The role for saxagliptin within the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus: an update from the 2010 European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 46th annual meeting and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 70th scientific session

Saxagliptin is a potent, selective DPP4 inhibitor. Highlights from abstracts presented at the 2010 meetings of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes and the American Diabetes Association include studies and analyses that shed light on the promising role for saxagliptin within the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Data show that saxagliptin combination therapy improves HbA_1c levels compared with placebo, particularly in patients with high HbA_1c at baseline, long duration of disease, low baseline creatinine clearance, and low homeostasis model assessment 2 β-cell function at baseline. These efficacy benefits are achieved without any increase in hypoglycemia or other adverse events. The study results also show that the saxagliptin plus metformin combination is a good candidate for initial therapy in drug-naïve patients treated for as long as 72 weeks. Survey data presented confirm that hypoglycemia (and fear of hypoglycemia) is a barrier to patients' acceptance of diabetes treatment, limiting its efficacy. Therefore, therapies such as saxagliptin that have a low risk of hypoglycemia may be more acceptable to patients in helping them to achieve glycemic control and to optimize their quality of life. In patients with renal impairment, for whom metformin is contraindicated, saxagliptin monotherapy is a promising option for antidiabetic management as, when given at a reduced dose, it is well-tolerated with a safety profile similar to that of placebo.