Liraglutide (GLP-1) Improves Beta-Cell Insulin Secretion: AACE

Once-daily treatment with liraglutide, an investigational drug injectable agent for type 2 diabetes, improved beta cell function, by 114% and increased first phase insulin secretion by 124% Among 39 patients who were part of an efficacy and safety study of the incretin mimetic liraglutide, two of three doses of the drug that were tried were associated with a significant increase in maximal beta-secretory capacity, reported Tina Vilsbøll, M.D., of Gentofte Hospital in Vedbaekm, Denmark, and colleagues, at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists meeting here.

In a phase II study reported last year at the American Diabetes Association meeting, liraglutide was shown to produce significant decreases in HbA1c levels — an average of 1.75% compared with placebo — as well as significant and sustained weight loss, found Dr. Vislbøll and colleagues.

In addition, the drug appeared to significantly increase insulin secretion by beta cells, especially during the first phase insulin response, the investigators reported.

Liraglutide is a synthetic analog of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a naturally occurring hormone that is released from the gastrointestinal tract on ingestion of food. But GLP-1 is normally degraded rapidly by the enzyme dipetidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4).

Liraglutide has 97% homology for the natural hormone, but that 3% difference allows the drug to remain in circulation far longer, with a half-life of 12 hours after subcutaneous injection.

In the current study, Dr. Vilsboll and colleagues looked 39 patients who were part of the phase II study reported last year. The goal was to get a closer look at the effects of the drug on beta-cell function. The patients had been randomly assigned to either placebo or liraglutide via once-daily subcutaneous injection in one of three doses: 0.65 mg, 1.25 mg, or 1.9 mg.
The patients were either naïve to oral antidiabetic agents, with an HbA1c level in the range of 7.5-10.0%, or had received oral antidiabetic agents, but still had HbA1c levels in the range of 7.0-9.5%. And additional 12 healthy participants matched by BMI, gender and age were enlisted as controls.

Twenty-eight of the 39 patients with diabetes completed the study. The authors found that in the 1.25 mg and 1.90 mg liraglutide groups, the drugs significantly increased maximal beta-cell secretory capacity.

Second phase insulin secretion increased significantly at the 1.25 mg dose level, but not at the 1.90 dose level. There were no treatment-related effects on glucose effectiveness or insulin sensitivity for all parameters, except that the second phase secretion response in controls remained greater than that of the patients with type 2 diabetes.

Villsbøll T et al. Liraglutide improves first-phase and maximal secretion capacity in T2DM." Abstract 356, presented April 13. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 2007 Annual Meeting

================================

Advertisement
Multivitamin Supplements & Diabetes:
Recent research confirmed that taking a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement has a positive impact on the quality of life for people with diabetes. So regularly taking a multiple is an easy choice, but for most finding the right one to trust with their health proves to be a more difficult matter. alpha betic(r) is uniquely balanced to meet the special dietary needs of people with diabetes and those predisposed to diabetes. alpha betic(r) contains 23 important nutrients in safe and balanced doses, with no copper. For more information: Click Here
https://www.diabetesincontrool.com/ads/alphabetic/dest.php