Phase III results for Victoza (liraglutide) in type 1 diabetes- Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk announced headline results from the second and final Phase IIIa trial with Victoza (liraglutide) as adjunct therapy to insulin for people with type 1 diabetes. ADJUNCT ONE is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigating efficacy and safety of daily doses of 0.6 mg, 1.2 mg and 1.8 mg liraglutide compared with placebo as adjunct to insulin treatment. 1,398 people with type 1 diabetes were treated for 52 weeks. From a mean baseline HbA1c of around 8.2%, people treated with 1.2 mg and 1.8 mg liraglutide as adjunct to insulin therapy achieved the primary objective of non-inferiority in HbA1c and showed a greater improvement in HbA1c of around 0.5% compared with 0.3% for people treated with placebo. The primary objective of HbA1c non-inferiority was not confirmed for the 0.6 mg dose.

Furthermore, from a mean baseline weight of around 86 kg, people treated with 1.2 mg and 1.8 mg liraglutide as adjunct to insulin therapy achieved a statistically significantly greater weight loss between 3 kg and 4 kg whereas people treated with placebo experienced a weight gain of around 1 kg. In the trial, the most common adverse events were related to the gastrointestinal system, primarily transient nausea and vomiting. The rate of severe hypoglycaemia appeared numerically, but not statistically significantly lower for all doses of liraglutide as adjunct to insulin therapy compared with placebo. A statistically significant higher rate of confirmed symptomatic hypoglycaemia was observed among people treated with liraglutide 1.2 mg and 1.8 mg compared with people treated with placebo. The proportion of people with serious adverse events was similar in all treatment groups.

Based on a risk/benefit assessment of the overall dataset from the two ADJUNCT trials, Novo Nordisk does currently not intend to submit an application to expand the label of Victoza for use in type 1 diabetes. Novo Nordisk intends to conduct thorough analyses to evaluate the clinical data and define potential future clinical and regulatory initiatives.