[How I manage a patient with type 2 diabetes not well controlled with a metformin plus gliptin combination]

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is an evolving disease that requires therapeutic adjustments to maintain adequate glucose control in the long run. An increasing number of patients with T2D are treated with a metformin plus gliptin (DPP-4 Inhibitor) combination, especially those for whom a sulfonylurea is avoided because of a risk of hypoglycaemia. When this dual metformin-gliptin therapy becomes insufficient to reach or maintain adequate glucose control, three solutions may be considered : the addition of a gliflozin (SGLT2 inhibitor), the replacement of the gliptin by a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist or the addition of a basal insulin whose posology should be progressively up-titrated according to fasting glycaemia. This article describes the pro and contra arguments of these three therapeutic regimens. According to the recent data of the literature, the triple oral therapy combining metformin, a gliptin and a gliflozin appears to offer a favourable alternative in terms of efficacy, tolerance, ease of use, patient adherence and cost.