Comparisons of efficacy and safety in insulin glargine and lixisenatide plus glulisine combination therapy with multiple daily injection therapy in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: Multiple daily injection therapy for early glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with hypoglycemia and weight gain. This study aimed to compare the efficacy (time in range of glucose level 70–180 mg/dL), safety (time below range level 1 of glucose <70 mg/dL), glycemic variability changes, therapeutic indices, body mass index and titration periods between multiple daily injection and insulin glargine U100 and lixisenatide (iGlarLixi) combination (iGlarLixi + insulin glulisine; injected once daily [evenings]) therapies using intermittent continuous glucose monitoring. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 40 hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to the iGlarLixi + insulin glulisine group or the multiple daily injection group. An intermittent continuous glucose monitoring system was attached, and each injection was adjusted to achieve the target glucose level according to the respective titration algorithm. Times in and below the range were analyzed using data collected on days 11–13 of the intermittent continuous glucose monitoring. RESULTS: The time in range did not significantly differ between the groups. However, the time below range level 1 was lower in the iGlarLixi + insulin glulisine group (P = 0.047). The changes in glycemic variability, therapeutic indices and body mass index were not significantly different between the groups, although the titration period was significantly shorter in the iGlarLixi + insulin glulisine group (P = 0.033). CONCLUSIONS: iGlarLixi + insulin glulisine combination therapy is safe and equally efficacious as multiple daily injection therapy for glycemic control, while avoiding hypoglycemia risk and reducing the number of injections are required.