TRADJENTA is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. TRADJENTA is a DPP-4 inhibitor that does not require dose adjustments regardless of declining renal function or hepatic impairment. TRADJENTA should not be used in patients with type 1 diabetes or for the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis (increased ketones in the blood or urine). It has not been studied in combination with insulin.
In the U.S., African Americans and other ethnic minorities are significantly underrepresented in clinical trials. This is the first published trial of a DPP-4 inhibitor specifically conducted in black or African American adult patients with type 2 diabetes.
"These findings support the efficacy and safety profile of linagliptin as a treatment option for African American adult patients with type 2 diabetes," said lead investigator James Thrasher, MD, FACE, Arkansas Diabetes and Endocrinology Center. "As there may be differences in response to treatment among ethnic groups, an important finding of this trial is that the results are consistent with the A1C reduction seen in the linagliptin pivotal trials, which included a small sample of African American patients."
African American adults are disproportionately affected by diagnosed diabetes. In the U.S., the risk of diabetes is 77 percent greater for non-Hispanic black adults, when compared to non-Hispanic white adults, with an estimated 18.7 percent (4.9 million) of all non-Hispanic black adults living with the disease.
In the 24-week study, 226 patients were randomized (106 to linagliptin, and 120 to placebo), and received at least one dose of the study drug in order to be included in the safety analyses. Patients who had a measurement of A1C at baseline (linagliptin 8.63 percent +/-0.11; placebo 8.70 percent +/-0.11) and at least one measurement post-baseline (200) were included in the analyses of efficacy. A1C was measured every six weeks during the study and the difference between the groups was significantly different by six weeks and remained so throughout the study.