Effectiveness and safety of exenatide in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with oral hypoglycemic agents: an observational study in a real clinical practice

Background: Randomized clinical trials have shown the efficacy and safety of short-acting exenatide in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The aim of this observational study was to investigate the effectiveness and safety of exenatide twice a day in Korean patients with T2DM who are suboptimally controlled with oral hypoglycemic agents. Methods: This study was a post hoc analysis of multi-center (71 centers), prospective, observational, single-arm, post-marketing study of short-acting exenatide 5 to 10 mu g twice a day from March 2008 to March 2014 and analyzed those who finished the follow-up over 20 weeks of medication. Changes of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and body weight values before and after exenatide treatment were analyzed. Adverse events and adverse drug reactions were estimated in patients who were treated with exenatide at least once and for whom follow-up for safety has been completed. Results: After 20 weeks treatment with exenatide, mean HbA1c and body weight were significantly reduced from 8.4% to 7.7% and from 83.4 kg to 80.2 kg, respectively (both p < 0.001). Subjects with higher baseline glucose and HbA1c levels showed an independent association with a greater reduction in glucose level. In addition, short duration of diabetes less than 5 years was an independent predictor for the improvement in glucose level. The majority of study subjects showed a reduction in both body weight and glucose level (63.3%) after exenatide treatment. In terms of safety profile, exenatide treatment was generally well-tolerated and the incidence of severe adverse event was rare (0.8%). The gastrointestinal side effects were most common and hypoglycemia was reported in 1.7% of subjects. Conclusion: In real clinical practice, 20 weeks treatment with short-acting exenatide was well tolerated and showed a significant body weight and glucose reduction in Korean patients with T2DM who are suboptimally controlled with oral hypoglycemic agents.