Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly report positive Trajenta trial data

Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly have published clinical trial data to support the efficacy of linagliptin, their new type 2 diabetes drug.

Results from the phase III study have shown that the treatment – which is to be marketed under the planned trade name Trajenta – can offer improved glycaemic control in adults with inadequately maintained blood glucose levels.

When combined with metformin and compared to a control drug, the treatment was shown to be just as effective in lowering blood glucose, but with a better performance in terms of weight loss and risk of hypoglycaemia and cardiovascular events.

Professor Klaus Dugi, corporate senior vice-president for medicine at Boehringer Ingelheim, said: "This highlights the promising cardiovascular safety data seen with linagliptin to date, which we are currently further exploring in the Carolina study."

Further study data on linagliptin shows that the drug can also offer benefits in the maintenance of renal function.

This positive data has been published in the same week that the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use recommended the drug for approval as a diabetes monotherapy.