Linagliptin as add-on therapy to insulin for patients with type 2 diabetes

A cost-effectiveness analysis of linagliptin add-on to insulin treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease in Iran

Purpose

With the high prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), determining optimal treatment strategies has become a major concern. Linagliptin is aDPP-4 inhibitor that does not require dose adjustment in patients with renal impairment. This study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of adding linagliptin to insulin therapy in patients with T2DM and mild (stage 2) or moderate (stage 3) CKD from a health system perspective in Iran.

Methods

We developed a cost-utility model using a decision tree and ran it separately for T2DM patients with mild or moderate CKD. Clinical outcomes and health-state utility values were extracted from published studies. Direct medical costs were obtained from national tariffs in Iran in 2021. We adopted an annual time horizon and calculated the difference in costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) to obtain the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER). To capture parameter uncertainties, one-way sensitivity analyses were also performed.

Results

In T2DM patients with mild CKD, the linagliptin add-on strategy was associated with an additional $23.69 cost and 0.0148 QALYs per patient, resulting in an ICER of 1600.37 USD/QALY. In moderate CKD, the strategy was associated with $22.59 more costs and 0.0191 more QALYs, and the ICER was estimated at 1182.72 USD/QALY. In both populations, the ICER was mainly driven by the impact of HbA1c on utility, cost of linagliptin, and the reduction in insulin usage by adding linagliptin to the treatment.

Conclusion

With a cost-effectiveness threshold of $1550 USD/QALY in Iran, adding linagliptin to insulin is cost-effective in patients with T2DM and moderate CKD. However, for those with mild CKD, it seems that the associated costs outweigh the expected benefits.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40200-023-01243-z.

Evaluation of linagliptin and insulin combined therapy on unfolded protein response in type 1 diabetic mouse heart

The aim of this study is to reveal the effects of the use of linagliptin, a DPP-4 inhibitor due to its beneficial cardiovascular effects, on endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) signaling, which is involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular complications related to type 1 diabetes. BALB/c female mice (n = 72) were divided into six groups: control, diabetes+insulin, diabetes+linagliptin, diabetes+linagliptin+insulin, diabetes+TUDCA, and diabetes+TUDCA+insulin. Immunohistochemistry and western blot method, qRT-PCR, ELISA method, and malondialdehyde (MDA) measurements were performed. Linagliptin administered to the type 1 diabetic mouse heart significantly reduced the expression levels of the total and cleaved forms of ATF6, ATF4, and p-JNK, caspase 3. Immunohistochemical and western blot analyses revealed that cleaved caspase 3 protein expression was significantly increased in the diabetes+insulin group compared to the other groups. According to ELISA findings, TUDCA was more effective in reducing NOX 1 and MDA levels than linagliptin. While linagliptin decreased the Chop mRNA level, no change was observed in the Grp78 mRNA level. Our findings showed that there was not much difference between the administration of linagliptin alone or in combination with insulin. Our study reveals that linagliptin is an effective therapeutic agent on ERS and apoptotic UPR in type 1 diabetic hearts.

Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Neogliptin, a Novel 2-Azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-Based Inhibitor of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 (DPP-4)

Compounds that contain (R)-3-amino-4-(2,4,5-trifluorophenyl)butanoic acid substituted with bicyclic amino moiety (2-aza-bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane) were designed using molecular modelling methods, synthesised, and found to be potent DPP-4 (dipeptidyl peptidase-4) inhibitors. Compound 12a (IC50 = 16.8 ± 2.2 nM), named neogliptin, is a more potent DPP-4 inhibitor than vildagliptin and sitagliptin. Neogliptin interacts with key DPP-4 residues in the active site and has pharmacophore parameters similar to vildagliptin and sitagliptin. It was found to have a low cardiotoxic effect compared to sitagliptin, and it is superior to vildagliptin in terms of ADME properties. Moreover, compound 12a is stable in aqueous solutions due to its low intramolecular cyclisation potential. These findings suggest that compound 12a has unique properties and can act as a template for further type 2 diabetes mellitus drug development.

Post-marketing Study of Linagliptin: A Pilot Study

INTRODUCTION

Linagliptin is a high-cost oral antidiabetic that has been widely used, and studies on its effectiveness and safety for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) in the real world is rare and necessary.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the values of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and adverse events before and after the use of linagliptin in the post-marketing context of a pilot study.

