Evaluating Glyxambi for patients with Type 2 diabetes

This study evaluated empagliflozin (Jardiance) and linagliptin (Tradjenta) for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes (T2D). This study found that combining both drugs (Glyxambi) was more effective at lowering blood glucose levels than either medication alone, with similar side effects.

For patients with T2D, the body no longer responds to the hormone insulin. This can lead to high levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood, which over time can worsen health. In addition to diet and exercise, many patients use medications to keep their blood sugar under control. Some patients may need to take more than one medication.

 Empaglifozin causes glucose to leave the body in urine, thus lowering blood sugar. Linagliptin works by helping the body make more insulin. Glyxambi combines both of these drugs into one daily pill. It is unclear whether Glyxambi is more effective at treating T2D than either drug alone.

This study looked at the results of 6 studies. These studies had a total of 2,857 patients with T2D. In addition to diet and exercise, patients were taking metformin (Glucophage). In this study, patients received either Glyxambi (EL group) or either medication alone (empagliflozin or linagliptin). Patients were followed for 24 weeks.

HbA1c is a measure of blood glucose levels over the past three months. Overall, patients in the EL group had HbA1c levels drop by 0.72%. Patients in the EL group were significantly more likely to have lower HbA1c levels compared to empagliflozin (3.89-fold) or linagliptin (3.20-fold).

Patients in the EL group also had significantly lower blood glucose levels before meals (fasting levels). Overall, patients in the EL group had fasting blood glucose levels drop by 1.60 mmol/L compared to either drug alone. Patients in the EL group also lost 1.96 to 2.08 more kilograms in body weight compared to patients treated with linagliptin alone. 

Patients in the EL group had similar side effects compared to the other two groups. Urinary tract or genital infections were a common side effect.

This study concluded that Glyxambi effectively lowered blood glucose levels for patients with T2D compared to empagliflozin or linagliptin alone.

The studies used different doses of treatment, which makes combining data more difficult. The follow-up time was also short. More studies are needed to confirm these results.