GLUCAGON PRESCRIPTIONS FOR DIABETES PATIENTS AFTER EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS FOR HYPOGLYCEMIA

Associations between glucagon prescribing, hospital admissions for hypoglycaemia and continuous glucose monitoring metrics in adults with type 1 diabetes

AIMS

To assess features associated with glucagon prescribing and hospital admissions with hypoglycaemia in type one diabetes.

METHODS

Observational study of 4462 adults. Outcome measures were features associated with glucagon prescriptions and predictors of hospital admissions with hypoglycaemia and high levels of glucagon prescribing.

RESULTS

74 % did not collect any glucagon prescriptions and 2.7 % collected >6 over 3.5 years. Hospital admission with hypoglycaemia (P = 0.032), impaired awareness (P = 0.049) and female sex (P < 0.001) were associated with glucagon collection. More frequent prescribing of glucagon was associated with diabetes duration (P < 0.001) and socioeconomic deprivation (P < 0.001). Higher average glucose (P = 0.047), higher time above 13.9 mM (P = 0.008) and higher SD (P = 0.002) were associated with glucagon prescribing. Diabetes duration (P < 0.001) and HbA1c (P < 0.001) were higher in people with hospitalised hypoglycaemia. Higher time above 13.9 mM (P = 0.004) and SD glucose (P < 0.001) were most clearly associated with hospitalised hypoglycaemia.

CONCLUSIONS

A minority of people with type 1 diabetes have access to glucagon suggesting more could be done to better target this treatment. Individuals with risk factors and those with frequent glucagon prescriptions should be identified for interventions known to reduce hypoglycaemia.

Glucagon prescribing and prevention of hospitalization for hypoglycemia in a large health system

AIMS

To examine glucagon prescribing trends among patients at high risk of severe hypoglycemia and assess if a glucagon prescription is associated with lower rates of severe hypoglycemia requiring hospital care.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of electronic health records from a large integrated healthcare system between May 2019 and August 2021. We included adults (≥18 years) with type 1 diabetes or with type 2 diabetes treated with short-acting insulin and/or recent history of hypoglycemia-related emergency department visit or hospitalization. We calculated rates of glucagon prescribing overall and by patient characteristics. We then matched 1:1 those who were and were not prescribed glucagon and assessed subsequent hypoglycemia-related hospitalization.

RESULTS

Of 9,200 high risk adults, 2063 (22.4%) were prescribed glucagon. Among patients more likely to be prescribed glucagon were those younger, female, White, living in urban areas, with prior severe hypoglycemia, and with a recent endocrinology specialist visit. In the matched cohort (N = 1707 per arm), 62 prescribed glucagon and 33 not prescribed glucagon were hospitalized for hypoglycemia (adjusted incidence rate ratio 1.71, 95% CI 1.10-2.66; P = 0.018).

CONCLUSION

Glucagon prescribing was infrequent with significant racial and rural disparities. Patients with glucagon prescriptions did not have lower rates of hospitalization for hypoglycemia.

Severe Hypoglycemia and the Use of Glucagon Rescue Agents: An Observational Survey in Adults With Type 1 Diabetes

Severe hypoglycemia (SH) is the most frequent and potentially serious complication affecting individuals with type 1 diabetes and can have major clinical and psychosocial consequences. Glucagon is the only approved treatment for SH that can be administered by non-health care professionals (HCPs); however, reports on the experiences and emotions of people with type 1 diabetes associated with SH and glucagon rescue use are limited. This survey study demonstrated that an increasing number of individuals with type 1 diabetes have current and filled prescriptions for glucagon and have been educated about glucagon rescue use by an HCP. Despite this positive trend, challenges with SH remain, including a high level of health care resource utilization, considerable out-of-pocket expenses for glucagon kits, a high prevalence of hypoglycemia unawareness, and a negative emotional impact on individuals with diabetes. Nocturnal and exercise-related hypoglycemia were concerns for most survey participants.

