To determine the effect of piragliatin on the QTcS (QT-corrected study-specific) interval, a double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled, active-comparator, 4-period, 4-treatment, 4-sequence randomized crossover trial was performed in 42 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who received 100 and 200mg piragliatin twice daily, placebo, and 400mg moxifloxacin (on day 1 and day 5 only) for 5days. In the categorical analyses, piragliatin did not have a clinically significant effect on the QTcS interval at either dose, and the majority of patients were categorized with low risk for maximum change from baseline (<= 30 milliseconds) and a maximum postbaseline QTcS interval as normal (<= 450 milliseconds). However, in the analysis of variance model, both piragliatin doses crossed the 10-millisecond threshold (100 mg twice daily on day 5, hour 1; 200 mg twice daily on days 1 and 5, hours 1 and 2) with P values indicating statistical significance. Headache and mild hypoglycemia were the most frequent adverse events associated with piragliatin treatment. There appeared that the effect of piragliatin treatment on the QTc interval was dose/exposure dependent following short-term multiple doses. Longer-term monitoring of electrocardiograms with pharmacokinetic exposure should continue, especially at conditions for potentially higher pharmacokinetic exposure.

Piragliatin is a CYP3A substrate; its inactive metabolite M4, formed through cytosolic reductase, is reversibly metabolized back to piragliatin through CYP3A. The impact of concomitant CYP3A modifiers thus cannot be predicted. Drinking alcohol under fasting conditions is associated with a recognized glucose-lowering effect, which might be synergistic with piragliatin's hypoglycemic effect. Two exploratory studies were conducted to examine these potential interactions in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients: 16 completed an open-label, sequential 2-way crossover, 2-arm (randomized to ketoconazole and rifampicin) CYP3A study; another 18 participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized 3-way crossover ethanol study. Administration of piragliatin (100-mg single dose) resulted in a 32% C-max and 44% area under the curve (AUC infinity) increase in piragliatin exposure without affecting glucose AUC(0-6h) following ketoconazole (400mg QDx5 days); 30% C-max and 72% AUC infinity decrease in piragliatin exposure with a 13% increase in glucose AUC(0-6h) following rifampicin (600mg QDx5 days); and, unexpectedly, a 32% C-max and 23% AUC(0-6h) decrease (no change in AUC infinity) in piragliatin exposure with a 13% increase in glucose AUC(0-6h) following alcohol (40-g single dose). In conclusion, a strong CYP3A modifier or concomitant alcohol could lead to a change in exposure to piragliatin with a potential alteration in glucose-lowering effect.

To evaluate the potential pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD, glucose-lowering effect) interaction between simvastatin and piragliatin, both CYP3A substrates, 30 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus participated in this open-label, randomized, 6-sequence, 3-way crossover (William's design) study. During 3 periods, patients were randomized to receive a single dose of 80 mg simvastatin alone, a single dose of 100 mg piragliatin alone, as well as single doses of 80 mg simvastatin and 100 mg piragliatin together. Primary PK and PD parameters were AUCs on dosing days. The ratio of geometric means (90% confidence intervals) of the AUCinf of piragliatin coadministered with simvastatin compared with piragliatin alone was 0.98 (0.92-1.05), whereas that of the AUCinf of simvastatin acid (active metabolite) coadministered with piragliatin compared with simvastatin alone, was 1.02 (0.90-1.16), suggesting lack of pharmacokinetic interaction between piragliatin and simvastatin. Piragliatin's glucose-lowering effect was not affected by coadministration of simvastatin. Overall, administration of piragliatin with simvastatin was without additional clinically relevant adverse effects as well as abnormality in laboratory tests, vital signs, and electrocardiogram parameters. Concomitant administration of simvastatin and piragliatin, both CYP3A substrates, has no clinically relevant effect on the pharmacokinetics of either piragliatin or simvastatin or on the pharmacodynamics for piragliatin.

The efficacy and safety of taspoglutide, a long-acting human glucagon-like peptide-1 analog, were compared with sitagliptin or placebo, as adjunct to metformin, in patients with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of taspoglutide monotherapy in drug-naive patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In this 24-week double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial, 373 patients with type 2 diabetes naive to antihyperglycemic medication were randomized to weekly subcutaneous taspoglutide 10 or 20 mg or placebo. RESULTS HbA1c reductions from baseline were greater with taspoglutide 10 and 20 mg than placebo (least squares mean [SE] changes: –1.01% [0.07], –1.18% [0.06], and –0.09% [0.07], respectively; both P < 0.0001 vs. placebo). Decreases in bodyweight were greater with taspoglutide 10 mg (–1.45 kg [0.32]) and with 20 mg (–2.25 kg [0.30]) than placebo (–1.23 kg [0.31]; P = 0.61 and P = 0.02 for taspoglutide 10 and 20 mg vs. placebo, respectively). Gastrointestinal adverse events and injection site reactions were more common with taspoglutide than placebo. CONCLUSIONS In drug-naive patients, once-weekly taspoglutide improved glycemic control, reduced body weight, and was generally well tolerated.

