Clinical experience of switching from glargine or neutral protamine Hagedorn insulin to insulin detemir in type 2 diabetes: Observations from the Indian cohort in the A1chieve study.

AIM: To explore the clinical safety and effectiveness of insulin detemir (IDet) in a subgroup of Indian patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) switched from either insulin glargine (IGlar) or neutral protamine Hagedorn (NPH) insulin in the 24-week, non-interventional A1chieve study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Indian patients with T2D switching from pre-study IGlaror NPH insulin to IDet were included. Safety and effectiveness outcomes were evaluated by the physicians in local clinical settings.

RESULTS: A total of 102 patients switched from IGlar to IDet (GLA group) and 39 patients switched from NPH insulin to IDet (NEU group). At baseline, the mean glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels were 9.9 ± 1.8% in the GLA group and 9.1 ± 1.2% in the NEU group. No serious adverse drug reactions, serious adverse events, or major hypoglycemic events were reported in either group throughout the study. At baseline and Week 24, 11.8% and 7.5% of patients, respectively, reported overall hypoglycemic events in the GLA group. No hypoglycemic events were reported at Week 24 in the NEU group. At Week 24, the mean HbA1c levels were 7.6 ± 0.9% in the GLA group and 7.3 ± 0.7% in the NEU group. The mean fasting plasma glucose, postprandial plasma glucose and quality of life also appeared to improve over 24 weeks.

CONCLUSION: Switching to IDet therapy from IGlar and NPH insulin was well-tolerated and appeared to be associated with improved glycogenic control in Indian patients.