Background and aims: To assess intensification approaches with basal insulin (BI) following glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) treatment in type 2 diabetes (T2D).
Methods and results: Real-world data were collected in electronic medical records by 32 Italian diabetes clinics between 2011 and 2021. Primary endpoint was the proportion of insulin-naïve T2D patients treated with GLP-1 RA who initiated (add-on or switch) BI. Secondary endpoints were: treatment approaches, mean time to BI start, effectiveness and safety. Among 7,962 eligible patients, BI was prescribed to 3,164 (39.7%; 95%CI 38.7; 40.8): 67.6% switched to BI (22.1% also starting 1-3 injections of short-acting insulin), 22.7% added BI while maintaining GLP-1 RA, and 9.7% switched to a fixed-ratio combination of GLP-1 RA and BI (FRC). Median time since the first GLP-1 RA to BI/FRC prescription was 27.4 (IQ range 11.8-53.5) months. In this study 60.3% of patients did not start BI/FRC, among whom 15.2% intensified GLP-1 RA therapy with other oral agents. Effectiveness and safety were documented in all intensification approaches with BI/FRC, but HbA1c level at intensification time of ≥9.0% and suboptimal BI titration suggested clinical inertia. Use of second generation BI and add-on to GLP-1 RA schemes increased over time and effectiveness improved.
Conclusion: Clinical inertia should be overcome using innovative insulin options. Timely combination therapy of BI and GLP-1 RA is a valuable choice.
Keywords: Basal insulin; Effectiveness; Fixed-ratio combination; GLP-1 receptor agonists; Insulin naïve; Safety; Type 2 diabetes.
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