Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an increasing health problem worldwide. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are an expanding drug class that target several of the pathophysiological traits of T2DM. Lixisenatide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist in development for once-daily treatment of T2DM.
Areas covered: Pharmacological, preclinical and clinical evidence demonstrating the applicability of lixisenatide for the treatment of T2DM are reviewed. Available data and pending clinical development are summarized, critically appraised and compared to competitor drugs. The most relevant papers and meeting abstracts published up to November 2010 are used as sources for this review.
Expert opinion: Efficacy and safety in T2DM are demonstrated with lixisenatide in monotherapy and in combination with metformin. However, limited data with the intended once-daily 20 µg subcutaneous dosing necessitate further evaluation of lixisenatide as add-on to various antidiabetic treatments. It remains to be established whether the slightly differing chemical properties compared to other GLP-1 receptor agonists including a rather short duration of action will be a disadvantage or maybe even an advantage, for example, when combined with long-acting insulin.
Mikkel Christensen, Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs 2011 20:4, 549-557.
Lixisenatide, under development by sanofi-aventis, is a novel human glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM; non-insulin dependent diabetes). The structure of lixisenatide, based on exendin-4(1-39) modified C-terminally with six Lys residues, is able to withstand physiological degradation by dipeptidyl peptidase IV. In vitro, lixisenatide bound to human GLP-1R with a greater affinity than native human GLP-1 (7-36 amide). In various in vitro and in vivo models of T2DM, lixisenatide improved glycemic measures and demonstrated promising pancreatic beta-cell-preserving actions. In patients with T2DM, subcutaneously administered lixisenatide displayed linear pharmacokinetics. In two phase II clinical trials, lixisenatide improved glucose tolerance, resulted in weight loss and lowered HbA1C, thereby causing significantly more patients to achieve target HbA1C levels compared with placebo. Lixisenatide exhibited well-established GLP-1-related gastrointestinal side effects, with mild nausea occurring most frequently; a low frequency of hypoglycemia was also reported. The results of phase III trials are awaited for confirmation of the anticipated effects of lixisenatide on glycemic measures and weight; favorable results would place lixisenatide for consideration among other GLP-1R agonists in the treatment armamentarium for T2DM.
Christensen M, et al. IDrugs. 2009;12:503?3.
Aims: To evaluate the dose-response relationship of lixisenatide (AVE0010), a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, in metformin-treated patients with Type 2 diabetes.
Methods: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, 13 week study of 542 patients with Type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled [glycated haemoglobin (HbA(1c)) > or = 7.0 and < 9.0% (> or = 53 and < 75 mmol/mol)] on metformin (> or = 1000 mg/day) treated with subcutaneous lixisenatide doses of 5, 10, 20 or 30 microg once daily or twice daily or placebo. The primary end-point was change in HbA(1c) from baseline to 13 weeks in the intent-to-treat population.
Results: Lixisenatide significantly improved mean HbA(1c) from a baseline of 7.55% (59.0 mmol/mol); respective mean reductions for 5, 10, 20 and 30 microg doses were 0.47, 0.50, 0.69 and 0.76% (5.1, 5.5, 7.5 and 8.3 mmol/mol), on once-daily and 0.65, 0.78, 0.75 and 0.87% (7.1, 8.5, 8.2 and 9.5 mmol/mol) on twice-daily administrations vs. 0.18% (2.0 mmol/mol) with placebo (all P < 0.01 vs. placebo). Target HbA(1c) < 7.0% (53 mmol/mol) at study end was achieved in 68% of patients receiving 20 and 30 microg once-daily lixisenatide vs. 32% receiving placebo (P < 0.0001). Dose-dependent improvements were observed for fasting, postprandial and average self-monitored seven-point blood glucose levels. Weight changes ranged from -2.0 to -3.9 kg with lixisenatide vs. -1.9 kg with placebo. The most frequent adverse event was mild-to-moderate nausea.
Conclusions: Lixisenatide significantly improved glycaemic control in mildly hyperglycaemic patients with Type 2 diabetes on metformin. Dose-response relationships were seen for once- and twice-daily regimens, with similar efficacy levels, with a 20 microg once-daily dose of lixisenatide demonstrating the best efficacy-to-tolerability ratio. This new, once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist shows promise in the management of Type 2 diabetes to be defined further by ongoing long-term studies.
Gunn AP, et al. Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2010 Dec;42(12):1915-8. Epub 2010 Sep 15.
Linear Range : 13.7 pg/ml - 195 pg/ml
13 times more sensitive
than normal EIA Kits
Linear Range : 9.7-136 pg/ml
19 times more sensitive
than normal EIA Kits
Linear Range : 190 pg/ml - 2300 pg/ml
