Novo Nordisk has provided the data of liraglutide study. It showed that once-daily liraglutide (an investigational treatment for type 2 diabetes) leads to significant and sustained reductions in blood sugar and weight in African Americans with type 2 diabetes, as compared to glimepiride.
In the study, 64% of African American patients treated with liraglutide 1.8mg once a day and 29% treated with liraglutide 1.2mg once daily, reached and maintained the ADA’s blood sugar target (versus 11% of patients treated with glimepiride 8mg once daily after 52 weeks).
In addition to lowering blood sugar, after 52 weeks of treatment with 1.8mg of liraglutide, mean body weight decreased by 2.98 kg. Whereas with 1.2mg of liraglutide, mean body weight decreased by 0.71 kg, as compared to a slight decrease in weight in the glimepiride group of 0.50 kg.
Mansur Shomali, lead author of the study, said: Because African Americans are among the most affected by diabetes, it’s important that we consider how these patients respond to potential treatments. In this study, liraglutide not only lowered blood sugar, but patients lost weight as well. This is good news for these patients who are often struggling to control their disease.