Background: Few prospective studies have compared the cardiovascular benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. We aimed to clarify the efficacy of dapagliflozin versus sitagliptin for modulating cardiometabolic risk factors including high glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, hypoglycemia, and body weight. Methods: This prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded-endpoint, parallel-group trial enrolled 340 Japanese patients with early-stage type 2 diabetes receiving metformin alone or no glucose-lowering agents, who were randomized to receive dapagliflozin or sitagliptin for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who achieved the composite endpoint of HbA1c level maintenance < 7.0% (53 mmol/mol), avoidance of hypoglycemia (maintenance of sensor glucose ≥ 3.0 mmol/L or ≥ 54 mg/dL), and ≥ 3.0% body weight loss from baseline. Secondary endpoints included components of the primary endpoint, other metabolic indices, and glucose variability indices measured using flash glucose monitoring. Results: Clinical characteristics of patients were age, 58.1 ± 12.2 years; known duration of diabetes, 5.8 ± 6.1 years; body weight, 74.7 ± 14.2 kg; body mass index, 27.9 ± 4.1 kg/m 2 ; and HbA1c level, 7.8 ± 0.8% at baseline. The achievement ratio of primary endpoint was significantly higher in the dapagliflozin group than in the sitagliptin group (24.4% vs. 13.8%, P < 0.05). While the rates of HbA1c level maintenance < 7.0% (53 mmol/mol) and avoidance of hypoglycemia were comparable between the groups (49.4 vs. 50.0% and 88.7 vs. 92.3% for dapagliflozin vs. sitagliptin, respectively), body weight loss of ≥ 3.0% was significantly achieved in the dapagliflozin group (54.4 vs. 19.6%, P < 0.001). Moreover, dapagliflozin was superior to sitagliptin regarding several secondary endpoints that modulate cardiometabolic risk, namely reducing fasting plasma glucose, insulin, uric acid, increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and suppressing the increase in serum creatinine and the decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate. On the other hand, sitagliptin was superior to dapagliflozin in suppressing glucose variability.

Sitagliptin significantly improves some lipid parameters while having a comparable effect on blood glucose to nateglinide. A large-scale prospective study of sitagliptin therapy is warranted.

Aims/IntroductionIt is known that after pancreatectomy, patients experience hyposecretion of endogenous insulin and frequently develop diabetes. However, it has been unclear whether combination therapy with glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists and basal insulin is effective for such patients. In the present study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with long‐acting insulin glargine and the glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist lixisenatide in patients who developed diabetes after pancreatectomy.Materials and MethodsJapanese patients who developed diabetes after pancreatectomy were eligible for this study. Participants were treated with combination therapy of glargine and lixisenatide for 12 weeks. Fasting and postprandial plasma glucose, C‐peptide immunoreactivity, glycated hemoglobin, bodyweight, visceral fat and subcutaneous fat were measured.ResultsAt 12 weeks after initiation of lixisenatide, glycated hemoglobin levels decreased from 8.46 ± 1.64% to 6.81 ± 1.15%. In addition, 1‐h postprandial plasma glucose and 2‐h postprandial plasma glucose levels significantly decreased from 222.9 ± 56.2 mg/dL to 125.1 ± 37.5 mg/dL (P < 0.001) and from 247.5 ± 56.8 mg/dL to 115.1 ± 29.0 mg/dL (P < 0.001), respectively. Neither hypoglycemia nor clinically relevant adverse events occurred during this study.ConclusionsThe present study shows that combination therapy with basal insulin and glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists after partial pancreatectomy can be a useful therapeutic option for providing effective glycemic control with a reduced risk of hypoglycemia.

Metformin plus a dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor (DPP‐4i) is the most common therapy for Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes. This 24‐week, multicentre, open‐label, parallel‐group trial randomized patients on dual therapy to add‐on tofogliflozin (20 mg/day, n = 33) or glimepiride (0.5 mg/day, n = 31). The primary outcome was change in body fat percentage. The secondary outcomes included changes in HbA1c, fat mass, fat‐free mass, liver function variables and uric acid. Tofogliflozin and glimepiride reduced HbA1c to a similar extent. Body fat percentage did not change from baseline in either group. Fat mass was reduced by tofogliflozin but was increased by glimepiride (by −2.0 ± 1.7 kg and +1.6 ± 1.6 kg, P = .002). Fat‐free mass was also reduced by tofogliflozin and increased by glimepiride (by −1.3 ± 1.3 kg and +0.9 ± 2.0 kg, P < .001). Alanine aminotransferase and uric acid levels were reduced by tofogliflozin ( P = .006 and P < .001, respectively). These data provide novel information useful for selecting the third oral agent for patients whose diabetes is inadequately controlled with metformin plus DPP‐4i dual therapy.

