title: Efficacy of antihyperglycemic therapies and the influence of baseline hemoglobin A(1C): a meta-analysis of the liraglutide development program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare liraglutide versus common antihyperglycemic treatments in reducing hemoglobin A1c (A1C) values across multiple levels of baseline glycemic control and in reaching glycemic targets.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pooled patient data from 7 phase 3, multinational, randomized controlled trials in patients with type 2 diabetes were stratified by baseline A1C values into 5 categories: ≤7.5%, >7.5% to 8.0%, >8.0% to 8.5%, >8.5% to 9.0%, and y9.0%. The changes in A1C from baseline to week 26 of treatment and patient proportions reaching A1C targets of <7.0% and ≤6.5% were compared between liraglutide (1.8 mg daily) and sitagliptin, glimepiride, rosiglit-azone, exenatide, and insulin glargine across all baseline A1C categories.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Irrespective of treatment, reductions in A1C levels were generally greater in groups with higher baseline A1C values. After 26 weeks of treatment, liraglutide produced the greatest reductions in A1C values across all baseline categories, ranging from 0.7% to 1.8% (baseline A1C categories ≤7.5% to >9.0%, respectively), followed by insulin glargine (0.3% to 1.5%) and then by glimepiride (0.4% to 1.3%). Generally, larger percentages of patients achieved the A1C target of ≤6.5% with liraglutide therapy across all baseline categories (from 62% of patients with A1C values ≤7.5% to 10% of patients with A1C values >9.0%) in comparison with other treatments (ranging from 49% to 0% of patients, respectively). Similarly, greater proportions of patients also reached the A1C target of <7.0% with liraglutide therapy across all baseline categories (from 83% of patients with A1C values ≤7.5% to 25% of patients with A1C values >9.0%) versus comparators (from 74% to 5% of patients, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Across a wide spectrum of baseline A1C categories, liraglutide is an efficacious treatment option for patients with type 2 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California 92161, USA. rrhenry@vapop.ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: John B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Buse
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sesti
authors.forename: Melanie J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Klaus H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brett
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Pratley
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000067757:Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069450:Liraglutide; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018027:Receptors, Glucagon / Q000819:agonists*
chemical_list: D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1; D000067757:Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D000069450:Liraglutide; D018027:Receptors, Glucagon; C000593833:GLP1R protein, human; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human