Dapagliflozin with semaglutide combo may help induce pharmacological remission of type 2 diabetes

A recent observational study unveiled positive outcomes regarding the combination therapy of a sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor, dapagliflozin and a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist, semaglutide in managing type 2 diabetes mellitus. These drugs have individually demonstrated efficacy in glycemic control, weight loss, blood pressure reduction and reducing the risk of renal and heart failure. The findings of the study were published in Pharmacological Research.

This study was conducted across 11 Diabetes centers in Lombardia, Italy and analyzed data from 1335 patients with type 2 diabetes. Out of these, 443 received dapagliflozin alone, while 892 were treated with the combined therapy of dapagliflozin and oral semaglutide. After a 6-month follow-up period, the outcomes were meticulously examined for changes in various parameters.

The findings of the study were;

Both patient groups improved glycometabolic control, with the combination therapy group demonstrating a significant reduction in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) by 1.2% when compared to the 0.5% reduction in the dapagliflozin alone group.

More than glycemic control, notable positive changes were observed in body mass index, fasting plasmatic glucose, blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL, and the albumin-to-creatinine ratio. Also, 55% of patients in the combination therapy group had near-normalization of HbA1c levels.

These outcomes highlight the individual efficacy of these agents but also underscore the major benefits derived from their combination. Further exploration and validation is required to elaborate the existing understanding as this study sparks optimism for more robust and personalized interventions for diabetes care.

Reference:

Lunati, M. E., Cimino, V., Bernasconi, D., Gandolfi, A., Morpurgo, P. S., Tinari, C., Lazzaroni, E., Baruffaldi, L., Muratori, M., Montefusco, L., Pastore, I., Rossi, A., Franzetti, I. G., Muratori, F., Manfrini, R., Disoteo, O. E., Terranova, R., Desenzani, P., Girelli, A., … Fiorina, P. (2023). Type 2 diabetes mellitus pharmacological remission with dapagliflozin plus oral semaglutide. In Pharmacological Research (p. 107040). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2023.107040