Novo NordiskNew Patient Reported Outcomes (PRO) data presented today at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) congress in Stockholm, challenge the widespread perception that patients prefer oral to injected glucose-lowering therapies.(1)

Results from the 26-week, open-label study show that patients taking injectable Victoza® (liraglutide 1.8 mg) reported significantly higher overall treatment satisfaction after 26 weeks than those receiving oral Januvia® (sitagliptin) (scores of 4.35 vs 2.96 respectively, p=0.03).1 Notably, patients rated Victoza® 1.8 mg as convenient as Januvia® and were more likely both to continue treatment themselves, and to recommend Victoza® to another patient.(1)

Additional data from the study demonstrated that both HbA1c reduction(2) and weight loss(3) were significantly greater with Victoza® 1.8 mg than Januvia® when added to a stable dose of metformin. Results presented today show that 50% of patients taking Victoza® 1.8 mg lost >3% of their body weight compared with just 20% of patients taking Januvia®, with the amount of weight loss significantly higher in patients treated with Victoza®.(3)

Study investigator, Professor Melanie Davies from the University Hospitals of Leicester, UK, said: "Some clinicians remain reluctant to use injectable therapies as they perceive them to be more complex and less desirable than oral treatments. However, these findings with Victoza® challenge these perceptions as in our study patients prefer an injected to an oral therapy probably because it offers greater improvement in glycaemic control, and facilitates significant weight loss."

"If as clinicians we want to move to a win-win scenario for our patients, we must look at every factor related to treatment. This of course importantly includes patient reported outcomes and patient satisfaction," said Professor Davies.

Study design

  • This was a 26-week, randomised, open-label, active-comparator, parallelgroup trial in 665 patients with type 2 diabetes. Patients with baseline A1c levels between 7.5 and 10.0% were treated with ≥1,500 mg of metformin and once-daily Victoza® 1.8 mg, Victoza® 1.2 mg or Januvia® 100 mg.

PRO outcomes(1)

  • Improvement in overall treatment satisfaction (TS) measured with the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire was significantly greater with Victoza® 1.8 mg (4.35) than Januvia® (2.96)
  • Patients reported significantly greater improvement in TS with Victoza® 1.8 mg than Januvia® on three items:
    • In comparison to their 'current treatment' (difference = 0.35; P=0.01)
    • Whether they would 'recommend' Victoza®/Januvia® (difference =0.41; P=0.003)
    • Whether they would 'continue' with Victoza®/Januvia® after study completion (difference = 0.44; P=0.01)
  • Patients perceived themselves to be hyperglycaemic significantly less frequently with Victoza® 1.8 mg than Januvia® (difference = -0.88; P<0.0001).

HbA1c control(2)

  • Victoza® led to significantly greater improvement in glycaemic control than Januvia® (mean HbA1c reduction: 1.50%, 1.24% and 0.90% for Victoza® 1.8 mg, 1.2 mg and Januvia®, respectively; P<0.0001 for both Victoza® doses versus Januvia®. The proportion of patients reaching HbA1c <7%: 54.6%, 43.4% and 22.4%, respectively).

Weight loss(3)

  • More patients lost >3% body weight with Victoza® than Januvia® (51% vs 21%, OR=3.92, p<0.0001)
  • Body weight changes in the >3% body weight change group for Victoza® and Januvia® were -6.3 kg and -5.3 kg respectively.

About Victoza®
Victoza® is the first and only human GLP-1 analogue that is 97% similar to endogenous human GLP-1. Like natural GLP-1, Victoza® (liraglutide) works by stimulating the beta cells to release insulin only when blood sugar levels are high. Due to this glucose-dependent mechanism of action, Victoza® is associated with a low rate of hypoglycaemia. The mechanism of blood sugar lowering also involves a delay in gastric emptying.

Victoza® was approved in June 2009 by the European Commission in all 27 European Union member states. In January 2010 Victoza was approved in the US as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes.

As of June 2010, approval has also been granted by the regulatory authorities in Japan, Brazil, Canada and 16 other countries across the world. Victoza® has already been commercially launched in the US, UK, Germany, France, Japan, India, Canada and Denmark as well as 11 other European countries and will be available in other markets throughout 2010. A New Drug Application was also submitted for approval in China in August 2009. A regulatory decision is pending.

About Novo Nordisk
Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company with 87 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. The company also has leading positions within haemophilia care, growth hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy. For more information, visit novonordisk.com.

1. Montanya E, Cuddihy R, Pratley R, Hammer M, Bloch-Thomsen A and Davies M. Treatment satisfaction in patients with type2 diabetes is significantly improved with liraglutide, the oncedaily GLP-1 analogue versus sitagliptin, both combined with metformin. 46th European Association for the Study of Diabetes Annual Meeting 20-24 September 2010. Stockholm, Sweden. Poster number 832
2. Davies M, Pratley R, Montanya E, Thomsen AB, Falahati A, Sesti G. Liraglutide reduces A1c to a greater extent than sitagliptin regardless of baseline A1c levels. American Diabetes Association 70th Scientific Sessions, 25 - 29 June 2010. Orlando, Florida. Abstract ID 57-OR
3. Garber A, Thomsen AB, Falahati A, Pratley R. Liraglutide treatment provides greater weight loss with improved glycaemic control than sitagliptin, both combined with metformin. 46th European Association for the Study of Diabetes Annual Meeting 20-24 September 2010. Stockholm, Sweden. Poster number 834