AimsHypercholesterolemia coexisting with diabetes still requires clinical intervention to manage the high risk of cardiovascular disease it poses. No second-step strategy is established, however, for cases where strong statins fail to bring cholesterol down to target levels. In this study we seek to demonstrate the superior effect of ezetimibe in combination with strong statins to reduce LDL-C in Japanese patients suffering from both T2DM and hyper LDL-cholesterolemia.MethodsT2DM outpatients (109 patients from 16 institutes) who failed to achieve the target LDL-C value were recruited and randomly assigned to two groups, a double-dose-statin group and ezetimibe-plus-statin group. Follow-ups were scheduled at 0, 12, 26, and 52 weeks. The primary endpoint was the percentage change in the level of LDL-C from baseline to 12 weeks.Interim resultsWe could successfully create randomized (gender, age, LDL-C, HbA1c, etc.) two groups except for slight differences in apolipoprotein-B and sd-LDL.ConclusionsRESEARCH is the first prospective, parallel-group, multicenter study comparing a double dose of strong statin with ezetimibe plus strong statin for T2DM patients. The RESEARCH study will provide reliable evidence with which to establish a clinical strategy for diabetics who fail to achieve the target LDL-C value.

BackgroundThe global pandemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an enormous clinical and socioeconomic burden. Biguanides and DPP-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) are the most commonly used therapies in Japanese T2DM patients. When glycemic control is not adequate despite combination of these drugs, there is no consensus on the next step drug. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of previous trials have indicated that glycemic control with triple combination therapies yields similar results. Thus, beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk factors may be important. The present study was designed to evaluate body fat percentage and several insulin resistance parameters after addition of tofogliflozin or glimepiride to the regimens of patients being treated with metformin and a DPP-4 inhibitor but failing to attain adequate blood glucose control.MethodsSodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor, tofogliflozin versus glimepiride, comparative trial in patients with type 2 diabetes on body composition is an ongoing, multicenter, prospective, randomized, open-label, parallel-group trial. T2DM patients treated with metformin/DPP-4 inhibitor dual therapy have been recruited and randomly assigned to 20 mg/day tofogliflozin (n = 32) or 0.5 mg/day glimepiride (n = 32) groups, with either of these drugs being added to pre-existing regimens for 24 weeks.Planned OutcomesThe primary endpoint is the change in body fat percentage from baseline to 24 weeks. The secondary outcomes are changes in body composition other than fat percentage, body weight, parameters related to glycemic control and β-cell function, parameters related to lipids and arteriosclerosis, parameters related to liver function, parameters related to diabetic nephropathy, and uric acid levels. Safety parameters will also be analyzed. This is the first trial comparing the effects and safety of adding an SGLT2i and a sulfonylurea as the third-line oral agent to metformin/DPP-4i dual therapy. The results will provide valuable information for choosing third-line oral agents.Trial RegistrationUMIN000026161.FundingKowa Co. Ltd. and Kowa Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13300-018-0491-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background: Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have attracted attention by the recently reported improved cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in patients with T2DM. In contrast, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) were reported neutral on CV outcomes. However, there are few prospective studies that have compared the efficacy of SGLT2i and DPP-4i on the prevention of CV disease risks. Therefore, we planned this prospective, randomized, parallel-group trial aimed to compare the therapeutic benefits of dapagliflozin (Dapa) and sitagliptin (Sita) on CV disease risks, with special focus on HbA1c, body weight (BW), and hypoglycemia. Methods: A total of 340 T2DM patients treated with metformin alone or with no glucose-lowering agents (20-80 years of age, HbA1c ≥ 7.1% and &lt; 10.0%) were equally randomized to Dapa 5 mg/day or Sita 50 mg/day add-on group, and treated for 24 weeks. After the 8 weeks, if HbA1c is 7.0% or higher, Dapa and Sita were increased to 10 mg/day and 100 mg/day, respectively. The primary endpoint was the ratio of achieving composite endpoints of the following all 3 items; 1) HbA1c below 7.0%; 2) 3.0% BW loss from baseline; 3) avoidance of hypoglycemia {&lt; 3.0 mmol/L (&lt; 54 mg/dL)}. Hypoglycemia was monitored by flash glucose monitoring system. Results: The achievement ratio of HbA1c below 7.0% was comparable between the groups (49.4 vs. 50.0%, p=1.00, Dapa vs. Sita, respectively). However, 3.0% BW loss was preferably achieved in Dapa group (54.4 vs. 19.6%, p&lt;0.001). There was no significant difference regarding the avoidance of hypoglycemia between the groups (88.7 vs. 92.3%, p=0.27). Thus, the ratio of achieving composite endpoints was superior in Dapa group compared to Sita group (24.4% vs. 13.8%, p&lt;0.05). In summary, Dapa treatment for 24 weeks improved CV risk factors in patients with inadequately controlled T2DM. This study provides the evidence on ideal therapeutic choice for preventing CV events in T2DM. Disclosure A. Fuchigami: None. F. Shigiyama: None. T. Kitazawa: Speaker’s Bureau; Self; AstraZeneca, Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited, Eli Lilly and Company, Kowa Pharmaceutical Europe Co. Ltd., Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Novo Nordisk Inc., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Sanofi K.K., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. Y. Okada: None. T. Ichijo: None. M. Higa: None. T. Hiyoshi: Other Relationship; Self; Astellas Pharma Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited, Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Sanofi, Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho, Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. I. Inoue: None. K. Iso: Research Support; Spouse/Partner; AstraZeneca. H. Yoshii: None. T. Hirose: None. N. Kumashiro: Speaker’s Bureau; Self; Novo Nordisk Inc., Sanofi, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. Funding AstraZeneca K.K.

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