Lixisenatide reduces postprandial hyperglycaemia via gastrostatic and insulinotropic effects

Lixisenatide is a once-daily, prandial, short-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist. Its main antidiabetic effect is to delay gastric emptying to control postprandial plasma glucose excursions. The dose-response relationship of the integrated insulinotropic and gastrostatic response to lixisenatide in healthy volunteers after a standardized liquid meal was investigated.

Twenty healthy subjects received acetaminophen 1000 mg with a standardized liquid meal 60 min after a single subcutaneous injection of placebo or lixisenatide 2.5, 5, 10 or 20 µg in randomized order separated by a 2- to 7-day washout. Acetaminophen pharmacokinetics served as a surrogate to assess rate of gastric emptying. Postprandial plasma glucose, insulin, C-peptide and glucagon were assessed for 5 h after the meal test, and lixisenatide pharmacokinetics were determined for 6 h.

After lixisenatide administration and prior to the standardized meal, insulin and C-peptide transiently increased, while fasting plasma glucose decreased in a dose-dependent manner. After the meal, postprandial plasma glucose, insulin and C-peptide were dose proportionally reduced with lixisenatide versus placebo for up to 6 h. Compared with placebo, glucagon levels were transiently lower after any lixisenatide dose, with more sustained reductions after the meal and no apparent dose-related trends. Acetaminophen absorption was significantly reduced and delayed compared with placebo for lixisenatide doses ≥5 µg and demonstrated dose-dependent slowing of gastric emptying. Lixisenatide displayed near dose-proportional exposure, with gastrointestinal events increasing with dose.

Lixisenatide reduced fasting plasma glucose via stimulation of glucose-dependent insulin release and controlled postprandial plasma glucose by delaying gastric emptying, demonstrating it to be a valuable option for overall glycaemic control.