Efficacy of Dulaglutide in Chinese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Different Glycemic Patterns: a Post-hoc Analysis of the Phase 3 AWARD-CHN2 Trial

INTRODUCTION: We evaluated the effect of dulaglutide on the relative contributions of fasting glucose (FG) and postprandial glucose (PPG) to overall hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), and assessed responses to dulaglutide versus insulin glargine (glargine) in patients with different baseline glycemic patterns. METHODS: This post-hoc analysis of the phase 3 AWARD-CHN2 trial included data from 560 Chinese patients with uncontrolled T2D who received once-weekly dulaglutide (1.5 or 0.75 mg) or once-daily glargine for 26 weeks. The relative contributions of FG and PPG to overall hyperglycemia across different glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) categories were calculated using the area under the curve of 7-point self-monitored blood glucose profiles. Patients were also categorized into four subgroups according to median baseline FG (cutoff 8.9 mmol/L) and PPG (cutoff 12.5 mmol/L): low FG/low PPG, low FG/high PPG, high FG/low PPG and high FG/high PPG. Changes in glycemic parameters and body weight were calculated for patients in each subgroup. RESULTS: Among patients receiving dulaglutide, higher HbA1c was associated with higher relative contributions of FG and lower relative contributions of PPG to overall hyperglycemia at baseline and week 26 of dulaglutide treatment. After 26 weeks, dulaglutide 1.5 mg led to statistically greater decreases in HbA1c from baseline versus glargine in most subgroups, including the high FG subgroups, and a numerically greater decrease in HbA1c was observed in the low FG/high PPG subgroup. Across all subgroups, higher proportions of patients achieved HbA1c ≤ 6.5% with dulaglutide 1.5 mg than with glargine (all P < 0.05). Dulaglutide 1.5 mg showed better control of body weight than glargine in all subgroups (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Dulaglutide reduced HbA1c through reductions in both FG and PPG across HbA1c categories in T2D patients with uncontrolled hyperglycemia. Furthermore, treatment with dulaglutide provided a greater reduction in HbA1c than glargine, regardless of baseline FG and PPG levels. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13300-021-01182-z.