OBJECTIVETo compare the efficacy and safety of two doses of once-weekly dulaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist, to sitagliptin in uncontrolled, metformin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes. The primary objective was to compare (for noninferiority and then superiority) dulaglutide 1.5 mg versus sitagliptin in change from baseline in glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) at 52 weeks.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSThis multicenter, adaptive, double-blind, parallel-arm study randomized patients (N = 1,098; mean baseline age 54 years; HbA1c 8.1% [65 mmol/mol]; weight 86.4 kg; diabetes duration 7 years) to dulaglutide 1.5 mg, dulaglutide 0.75 mg, sitagliptin 100 mg, or placebo (placebo-controlled period up to 26 weeks). The treatment period lasted 104 weeks, with 52-week primary end point data presented.RESULTSThe mean HbA1c changes to 52 weeks were (least squares mean ± SE): −1.10 ± 0.06% (−12.0 ± 0.7 mmol/mol), −0.87 ± 0.06% (9.5 ± 0.7 mmol/mol), and −0.39 ± 0.06% (4.3 ± 0.7 mmol/mol) for dulaglutide 1.5 mg, dulaglutide 0.75 mg, and sitagliptin, respectively. Both dulaglutide doses were superior to sitagliptin (P < 0.001, both comparisons). No events of severe hypoglycemia were reported. Mean weight changes to 52 weeks were greater with dulaglutide 1.5 mg (−3.03 ± 0.22 kg) and dulaglutide 0.75 mg (−2.60 ± 0.23 kg) compared with sitagliptin (−1.53 ± 0.22 kg) (P < 0.001, both comparisons). The most common gastrointestinal treatment-emergent adverse events in dulaglutide 1.5- and 0.75-mg arms were nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.CONCLUSIONSBoth dulaglutide doses demonstrated superior glycemic control versus sitagliptin at 52 weeks with an acceptable tolerability and safety profile.

AimsTo compare the once‐weekly glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) receptor dulaglutide with the dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inhibitor sitagliptin after 104 weeks of treatment.MethodsThis AWARD‐5 study was a multicentre, double‐blind trial that randomized participants to dulaglutide (1.5 or 0.75 mg) or sitagliptin 100 mg for 104 weeks or placebo (reported separately) for 26 weeks. Change in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) concentration from baseline was the primary efficacy measure. A total of 1098 participants with HbA1c concentrations ≥7.0% (≥53.0 mmol/mol) and ≤9.5% (≤80.3 mmol/mol) were randomized, and 657 (59.8%) completed the study. We report results for dulaglutide and sitagliptin at the final endpoint.ResultsChanges in HbA1c at 104 weeks were (least squares mean ± standard error) −0.99 ± 0.06% (−10.82 ± 0.66 mmol/mol), −0.71 ± 0.07% (−7.76 ± 0.77 mmol/mol) and −0.32 ± 0.06% (−3.50 ± 0.66 mmol/mol) for dulaglutide 1.5 mg, dulaglutide 0.75 mg and sitagliptin, respectively (p < 0.001, both dulaglutide doses vs sitagliptin). Weight loss was greater with dulaglutide 1.5 mg (p < 0.001) and similar with 0.75 mg versus sitagliptin (2.88 ± 0.25, 2.39 ± 0.26 and 1.75 ± 0.25 kg, respectively). Gastrointestinal adverse events were more common with dulaglutide 1.5 and 0.75 mg versus sitagliptin (nausea 17 and 15% vs 7%, diarrhoea 16 and 12% vs 6%, vomiting 14 and 8% vs 4% respectively). Pancreatic, thyroid, cardiovascular and hypersensitivity safety were similar across groups.ConclusionsDulaglutide doses provided superior glycaemic control and dulaglutide 1.5 mg resulted in greater weight reduction versus sitagliptin at 104 weeks, with acceptable safety.

Aims: AWARD-5 was an adaptive, seamless, double-blind study comparing dulaglutide, a once-weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, with placebo at 26 weeks and sitagliptin up to 104 weeks. The study also included a dose-finding portion whose results are presented here. Methods:Type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients on metformin were randomized 3 : 1 : 1 to seven dulaglutide doses, sitagliptin (100 mg), or placebo.A Bayesian algorithm was used for randomization and dose selection. Patients were adaptively randomized to dulaglutide doses using available data on the basis of a clinical utility index (CUI) of glycosylated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) versus sitagliptin at 52 weeks and weight, pulse rate (PR) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) versus placebo at 26 weeks. The algorithm randomly assigned patients until two doses were selected. Conclusions:The Bayesian algorithm allowed for an efficient exploration of a large number of doses and selected dulaglutide doses of 1.5 and 0.75 mg for further investigation in this trial.

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Dulaglutide (dula, LY2189265) is a once-weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 analog in development for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. An adaptive, dose-finding, inferentially seamless phase 2/3 study was designed to support the development of this novel diabetes therapeutic. The study is divided into two stages based on two randomization schemes: a Bayesian adaptive scheme (stage 1) and a fixed scheme (stage 2). Stage 1 of the trial employs an adaptive, dose-finding design to lead to a dula dose-selection decision or early study termination due to futility. If dose selection occurs, the study proceeds to stage 2 to allow continued evaluation of the selected dula doses. At completion, the entire study will serve as a confirmatory phase 3 trial. The final study design is discussed, along with specifics pertaining to the actual execution of this study and selected baseline characteristics of the participants.