Efficacy and Safety of Switching from Insulin Glargine 100 U/mL to the Same Dose of Glargine 300 U/mL in Japanese Type 1 and 2 Diabetes Patients: A Retrospective Analysis

OBJECTIVE: Insulin glargine [300 U/mL (Gla-300)] achieved better glycemic control and reduced the risk of hypoglycemia in comparison to glargine [100 U/mL; (Gla-100)] in phase 3 trials. This is the first study to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and safety of Gla-300 in Japanese type 1 and 2 diabetes patients in a routine clinical setting. METHODS: We analyzed 20 type 1 diabetes patients and 62 type 2 diabetes patients who switched from Gla-100 to the same dose of Gla-300. Sixty type 2 diabetes patients who continued the use of Gla-100 during the study were included as controls. RESULTS: At three months after switching, the HbA1c levels were decreased in the patients with type 1 diabetes, but not to a significant extent. In the type 2 diabetes patients, the HbA1c levels were significantly decreased after switching (p<0.01). In contrast, there was no change in the HbA1c levels of the type 2 diabetes patients who continued the use of Gla-100 over the same period. The BMI values of the type 1 diabetes patients tended to decrease (p=0.06) and there was a significant decrease in the BMI values of the type 2 diabetes patients (p<0.05). There was no change in the BMI values of the type 2 diabetes patients who continued the use of Gla-100. The rates of hypoglycemia and adverse events did not change during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: In the clinical setting, switching from Gla-100 to the same dose of Gla-300 had a favorable effect on glycemic control and body weight control in Japanese type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients, without any increase in adverse events; however, a prospective study should be performed to confirm these findings.