Aims Data on the effect of liraglutide on glycemic endpoints in people with T2DM using multiple daily insulin injections (MDI) are scarce, especially in the context of ethnicity. Methods This is a... Show moreAims Data on the effect of liraglutide on glycemic endpoints in people with T2DM using multiple daily insulin injections (MDI) are scarce, especially in the context of ethnicity. Methods This is a secondary analysis of the placebo-controlled randomized clinical "MAGNA VICTORIA" trials in Western European (WE) and South Asian (SA) people with T2DM. Participants had inadequate glycemic control despite using metformin and/or sulfonylurea derivatives and/or insulin. Participants were assigned to liraglutide (1.8 mg) or placebo for 6 months, in addition to standard care. The primary endpoint number of participants reaching target HbA1c was compared for liraglutide versus placebo in the complete dataset and MDI-treated participants using Chi-square test. Liraglutide's efficacy in WE and SA was compared using a generalized linear model. Results Forty-five subjects were randomized to liraglutide and 51 to placebo. In each group, one participant did not complete the study. Liraglutide-treated patients reached target HbA1c more frequently: 23/45 (51%) vs 11/51 (22%), relative probability 2.4 (1.3-4.3), p = 0.002. Subgroup analysis in 43 MDI participants showed that the proportion reaching target HbA1c using liraglutide was significantly higher than in placebo: 9/22 (41%) vs 1/21 (5%), p = 0.005. There was no difference between WE and SA in terms of liraglutide efficacy (p = 0.18). Conclusions Liraglutide treatment resulted in increased chance of reaching target HbA1c as compared to placebo. Liraglutide efficacy was sustained in participants using MDI regimens and those of SA descent. Liraglutide should be considered for T2DM people with inadequate glycemic control despite MDI. Show less
Aims/hypothesis The aim of this work was to assess the effect of liraglutide on ectopic fat accumulation in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods This study is a pre-specified... Show moreAims/hypothesis The aim of this work was to assess the effect of liraglutide on ectopic fat accumulation in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods This study is a pre-specified subanalysis of the MAGNetic resonance Assessment of VICTOza efficacy in the Regression of cardiovascular dysfunction In type 2 diAbetes mellitus (MAGNA VICTORIA) study, with primary endpoints being the effects of liraglutide on left ventricular diastolic and systolic function. The MAGNA VICTORIA study was a single-centre, parallel-group trial in 50 individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (BMI >25 kg/m(2)) who were randomly assigned (1:1, stratified for sex and insulin use) to receive liraglutide 1.8 mg once daily or placebo for 26 weeks, added to standard care. Participants, study personnel and outcome assessors were blinded to treatment allocation. The secondary endpoints of visceral adipose tissue (VAT), abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and epicardial fat were measured with MRI. Hepatic triacylglycerol content (HTGC) and myocardial triacylglycerol content (MTGC) were quantified with proton MR spectroscopy. Between-group differences (change from baseline) were tested for significance using ANCOVA. Mean differences with 95% CIs were reported. Results The trial was completed in 2016. Twenty-four participants were randomised to receive liraglutide and 26 to receive placebo. One patient in the liraglutide group withdrew consent before having received the study drug and was not included in the intention-to-treat analysis. Liraglutide (n = 23) vs placebo (n = 26) significantly reduced body weight (liraglutide 98.4 +/- 13.8 kg to 94.3 +/- 14.9 kg; placebo 94.5 +/- 13.1 kg to 93.9 +/- 13.2 kg; estimated treatment effect -4.5 [95% CI -6.4, -2.6] kg). HbA(1c) declined in both groups without a significant treatment effect of liraglutide vs placebo (liraglutide 66.7 +/- 11.5 mmol/mol to 55.0 +/- 13.2 mmol/mol [8.4 +/- 1.1% to 7.3 +/- 1.2%]; placebo 64.7 +/- 10.2 mmol/mol to 56.9 +/- 6.9 mmol/mol [8.2 +/- 1.0% to 7.5 +/- 0.7%]; estimated treatment effect -2.9 [95% CI -8.1, 2.3] mmol/mol or -0.3 [95% CI -0.8, 0.2]%). VAT did not change significantly between groups (liraglutide 207 +/- 87 cm(2) to 203 +/- 88 cm(2); placebo 204 +/- 63 cm(2) to 200 +/- 55 cm(2); estimated treatment effect -7 [95% CI -24, 10] cm(2)), while SAT was reduced by a significantly greater extent with liraglutide than with placebo (liraglutide 361 +/- 142 cm(2) to 339 +/- 131 cm(2); placebo 329 +/- 107 cm(2) to 333 +/- 125 cm(2); estimated treatment effect -29 [95% CI -51, -8] cm(2)). Epicardial fat did not change significantly between groups (liraglutide 8.9 +/- 4.3 cm(2) to 9.1 +/- 4.7 cm(2); placebo 9.6 +/- 4.1 cm(2) to 9.6 +/- 4.6 cm(2); estimated treatment effect 0.2 [95% CI -1.5, 1.8] cm(2)). Change in HTGC was not different between groups (liraglutide 18.1 +/- 11.2% to 12.0 +/- 7.7%; placebo 18.4 +/- 9.4% to 14.7 +/- 10.0%; estimated treatment effect -2.1 [95% CI -5.3, 1.0]%). MTGC was not different after treatment with liraglutide (1.5 +/- 0.6% to 1.2 +/- 0.6%) vs placebo (1.3 +/- 0.5% to 1.2 +/- 0.6%), with an estimated treatment effect of -0.1 (95% CI -0.4, 0.2)%. There were no adjudicated serious adverse events. Conclusions/interpretation Compared with placebo, liraglutide-treated participants lost significantly more body weight. Liraglutide primarily reduced subcutaneous fat but not visceral, hepatic, myocardial or epicardial fat. Future larger studies are needed to confirm the results of this secondary endpoint study. Funding This study was funded by Novo Nordisk A/S (Bagsvaerd, Denmark). Show less