RESULTSdMean baseline HbA1c was 8.1%. Both doses of taspoglutide reduced HbA1c significantly more than exenatide (taspoglutide 10 mg: –1.24% [SE 0.09], difference –0.26, 95%CI –0.37 to –0.15, P , 0.0001; taspoglutide 20 mg: –1.31% [0.08], difference –0.33, –0.44 to –0.22, P, 0.0001; exenatide: –0.98% [0.08]). Both taspoglutide doses reduced fasting plasma glucose significantly more than exenatide. Taspoglutide reduced body weight (taspoglutide 10 mg, –1.6 kg; taspoglutide 20 mg, –2.3 kg) as did exenatide (–2.3 kg), which was greater than with taspoglutide 10 mg (P, 0.05). HbA1c and weight effects were maintained after 52 weeks. More adverse eventswith taspoglutide 10 and20mg than exenatide developedover time (nausea in 53, 59, and 35% and vomiting in 33, 37, and 16%, respectively). Allergic and injection-site reactions were more common with taspoglutide. Discontinuations were greater with taspoglutide. Antitaspoglutide antibodies were detected in 49% of patients.

OBJECTIVE Taspoglutide is a long-acting glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist developed for treatment of type 2 diabetes. The efficacy and safety of once-weekly taspoglutide was compared with twice-daily exenatide. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Overweight adults with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes on metformin ± a thiazolidinedione were randomized to subcutaneous taspoglutide 10 mg weekly (n = 399), taspoglutide 20 mg weekly (n = 398), or exenatide 10 µg twice daily (n = 392) in an open-label, multicenter trial. The primary end point was change in HbA1c after 24 weeks. RESULTS Mean baseline HbA1c was 8.1%. Both doses of taspoglutide reduced HbA1c significantly more than exenatide (taspoglutide 10 mg: –1.24% [SE 0.09], difference –0.26, 95% CI –0.37 to –0.15, P < 0.0001; taspoglutide 20 mg: –1.31% [0.08], difference –0.33, –0.44 to –0.22, P < 0.0001; exenatide: –0.98% [0.08]). Both taspoglutide doses reduced fasting plasma glucose significantly more than exenatide. Taspoglutide reduced body weight (taspoglutide 10 mg, –1.6 kg; taspoglutide 20 mg, –2.3 kg) as did exenatide (–2.3 kg), which was greater than with taspoglutide 10 mg (P < 0.05). HbA1c and weight effects were maintained after 52 weeks. More adverse events with taspoglutide 10 and 20 mg than exenatide developed over time (nausea in 53, 59, and 35% and vomiting in 33, 37, and 16%, respectively). Allergic and injection-site reactions were more common with taspoglutide. Discontinuations were greater with taspoglutide. Antitaspoglutide antibodies were detected in 49% of patients. CONCLUSIONS Once-weekly taspoglutide demonstrated greater glycemic control than twice-daily exenatide with comparable weight loss, but with unacceptable levels of nausea/vomiting, injection-site reactions, and systemic allergic reactions.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of taspoglutide (R1583/BIM51077), a human once-weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 analog, in patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with metformin. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Type 2 diabetic (n = 306) patients who failed to obtain glycemic control (A1C 7–9.5%) despite 1,500 mg metformin daily were randomly assigned to 8 weeks of double-blind subcutaneous treatment with placebo or taspoglutide, either 5, 10, or 20 mg once weekly or 10 or 20 mg once every 2 weeks, and followed for 4 additional weeks. All patients received their previously established dose of metformin throughout the study. Glycemic control was assessed by change in A1C (percent) from baseline. RESULTS Significantly greater (P < 0.0001) reductions in A1C from a mean ± SD baseline of 7.9 ± 0.7% were observed in all taspoglutide groups compared with placebo after 8 weeks of treatment: –1.0 ± 0.1% (5 mg once weekly), –1.2 ± 0.1% (10 mg once weekly), –1.2 ± 0.1% (20 mg once weekly), –0.9 ± 0.1% (10 mg Q2W), and –1.0 ± 0.1% (20 mg Q2W) vs. –0.2 ± 0.1% with placebo. After 8 weeks, body weight loss was significantly greater in the 10 mg (–2.1 ± 0.3 kg, P = 0.0035 vs. placebo) and 20 mg (–2.8 ± 0.3 kg, P < 0.0001) once-weekly groups and the 20 mg once every 2 weeks (–1.9 ± 0.3 kg, P = 0.0083) group than with placebo (–0.8 ± 0.3 kg). The most common adverse event was dose-dependent, transient, mild-to-moderate nausea; the incidence of hypoglycemia was very low. CONCLUSIONS Taspoglutide used in combination with metformin significantly improves fasting and postprandial glucose control and induces weight loss, with a favorable tolerability profile.