Is IDegLira more effective than standard insulin for patients with Type 2 diabetes?

This study compared insulin degludec/liraglutide (IDegLira) to standard insulin in patients with uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes (T2D).  The authors concluded that IDegLira improved patient compliance to treatment and reduced treatment-related stress compared to conventional insulin.

One of the main goals of treatment for T2D is to lower blood sugar levels. Because T2D is a progressive condition, insulin doses need to be adjusted to make sure it continues to work. However, patients are less likely to comply with more doses of insulin. This can lead to a worsening of T2D symptoms and more hospital visits. These patients need less burdening treatment options.

Liraglutide is a long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist. This type of treatment helps the pancreas release the right amount of insulin when blood glucose levels are high. IDegLira is a new treatment that combines insulin with liraglutide and requires only one daily injection. Whether patients find IDegLira easier to take compared to standard insulin is unclear.

This study had 506 patients with uncontrolled T2D already taking metformin (Glucophage).  Patients were split into two groups and received either IDegLira (252 patients) or standard insulin (254 patients). All patients received surveys to evaluate how much they felt their health improved. Patients were treated for 26 weeks.

Over 26 weeks, patients taking IDegLira had significantly fewer changes in treatment doses compared to patients taking standard insulin (16.6 changes vs. 217.2 changes). 

By the end of the study, patients taking IDegLira continued to take the treatment once daily. In the insulin group, 24.3% of patients required 2 injections per day and 66.5% required 3 or more injections per day.

In the patient surveys, IDegLira scored 10.76 points more than standard insulin for improved management of T2D. IDegLira scored 10.5 points more than standard insulin for reduced treatment stress and 4.23 points more for improved daily life. IDegLira scored 6.25 more points than standard insulin for improved patient compliance to treatment.

There were no differences between IDegLira and standard insulin in how patients felt physically. However, IDegLira scored 2.29 more points than standard insulin for improved mental health.

This study concluded that IDegLira reduced treatment stress and increased treatment compliance compared to standard insulin. The authors suggest that fewer daily doses and dose changes associated with IDegLira may help patients with T2D stick to treatment better.

This study received funding support from Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of IDegLira. Thanks to good clinical support, patients in both treatment groups achieved good glycemic (blood sugar) control. This may not reflect real-world clinical practice. Data about patient outcomes were also collected from self-reported patient surveys. More studies are needed to confirm these results.