Novo Nordisk reveals positive results of phase III study

Novo Nordisk has revealed that a phase III study into once-daily human GLP-1 analogue liraglutide has yielded positive results when compared with insulin glargine.

The first of five phase III trials, the research from Novo Nordisk involved 581 patients with type 2 diabetes, whose condition was “inadequately controlled” by metformin and a sulfonylurea, two of the most frequently-used treatments.

All patients involved continued to take the two drugs, which were supplemented by wither insulin glargine, liraglutide or placebo.

HbA1c reduction shown by patients was 0.2 percentage points better in the liraglutide group than the insulin glargine group, with the former also showing a lower body weight on average following the treatment than the latter.

“We are very pleased with these first results from the liraglutide phase 3 programme, showing that liraglutide provides improved glucose control compared to insulin glargine while, at the same time, leading to significant weight loss,” said Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, executive Vice-president and chief science officer of Novo Nordisk.

In the UK there are currently two million diabetics plus a further 750,000 who do not know they suffer from the problem, according to Diabetes UK.

The American Diabetes Association says that seven per cent of the population – or 20.8 million Americans – have diabetes.