SAVOR study results for Onglyza in T2D

AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company have announced additional results from the SAVOR cardiovascular outcomes trial, which found no increased rate of hypoglycaemia among patients treated with Onglyza (saxagliptin) compared to placebo when added to metformin monotherapy and higher rates of hypoglycaemia only in the Onglyza group compared to the placebo group among patients taking sulfonylureas, agents known to cause hypoglycaemia, at baseline.

Additionally, a greater percentage of patients taking Onglyza reached their target HbA1c without hypoglycaemia, except patients who were treated with sulfonylureas alone at baseline. These findings are consistent with previous studies of Onglyza. Results were presented today at the 49th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Barcelona, Spain.

Additionally, results from SAVOR found rates of any events of adjudication-confirmed pancreatitis were balanced between the Onglyza and placebo treatment groups (24 patients in the Onglyza arm versus 21 patients in the placebo arm). Moreover, in patients who experienced pancreatitis, the duration of the event, study drug actions and outcome of the adverse event were balanced across the two treatment arms. Observed rates of pancreatic cancer were also low (five patients in the Onglyza arm versus 12 patients in the placebo arm).