Pharmacokinetic Properties of Liraglutide as Adjunct to Insulin in Subjects with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND: The pharmacokinetic properties of liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), have been established in healthy individuals and subjects with T2D. Liraglutide has been under investigation as adjunct treatment to insulin in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D). This single-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover, clinical pharmacology trial is the first to analyze the pharmacokinetic properties of liraglutide as add-on to insulin in T1D. METHODS: Subjects (18-64 years; body mass index 20.0-28.0 kg/m(2); glycated hemoglobin ≤9.5 %) were randomized 1:1:1 to 0.6, 1.2, or 1.8 mg liraglutide/placebo. Each group underwent two 4-week treatment periods (liraglutide then placebo or placebo then liraglutide) separated by a 2- to 3-week washout. Both trial drugs were administered subcutaneously, once daily, as adjunct to insulin. A stepwise hypoglycemic clamp was performed at the end of each treatment period (data reported previously). Pharmacokinetic endpoints were derived from liraglutide concentration-time curves after the final dose and exposure was compared with data from previous trials in healthy volunteers and subjects with T2D. RESULTS: The pharmacokinetic properties of liraglutide in T1D were comparable with those observed in healthy volunteers and subjects with T2D. Area under the steady-state concentration-time curve (AUC) and maximum plasma concentration data were consistent with dose proportionality of liraglutide. Comparison of dose-normalized liraglutide AUC suggested that exposure in T1D, when administered with insulin, is comparable with that observed in T2D. CONCLUSIONS: Liraglutide, administered as adjunct to insulin in subjects with T1D, shows comparable pharmacokinetics to those in subjects with T2D. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01536665

The Effects of a GLP-1 Analog on Glucose Homeostasis in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Quantified by an Integrated Glucose Insulin Model

In recent years, several glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-based therapies for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have been developed. The aim of this work was to extend the semimechanistic integrated glucose-insulin model to include the effects of a GLP-1 analog on glucose homeostasis in T2DM patients. Data from two trials comparing the effect of steady-state liraglutide vs. placebo on the responses of postprandial glucose and insulin in T2DM patients were used for model development. The effect of liraglutide was incorporated in the model by including a stimulatory effect on insulin secretion. Furthermore, for one of the trials an inhibitory effect on glucose absorption was included to account for a delay in gastric emptying. As other GLP-1 receptor agonists have similar modes of action, it is believed that the model can also be used to describe the effect of other receptor agonists on glucose homeostasis