Glycemic Control and Weight Outcomes for Exenatide Once Weekly Versus Liraglutide in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A 1-Year Retrospective Cohort Analysis

Purpose: Data comparing real-world effectiveness of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) exenatide once weekly (QW) and liraglutide in the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D) are limited. Furthermore, there is limited information on exenatide QW or liraglutide response by glycemic control and insulin use status. This study identifies 1-year glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA) and weight outcomes with exenatide QW and liraglutide in the real-world setting overall and in insulin-naive patients with uncontrolled T2D.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study using national electronic medical record data compared 1-year HbA and weight outcomes in patients with T2D prescribed exenatide QW or liraglutide. Included patients were adults (≥18 years old) with T2D who were GLP-1RA naive when newly prescribed exenatide QW or liraglutide between January 1, 2012, and March 31, 2013 (index date). Outcomes were reported descriptively overall and in subsets of insulin-naive patients with baseline HbA ≥7.0% or ≥9.0%. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to estimate adjusted change in HbA and weight.

Findings: The study included 808 exenatide QW and 4333 liraglutide patients. Mean (SD) age was 57 (11) years in both groups. Mean baseline HbA was 8.3% (1.5%) in exenatide QW patients and 8.4% (1.6%) in liraglutide patients (P = 0.66); 16 (2%) of the exenatide QW and 1099 (25.4%) of the liraglutide patients were newly prescribed insulin on the index date (P < 0.001). Adjusted mean HbA change at 1 year was -0.37% (95% CI, -0.53% to -0.21%) for exenatide QW and -0.37% (95% CI, -0.55% to -0.18%) for liraglutide. Adjusted HbA reduction was more pronounced in insulin-naive patients with baseline HbA ≥7.0% (-0.71% and -0.80% for the exenatide QW and liraglutide patients, respectively, P > 0.05) and ≥9.0% (-1.73% and -1.57% for exenatide QW and liraglutide patients, respectively, P > 0.05). Mean (adjusted) weight loss was -2.22 kg (95% CI, -3.06 to -1.37 kg) with exenatide QW and -2.21 kg (95% CI, -3.18 to -1.23 kg) with liraglutide.

Implications: Exenatide QW and liraglutide lead to similar HbA and weight reductions at 1 year in the real-world setting. Greater HbA reductions occurred in insulin-naive patients with baseline HbA ≥7.0%. Both agents are appropriate options for patients needing antidiabetes therapy to lower HbA while promoting weight loss.