Insights Into Patients' Experience With Type 1 Diabetes: Exit Interviews From Phase III Studies of Sotagliflozin

Patient-perceived benefits and risks of off-label use of SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists in type 1 diabetes: a structured qualitative assessment

Background

Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) may have suboptimal glucose control and are interested in the use of adjuvant therapies.

Objectives

To determine, from the patients' perspective, the reasons for initiation of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) and/or sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) in treating T1DM; perceived benefits/side effects, reasons for discontinuation, and willingness to reinitiate therapy.

Design

Retrospective chart review with structured telephone interviews.

Methods

We identified patients with T1DM treated with a GLP-1RA and/or SGLT2i for >3 months at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas, TX, USA) and Poznan University (Poznan, Poland). We conducted structured telephone interviews regarding their experiences.

Results

We interviewed 68 participants treated with GLP-1RA and 82 with SGLT2i. Treatment was initiated for improving glycemic control (as reported by 61.8% versus 81.7% of GLP-1RA and SGLT2i users, respectively), weight loss/appetite suppression (51.4% versus 23.2%) and to reduce insulin requirement (13.2% versus 11%). Most participants (86.8% of GLP-1RA and 89.0% of SGLT2i users) reported ⩾1 benefit attributed to therapy. Reported benefits were improved glycemic control (reported by 58.8% versus 82.9% of GLP-1RA and SGLT2i users, respectively), weight loss/appetite suppression (63.2% versus 30.5%), and reduced insulin requirement (27.9% versus 34.1%). More GLP-1RA users reported side effects versus SGLT2i users (63.2% versus 36.6%); 22.6% discontinued GLP-1RA due to side effects versus 11.0% SGLT2i users. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) was reported by 4.9% of SGLT2i users, but none in GLP-1RA users. Of those who discontinued medication, 60.7% of GLP-1RA versus 56.0% of SGLT2i prior users were willing to reinitiate treatment.

Conclusions

Patients with T1DM report initiating adjuvant treatment with GLP-1RA and/or SGLT2i to improve glycemic control and lose weight; most patients reported perceived benefits from these therapies. Side effects (including DKA) are reported more commonly in real life than in clinical trials. Given patient interest in these medications, further studies should evaluate the long-term risk-benefits ratio in larger cohorts.

Interview-Based Patient- and Caregiver-Reported Experiences of Hunger and Improved Quality of Life with Setmelanotide Treatment in Bardet-Biedl Syndrome

INTRODUCTION

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a rare genetic disease associated with hyperphagia, a pathologic insatiable hunger, due to impaired signaling in the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) pathway. The impact of hyperphagia on the lives of patients with BBS and their families has not been fully characterized.

METHODS

Patients with BBS or their caregivers who participated in clinical trials of the MC4R agonist setmelanotide (NCT03013543 and NCT03746522) were included in this qualitative study. Telephone interviews were conducted using a semistructured interview guide to explore patient experience and caregiver observations of hyperphagia before and during setmelanotide treatment.

RESULTS

Nineteen interviews (8 patients, 11 caregivers) were conducted. The term "hunger" (rather than "hyperphagia") was used in interviews to ensure common terminology. Before setmelanotide treatment, all participants described their (or their child's) hunger as all-consuming, leading to an obsessive focus on food. Nine participants recalled intense, continuous hunger, and most participants (5 patients, 10 caregivers) reported lack of control with eating. Negative impacts on patients' lives included difficulties with concentration, emotional and physical manifestations, and impaired relationships. All participants experienced or observed improvements in hunger and health outcomes during treatment, the most meaningful of which included weight loss and decrease in obsessive focus on food and food-seeking behaviors. All participants reported improvements in either physical and/or emotional well-being and being satisfied with setmelanotide.

CONCLUSIONS

Hyperphagia and resulting food-seeking behaviors have notable negative impacts on quality of life in patients with BBS and caregivers. Setmelanotide improved hyperphagia, reduced body weight and obsessive focus on food, and facilitated improvements in physical and emotional well-being for both patients and caregivers.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT03013543 and NCT03746522.

