Pharmaceutical Business review

Zealand reports positive results on type 2 diabetes drug

Lixisenatide QD had a greater post-prandial glucose lowering (PPG) effect than liraglutide QD in patients with Type 2 diabetes (-129% versus -41%, respectively).

It is accompanied by significant decreases in insulin, C-peptide and glucagon and a better gastro-intestinal tolerability profile.

Add-on treatment with lixisenatide (once-daily) provided an improvement in postprandial glycemic control over 24 weeks in Type 2 diabetes patients insufficiently controlled on SU +/- metformin.

Lixisenatide also reduced glucagon and pro-insulin and thus improved glucose homeostasis.

In the present animal studies, lixisenatide and liraglutide had a different impact on post-prandial carbohydrate utilization, with lixisenatide having a stronger prandial effect than liraglutide.

This potent effect of lixisenatide on post-meal glucose control might result in improvement of glucose control in Type 2 diabetes, allowing more patients to reach their HbA1c target with body weight loss.