Characteristics Of Patients Initiating Treatment With Exenatide Once Weekly

As exenatide QW (EQW) is the first approved GLP-1 receptor agonist administered weekly, it is important to understand how this treatment is being utilized in patients with type 2 diabetes initiating treatment. The purpose of this study is to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics and medication patterns of patients initiating EQW in a real-world setting. This retrospective cohort study used data from the Medical Quality Improvement Consortium of ambulatory medical practices that use Centricity Office from GE Healthcare IT as their electronic medical record. Patients (n=2,715) receiving a prescription for EQW between February 1, 2012 and August 31, 2012 were identified. Of patients who initiated EQW, 56% were female, 60% white and 32% unknown/other, 69% 40 to 64 y. For patients with data recorded, mean BMI was 37 kg/m2, with 16% with BMI subset 20 to <30, 55% with 30 to <40, and 29% with => 40; 25% had baseline A1C >9%, 34% had 7.5 to <9%, 27% had 6.5 to <7.5%, and 15% had <6.5%. Glucose-lowering medications used within 90 days before initiating EQW included combination therapy (25%), MET only (11%), insulin only (9%), SU only (4%), DPP-IV inhibitor only (3%), and no glucose-lowering medication (47%). Within 9 months prior to initiating EQW, the most common non-diabetes comorbid conditions were hyperlipidemia (9%) and hypertension (7%). The most common concomitant medications were MET (54%), insulin (needle, 32%), lisinopril (20%), insulin glargine (18%), simvastatin (17%), glimepiride (17%), liraglutide (16%), levothyroxine sodium (15%), atorvastatin calcium (14%), pioglitazone HCL (13%), glipizide (12%), insulin aspart (12%), and rosuvastatin calcium (12%). This study, the first to characterize patients treated in routine clinical practice within 6 months after EQW became available in the US, indicates that EQW was prescribed to patients across a broad range of A1C levels and use of glucose-lowering agents.