A perspective on treating type 1 diabetes mellitus before insulin is needed

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a progressive autoimmune disease that starts long before a clinical diagnosis is made. The American Diabetes Association recognizes three stages: stage 1 (normoglycaemic and positive for autoantibodies to β-cell antigens); stage 2 (asymptomatic with dysglycaemia); and stage 3, which is defined by glucose levels consistent with the definition of diabetes mellitus. This Perspective focuses on the management of the proportion of individuals with early stage 3 T1DM who do not immediately require insulin; a stage we propose should be termed stage 3a. To date, this period of non-insulin-dependent T1DM has been largely unrecognized. Importantly, it represents a window of opportunity for intervention, as remaining at this stage might delay the need for insulin by months or years. Extending the insulin-free period and/or avoiding unnecessary insulin therapy are important goals, as there is no risk of hypoglycaemia during this period and the adherence burden on patients of glycaemic monitoring and daily adjustments for diet and exercise is substantially reduced. Recognizing the pressing need for guidance on adequate management of children and adults with stage 3a T1DM, we present our perspective on the subject, which needs to be tested in formal and adequately powered clinical trials.

Exit Interviews Examining the Patient Experience in Clinical Trials of Tirzepatide for Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes

Introduction

Qualitative exit interviews can supplement clinical trial results by providing a rich and detailed picture of the patient’s experience, while highlighting the treatment benefits that are meaningful to patients. Exit interviews can be particularly useful for providing insight into newer medications when less is known about the patient’s subjective experience of treatment. Tirzepatide is a novel dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist for type 2 diabetes mellitus. The purpose of this study was to conduct exit interviews with patients following participation in two trials to better understand the impact of tirzepatide from the patients’ point of view.

Methods

Telephone interviews were conducted with patients with type 2 diabetes treated with tirzepatide soon after completing one of two trials (SURPASS-2, SURPASS-3). Interviews, conducted according to a semi-structured interview guide, were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed following a content analysis approach using ATLAS.ti.

Results

A total of 28 patients (64% female; mean age 57.6 years) completed interviews. All participants (100%) reported at least one treatment benefit. Patients provided descriptions of treatment benefits, including improved glycemic control (reported by 96% of the sample), weight loss (93%), decreased appetite (79%), and increased energy (79%), as indicated by qualitative coding. All participants said these treatment-related changes mattered to them. Patients described improvements in quality of life and daily activities associated with these treatment benefits. Despite adverse events reported by some patients (most commonly nausea, reported by 13 patients), all 28 said they would recommend tirzepatide to others, and 27 said they would be willing to continue treatment. Examples of representative quotations are presented for descriptions of treatment benefits, quality-of-life impact, and adverse events.

Discussion

The current results indicate that treatment benefits observed in clinical trials of tirzepatide are important to patients. As demonstrated in quotations from patients, the most enthusiastic descriptions of treatment outcomes focused on the weight loss associated with tirzepatide. The study also highlights the usefulness of exit interviews, which can supplement quantitative trial data by showing how these benefits have a meaningful impact on patients’ quality of life.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40271-022-00578-8.

Satisfaction with mental health and psycho-social support services provided to Syrians under temporary protection in Turkey, evidence from refugee health training centers

Aim

The objectives of the study were to determine the level of satisfaction with Mental Health and Psycho-social Support Services (MHPSS) provided to Syrians under temporary protection (SuTP) in Turkey and identify predictors that significantly determine the satisfaction with the MHPSS. This study is part of an effort by Ministry of Health (MoH) and World Health Organization (WHO) to evaluate the improvement in the MHPSS following capacity strengthening of social and health providers.

Methods

357 Syrians under temporary protection were interviewed as they exited the Refugee Health Training Centers in 7 provinces in Turkey (Adana, Gaziantep, Hatay, Istanbul, Izmir and Sanliurfa), using patient exit interviews during mid-Oct – mid-Nov 2019. Uni and bivariate analysis for association was done using Chi square test for categorical variables, looking for significance at p < 0.05. Multivariate analysis (logistic regression) was used to determine the profile of service users and the predictors of satisfaction with MHPSS.

