Real-World Treatment Patterns Among US Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Initiating Treatment With Once Weekly...

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Pharmacology
• Real-world evidence studies

Background:

• Injectable once weekly semaglutide (OW sema) was approved in 2017 for type 2 diabetes (T2DM).
• Clinical trials demonstrate OW sema's efficacy in achieving glycemic targets.
• Real-world data are needed to guide treatment decisions for OW sema initiation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize noninsulin antidiabetic medication use patterns in US patients with T2DM initiating OW sema.
• To provide insights into real-world treatment strategies involving OW sema.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, claims-based study of 15,588 patients with T2DM initiating OW sema between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2019.
• Analysis of demographics, clinical characteristics, and medication regimens, including lines of therapy (LOT).
• Identification of top 10 noninsulin treatment regimens within each LOT.

Main Results:

• OW sema monotherapy was the most common initial regimen (first LOT).
• A significant proportion of patients continued their initial LOT (36.5%) or subsequent LOTs (52.1% for second LOT, 72.0% for third LOT).
• OW sema was included in 42.2% of second LOTs and 45.8% of third LOTs among the top regimens.

Conclusions:

• This study details medication regimens within the first year of OW sema initiation.
• Monotherapy with OW sema is a common initial treatment approach.
• Findings offer valuable insights into the real-world utilization of OW sema in T2DM management.