Review of empagliflozin monotherapy for previously untreated patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: Comparison with sitagliptin

Abstract

This Practice Pearl provides a review and brief commentary of the 24-week, double-blind, parallel-group, randomized, Phase III study by Roden et al., which assessed the efficacy and safety of the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor empagliflozin, 10 mg or 25 mg as monotherapy, versus placebo and the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor sitagliptin, in previously untreated patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Compared to placebo, empagliflozin improved glycemic control, with additional benefits on bodyweight and systolic blood pressure, versus placebo and sitagliptin. Treatment was well tolerated. The authors concluded that empagliflozin is a potential new approach to treat patients with T2DM who are inadequately controlled with diet and exercise alone. This paper advances our understanding of empagliflozin, which so far, appears to be a promising therapeutic option for the management of patients with T2DM.

Keywords :

• Sodium-glucose transporter 2/antagonists and inhibitors
• dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 inhibitors
• type 2 diabetes mellitus
• hypoglycemic agents
• empagliflozin
• sitagliptin

Acknowledgments

The author meets criteria for authorship as recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. The author received no direct compensation related to the development of the manuscript. Writing assistance was provided by Jennifer Edwards, MBBS, and Charlie Bellinger, BSc, of Envision Scientific Solutions, which was contracted and funded by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (BIPI). BIPI was given the opportunity to review the manuscript for medical and scientific accuracy as well as for intellectual property considerations.

Declaration of interest

Apart from writing assistance funding provided by BIPI as described above, the author has no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents, received or pending, or royalties.