Potential benefits of early addition of rosiglitazone in combination with glimepiride in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

AIM: To assess the efficacy and tolerability of early combination therapy with rosiglitazone (RSG) and glimepiride (GLIM) vs. GLIM monotherapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

METHODS: Strategies for the addition of RSG in combination with GLIM were evaluated with data from two randomized, double-blind, placebo (PBO)-controlled studies. Study A - addition of RSG (4 or 8 mg) or PBO to continued GLIM 3 mg once daily; study B - addition of low-dose RSG (4 mg) prior to uptitration of GLIM (from 2 to 4 mg) vs. continued uptitration of GLIM (from 2 to 8 mg).

RESULTS: Study A reported significant reductions in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) from baseline to week 26 with the addition of both 4 and 8 mg RSG to GLIM 3 mg [-21 mg/dl (-1.2 mmol/l), p = 0.0019 and -43 mg/dl (-2.4 mmol/l), p < 0.0001, respectively] and in haemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) (-0.63%, p = 0.00015 and -1.17%, p < 0.0001, respectively) from a baseline of 8.2 and 8.1%, respectively. At the end of the study, target HbA(1c) <7.0% was achieved in 43 and 68% of patients in the RSG 4 mg + GLIM and RSG 8 mg + GLIM groups, respectively, compared with 32% in the PBO + GLIM (GLIM alone) group. In study B, addition of RSG to GLIM reduced mean FPG and HbA(1c) levels at week 24 from baseline [-28 mg/dl (-1.5 mmol/l), p < 0.0001, and -0.68%, p < 0.0001, respectively]. There were no significant changes with GLIM monotherapy in either study. Favourable effects of RSG + GLIM on insulin sensitivity, beta-cell function and cardiovascular disease biomarkers were also observed. All treatments were similarly well tolerated.

CONCLUSIONS: Early addition of RSG to GLIM is an effective and well-tolerated treatment option to improve glycaemic control in sulphonylurea-treated patients with T2DM.