The FDA has accepted Sanofi’s New Drug Application (NDA) for lixisenatide, the first once-daily prandial GLP-1 receptor agonist for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes, for review. The acceptance of the lixisenatide NDA filing follows the February 1, 2013, European Commission approval of lixisenatide in the European Union.Lixisenatide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. GLP-1 is a naturally-occurring peptide hormone that is released within minutes after eating a meal. It is known to suppress glucagon secretion from pancreatic alpha cells and stimulate glucose-dependent insulin secretion by pancreatic beta cells.
The NDA submission for lixisenatide is based on results from the GetGoal clinical program, which showed that lixisenatide demonstrated significant reductions in HbA1c, a pronounced post-prandial glucose (PPG)-lowering effect and a beneficial effect on body weight in adult patients with type 2 diabetes. GetGoal results also showed that lixisenatide had a favorable safety and tolerability profile in most patients, with mild and transient nausea and vomiting, the most common adverse events
observed in the GLP-1 receptor agonist class, and a limited risk of hypoglycemia.
The international GetGoal program included 11 clinical trials involving more than 5,000 patients with type 2 diabetes, with a large number of patients studied to evaluate a GLP-1 receptor agonist in combination with basal insulin (1,250 patients treated with lixisenatide or placebo in three trials).
The addition of lixisenatide to basal insulin was studied because these medicines target separate components of HbA1c, an important measure of blood glucose control. Lixisenatide has a pronounced PPG-lowering effect, which complements the predominantly fasting plasma glucose (FPG)-lowering effect of basal insulin. For patients treated with basal insulin who have controlled FPG but who, due to the progression of type 2 diabetes, are no longer able to achieve their HbA1c goal, adding lixisenatide, which targets PPG, could be an effective strategy to achieve target glucose control.
Available data from the ongoing ELIXA trial, a cardiovascular outcome (CV) study of lixisenatide in patients at high CV risk (i.e. patients who recently experienced an acute coronary event) were also submitted, as required by the FDA.
Sanofi is preparing to launch lixisenatide in the European Union as of late Q1 2013 under the proprietary name Lyxumia. The proprietary name for lixisenatide in the United States is under consideration.
