ORLANDO – The dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP-4) inhibitor sitagliptin seems to confer multiple benefits in type 1 diabetics with suboptimal glycemic control, according to early results released at the 70th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
In a pilot study that included 20 type 1 patients, four weeks’ treatment with sitagliptin led to decreased hemoglobin (Hb)A1c and mean blood glucose levels and total daily insulin doses.
Sitagliptin is an oral antihyperglycemic agent that is approved, as an adjunct to diet and exercise, to improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Satish K. Garg, MD, with the University of Colorado in Denver, presented findings in patients who had been assigned to treatment with sitagliptin 100 mg daily or placebo for one month in a double-blind fashion and then crossed over to the alternate treatment for one month. All patients used a blinded continuous glucose monitor throughout the study.
Despite new therapies and technology, the average HbA1c in type 1 diabetic patients remains well above ADA recommended targets, Dr. Garg observed.
At enrollment,HbA1c in the study participants ranged from 8.5 to 12% 9with a mean A1c of about 9.4%) despite optimized therapy.
Results after one month of sitagliptin treatment showed a significant reduction in mean blood glucose of about 12 mg/dL, which amounts to a HbA1C reduction of 0.27%. There was also a significant reduction in insulin dose in subjects while on sitagliptin.
Dr. Garg emphasized that while he is encouraged by the findings, more research involving a larger sample size for a longer period of time is needed to determine sitagliptin’s efficacy and safety in type 1 diabetes.
Written by Jill Stein
Jill Stein is a Paris-based freelance medical writer.