METHODS

This is a descriptive observational and exploratory study with a retrospective longitudinal approach, conducted between January 2014 and December 2016. All patients who participated in the study were over 18 years of age, with DM2, assisted by the Brazilian Public Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde - SUS) and had been indicated for use of linagliptin. The users were followed up and the variables of interest were collected from a computerized health information system (sistema informatizado de saúde - SIS) and patient records. For effectiveness analysis, HbA1c before (T0) and after (T1) the use of linagliptin was considered in patients registered as having collected linagliptin at the pharmacy for at least three consecutive months. For safety analysis, registered adverse events (AE) were verified in patients' records. The sample was stratified according to the pharmacotherapeutic scheme of the users. To compare the means before (T0) and after (T1), a paired t-test (data with normal distribution) and Wilcoxon Signed Rank Sum test (non-normal distribution data) were performed.

RESULTS

Considering the total population of the study, in a different pharmacotherapeutic regimen, a median reduction in HbA1c of -0.86% (p < 0.05) was observed. After stratification by pharmacotherapeutic regimen, the most significant reduction of HbA1c was -1.07% (p = 0.014) for the linagliptin group associated with insulins and oral antidiabetic agents (n = 13). On the other hand, patients taking linagliptin in monotherapy had the lowest HbA1c reduction, -0.48% (p > 0.05). AE occurred in 12 (36.4%) patients, and 16.7% were in monotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Linagliptin did not presented, in real world, the desired performance as showed in randomized premarketing clinical trials and it should be carefully evaluated in public health services.

Effects of Vildagliptin Add-on Insulin Therapy on Nocturnal Glycemic Variations in Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes

INTRODUCTION

To investigate whether vildagliptin add-on insulin therapy improves glycemic variations in patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes (T2D) compared to patients with placebo therapy.

METHODS

This was a 24-week, single-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Inadequately controlled T2D patients treated with insulin therapy were recruited between June 2012 and April 2013. The trial included a 2-week screening period and a 24-week randomized period. Subjects were randomly assigned to a vildagliptin add-on insulin therapy group (n = 17) or a matched placebo group (n = 16). Scheduled visits occurred at weeks 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) was performed before and at the endpoint of the study.

RESULTS

A total of 33 subjects were admitted, with 1 patient withdrawing from the placebo group. After 24 weeks of therapy, HbA1c values were significantly reduced at the endpoint in the vildagliptin add-on group. CGM data showed that patients with vildagliptin add-on therapy had a significantly lower 24-h mean glucose concentration and mean amplitude of glycemic excursion (MAGE). At the endpoint of the study, patients in the vildagliptin add-on group had a significantly lower MAGE and standard deviation compared to the control patients during the nocturnal period (0000-0600). A severe hypoglycemic episode was not observed in either group.

CONCLUSION

Vildagliptin add-on therapy to insulin has the ability to improve glycemic variations, especially during the nocturnal time period, in patients with uncontrolled T2D.

Budget Impact of Introducing Linagliptin into Bosnia and Herzegovina Health Insurance Drug Reimbursement List in 2016-2018

Introduction:

Diabetes is reaching epidemiological scales worldwide. Beside health implications diabetes bears significant financial impact on health systems. Different treatment options aiming to prevent diabetes complications are available. Dipeptidyl-peptidase-IV (DPP-4) inhibitors like linagliptin are usually add-on therapy to metformin in order to achieve glycemic control. Expenditure for oral antidiabetic medicines in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) is low accounting for only 2.53% of the total drug market expenditure. Linagliptin is not reimbursed in B&H mainly due to it’s perception of high cost medication.

Aim:

To assess budget impact (BI) of introducing linagliptin into health insurance reimbursement list in B&H through development of the budget impact model (BIM).

Material and methods:

Budget impact model was developed using Microsoft Excel 2010 based on current legislation and practice in B&H. Local epidemiology data and data on drug consumption from government reports in 2014 were used. Two scenarios with three-year time horizon have been developed: 1) without and 2) with linagliptin reimbursed and compared.

Results:

Inclusion of linagliptin into reimbursement list in Canton Sarajevo and Canton Tuzla would have positive budget impact on national level of B&H resulting in total savings of 18,194€, 235,570€ and 699,472€, in 2016, 2017 and 2018, respectively.

Conclusion:

Introduction of linagliptin into reimbursement list would decrease total costs for DPP-4 inhibitors and is favorable for positive decision on reimbursement in B&H. Applying BIM in decision making would assure better allocation and planning of resources at any region or administrative level in B&H.