A study released by Novo Nordisk at the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) 21st World Diabetes Congress in Dubai has found that the combination insulin degludec/insulin aspart, currently being developed, significantly reduced hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes patients.
In the study, insulin degludec/insulin aspart reduced the overall occurrence of hypoglycemia during the day as well as at night (occurring between 23:00 and 05:59). The study found that type 2 diabetes patients using Insulin degludec/insulin aspart reduced rates of hypoglycemia by 58% compared to biphasic insulin aspart when dosed twice-daily.
Improvements in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) were also seen, with levels significantly lower in the insulin degludec/insulin aspart group vs biphasic insulin aspart (6.4 vs. 7.5 mmol/l). The study also found that insulin degludec/insulin aspart was well tolerated and provided comparable overall glycemic control to biphasic insulin aspart.
A second study also presented showed that rates of hypoglycemia at night were reduced by 37% in people with type 1 diabetes using once-daily insulin degludec/insulin aspart (with additional rapid-acting mealtime insulin doses for the remaining meals), compared to those using once-daily insulin detemir plus rapid-acting insulin at all main meals.
Insulin degludec/insulin aspart, in development by Novo Nordisk, will, pending approval, be the only soluble insulin combination of ultra-long-acting basal insulin degludec and rapid-acting insulin, insulin aspart. Clinical studies have shown that it provides fasting plasma glucose control with significantly less hypoglycemia compared to premix insulin.