Results

Overall satisfaction with services was 93%. The profile of the MHPSS user suggests that the odds of using the service are twice as much for people aged 40+ years (OR 2.016, CI95% [1.129–3.601]), and five times less for married women (OR 0.180, CI95% [0.083–0.391]). The service characteristics that can predict service satisfaction are “having the needs met” (OR 138.73, CI95% [27.99–687.54]) and “satisfaction with the length of the appointments” (OR 54.50, CI95% [6.07–489.57]). There was no multicollinearity detected between the predictors.

Conclusions

MHPSS services provided by professionals trained by MoH and WHO, have a high satisfaction rate and are serving the SuTP population in need. The high satisfaction rate is predicted by having MHPSS needs met, which is a key indication of the usefulness of these services.

Improvement in Patient-Reported Outcomes in Adults with Type 1 Diabetes Treated with Sotagliflozin plus Insulin Versus Insulin Alone

Background: Diabetes-related distress is common among persons affected by diabetes and is associated with suboptimal glycemic control and complications, thus constituting a relevant patient-report outcome (PRO). Improving glycemic control may reduce diabetes distress and improve treatment satisfaction. This post hoc analysis evaluated PRO data for a pooled cohort of adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) receiving sotagliflozin as adjunct to optimized insulin in the inTandem1 and inTandem2 studies. Methods: Clinically meaningful changes in the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire status version (DTSQs) and the two-item Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS2) total and individual scores were examined in the pooled data from the first 24 weeks of the studies. Results: In the cohort of patients with a baseline DTSQs total score ≤32 (∼76% of entire cohort), nearly twice as many patients treated with sotagliflozin 200 (45.9%) or 400 mg (42.3%) experienced a >3-point improvement from baseline versus those treated with placebo (24%). Treatment with sotagliflozin led to statistically significant (P < 0.05) improvements across all DTSQs items. Approximately 42% of all patients were considered to have a high risk of diabetes distress (total DDS2 score ≥6) at baseline following insulin optimization. More patients shifted from high to low risk with sotagliflozin compared with placebo (∼40% vs. 23%; P ≤ 0.0002). The baseline-adjusted difference in DDS2 from placebo was significantly (P < 0.001) reduced by -0.5 and -0.6 for sotagliflozin 200 and 400 mg, respectively. Conclusions: Patients with T1D treated with sotagliflozin in addition to optimized insulin therapy reported meaningful improvements in treatment satisfaction and diabetes distress. NCT02384941 and NCT02421510.

Sotagliflozin: A Review in Type 1 Diabetes

Sotagliflozin (Zynquista™) is the first dual inhibitor of sodium-glucose co-transporter-1 and -2 (SGLT1 and 2). In the phase 3, inTANDEM 1-3 trials, adjunctive use of oral sotagliflozin (200 mg or 400 mg once daily) improved glycaemic control and reduced bodyweight and insulin requirements relative to placebo over 24 weeks of treatment in adults whose type 1 diabetes (T1D) was inadequately controlled by insulin therapy. Similar benefits were seen with the drug in patients who were overweight/obese [i.e. body mass index (BMI) ≥ 27 kg/m²] in inTANDEM 1 and 2 (pooled). The benefits of sotagliflozin were largely maintained over 52 weeks of treatment. Overall, use of sotagliflozin in this setting is generally well tolerated and reduces, or at least does not increase, the likelihood of hypoglycaemia; however, as with other SGLT inhibitors, sotagliflozin carries a risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). On the basis of its risk/benefit profile, sotagliflozin is indicated in the EU as an adjunct to insulin in adults with T1D with a BMI ≥ 27 kg/m² who have failed to achieve adequate glycaemic control despite optimal insulin therapy, thus expanding the currently limited adjunctive oral treatment options available for use in this population.