title: Exenatide once weekly versus insulin glargine for type 2 diabetes (DURATION-3): 3-year results of an open-label randomised trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  When patients with type 2 diabetes start their first injectable therapy, clinicians can choose between glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and basal insulins. In DURATION-3, exenatide once weekly was compared with insulin glargine (henceforth, glargine) as first injectable therapy. Here, we report the results of the final 3-year follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  DURATION-3 was an open-label randomised trial done between May 13, 2008, and Jan 30, 2012. Patients with type 2 diabetes aged 18 years or older were enrolled at 72 sites worldwide. They were eligible when they had suboptimum glycaemic control (HbA1c 7.1-11.0% [54-97 mmol/mol]) despite maximum tolerated doses of metformin alone or with a sulfonylurea for at least 3 months, a stable bodyweight for at least 3 months, and a BMI of 25-45 kg/m(2) (23-45 kg/m(2) in South Korea and Taiwan). Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) by computer-generated random sequence with an interactive voice-response system (block size four, stratified by country and concomitant therapy) to once-weekly exenatide (2 mg subcutaneous injection) or once-daily glargine (titrated to target) to be given in addition to their existing oral glucose-lowering regimens. The primary efficacy measure at 3 years was change in HbA1c from baseline in patients given at least one dose of the assigned drug (ie, analyses by modified intention to treat). Patients, investigators, and data analysts were not masked to treatment assignment. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00641056.
  
  
  RESULTS
  456 patients underwent randomisation and received at least one dose of the assigned drug (233 given exenatide, 223 glargine). At 3 years, least-squares mean HbA1c change was -1.01% (SE 0.07) in the exenatide group versus -0.81% (0.07) in the glargine group (least-squares mean difference -0.20%, SE 0.10, 95% CI -0.39 to -0.02; p=0.03). Transient gastrointestinal adverse events characteristic of GLP-1 receptor agonists were more frequent with exenatide than glargine (nausea: 36 [15%] of 233 patients vs five [2%] of 223; vomiting: 15 [6%] vs six [3%]; diarrhoea: 32 [14%] vs 15 [7%]), although frequency of these events did decrease after week 26 in the exenatide group. The proportion of patients who reported serious adverse events in the exenatide group (36 patients [15%]) was the same as that in the glargine group (33 [15%]). The exposure-adjusted rate of overall hypoglycaemia was three times higher in patients given glargine (0.9 events per patient per year) than in those given exenatide (0.3 events per patient per year).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Efficacy of once-weekly exenatide is sustained for 3 years. GLP-1 receptor agonists could be a viable long-term injectable treatment option in patients with type 2 diabetes who have not yet started taking insulin.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly.
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Centre, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diamant
authors.affiliation: Department of Diabetology, Metabolism and Clinical Nutrition, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Gaal
authors.affiliation: University of Lorraine, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France; Diabetology, Metabolic Diseases, and Nutrition, Hospital Brabois, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France; CIC Inserm, ILCV, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guerci
authors.affiliation: Southern Adelaide Diabetes and Endocrine Services, Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stranks
authors.affiliation: Bristol-Myers Squibb, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Bristol-Myers Squibb, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Jaret
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Malloy
authors.affiliation: Eli Lilly and Company, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
authors.forename: Marilyn K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Boardman
authors.affiliation: Consultant Diabetes Research, Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: michael@trautmann-diabetes.de.
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Trautmann
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D000077270:Exenatide; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 / Q000819:agonists*; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D000069036:Insulin Glargine; D049528:Insulin, Long-Acting / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010455:Peptides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D013624:Taiwan; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014688:Venoms / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D000077270:Exenatide; D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D000069036:Insulin Glargine; D049528:Insulin, Long-Acting; D010455:Peptides; D014688:Venoms; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human