Dasiglucagon demonstrates reduced costs in the treatment of severe hypoglycemia in a budget impact model

BACKGROUND: Approximately 7.3 million people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes (T1D/T2D) are treated with insulin, placing them at higher risk of severe hypoglycemia (SH). SH requires assistance of another individual and often necessitates the prompt administration of intravenous glucose, injectable glucagon, or both. Untreated, SH can progress to unconsciousness, seizures, coma, or death. Before 2018, all glucagon rescue treatments required reconstitution. The complexity of reconstitution is often a barrier to successful administration during a severe hypoglycemic event. Studies suggest successful administration of glucagon emergency kits range from 6%-56% of the time. Second-generation glucagon treatments and glucagon analogs do not require reconstitution and have caregiver administration success rates ranging from 94%-100%. Dasiglucagon is a glucagon analog administered via autoinjector or prefilled syringe and has been shown to result in rapid hypoglycemia recovery. Moreover, the autoinjector can be administered successfully 94% of the time by trained caregivers. Previous evaluation of costs in budget impact models (BIMs) demonstrated the potential for second-generation glucagon treatments to reduce the cost of SH events (SHEs). The current model expands on those findings with a treatment pathway and accompanying assumptions reflecting important aspects of real-world SHE treatment. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the economic impact of dasiglucagon compared with available glucagon treatments for SHE management, considering direct cost of treatment and health care resource utilization. METHODS: A 1-year BIM with a hypothetical US commercial health plan of 1 million lives was developed with a target population of individuals with diabetes at risk of SHE. The treatment pathway model included initial and secondary treatment attempts, treatment administration success and failure, plasma glucose (PG) recovery within 15 minutes, emergency medical services, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations. A 1-way sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the sensitivity of the model to changes in parameter values. RESULTS: In a 1 million-covered lives population, it was estimated that 12,006 SHEs would occur annually. The higher rate of initial treatment success and PG recovery within 15 minutes associated with dasiglucagon treatment resulted in lower total health care costs. Total SHE treatment costs with dasiglucagon were estimated at $13.4 million, compared with $16.7 million for injectable native glucagon, $20.7 million for nasal glucagon, $35.3 million for reconstituted glucagon, and $43.8 million for untreated individuals. Compared with untreated people, the number needed to treat (NNT) with dasiglucagon was 6 individuals to avoid 1 hospitalization. NNT for this same comparison was 59 for injectable native glucagon and 27 for nasal glucagon. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of SH with dasiglucagon decreased total direct medical costs by reducing health care resource utilization (emergency calls, emergency transports, ED visits, and hospitalizations) and accompanying costs associated with the treatment of SH. DISCLOSURES: This research was funded by Zealand Pharma. Bromley, Hinahara, and Goss are employed by Boston Healthcare Associates, Inc., which received funding from Zealand Pharma for development of the health economic model and the manuscript. Kendall and Hammer are employed by Zealand Pharma. Weinzimer has received consulting fees from Zealand Pharma.

Treatment and prevention of severe hypoglycaemia in people with diabetes: Current and new formulations of glucagon

Some therapies for diabetes increase the risk of hypoglycaemia, in particular all insulins and insulin secretagogues, including the glinides and sulfonylureas. Hypoglycaemia remains a major limiting factor to successful glycaemic management, despite the availability of prevention options such as insulin analogues, continuous glucose monitoring, insulin pumps, and dogs that have been trained to detect hypoglycaemia. Non-severe (self-treated) and severe (requiring assistance for recovery) hypoglycaemia rates are higher in people with type 1 diabetes, but those with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes are also at risk. Education and regular review are essential between people with diabetes and their caregivers and healthcare professionals about symptoms, prevention and treatment. Awareness of the potential dangers of hypoglycaemia is fundamental to the optimal management of diabetes. When therapy is intensified to achieve glycaemic targets, it is important that people at risk of severe hypoglycaemia, and particularly their caregivers, have ready access to effective treatment for hypoglycaemia emergencies. The current and potential formulations of glucagon available for treatment of severe hypoglycaemia are reviewed.