverse events were generally mild-to-moderate nausea and hypoglycaemia.

Conclusion: In summary, 82 weeks of adjunctive exenatide treatment in patients with DM2 treated with SU and/or MET resulted in sustained reduction in A1C and progressive reduction in weight, as well as improvement in some cardiovascular risk factors.