Study Protocol for a Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized, Open-Label, Parallel-Group Clinical Trial Comparing the Efficacy and Safety of a Needle-Free Insulin Injector and a Conventional Insulin Pen in Controlling Blood Glucose Concentrations in Chinese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (The FREE Study).

INTRODUCTION: China has the largest number of diabetic patients in the world. In the past 2 decades, the prevalence of diabetes in China has increased dramatically, and the current status of diabetes control in the diabetic population is not satisfactory. Although insulin is currently recognized in diabetes treatment guidelines as the therapeutic option for patients not adequately controlled by diet/exercise and oral agents, the proportion of patients with type 2 diabetes using insulin is still very low, and the time when insulin therapy is initiated is relatively late. In using insulin injections, concerns about the complexity of the treatment regimen, a fear of needles, and other psychological barriers can affect insulin treatment, impacting on patient compliance and potentially resulting in a poor treatment response. Another type of insulin injection device that has become available recently, the needle-free injector, is now being used in clinical practice because of its unique features and patients' injection experiences. The aims of this study are to investigate the efficacy and safety of the needle-free injector-based insulin treatment in blood glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes, as compared with a conventional needle-based insulin treatment, and to evaluate patient satisfaction with the different insulin delivery methods.

METHODS AND PLANNED OUTCOMES: A prospective, multicenter, randomized, open-label, parallel-group clinical trial was designed and implemented in China. A total of 420 patients with type 2 diabetes from ten research centers will be enrolled in the study. The primary efficacy endpoint is the change in the glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level from baseline to after 16 weeks of treatment after randomization. Secondary efficacy endpoints include measurements of blood glucose concentrations, the rate of achieving the target HbA1c level of less than 7%, patients' quality-of-life (as determined by the SF-36 questionnaire), the insulin dose administered, compliance with insulin therapy, and patients' satisfaction with their injection device.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study was approved by the Independent Ethics Committee (IEC) of Peking University Peoples Hospital and was conducted in accordance with the moral, ethical, and scientific principles of the declaration of Helsinki and the provisions of good clinical practice (GCP) in China. Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants before any study-related procedures are implemented. It is hoped that the study will provide evidence for the clinical application of the needle-free injector by providing data on its efficacy and safety, as compared with a conventional insulin pen, in the Chinese type 2 diabetes population. When available, the results will be published in an international peer-reviewed journal.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier, NCT03243903. Registration date, August 9, 2017.

FUNDING: Beijing QS Medical Technology Co., Ltd.