Background: The use of conventional glucagon for managing insulin-induced hypoglycemia is obscured by its chemical instability and the need for reconstitution of the lyophilized powder, leading to delayed rescue. Dasiglucagon, a glucagon analog, may potentially overcome these shortcomings.
Aims: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dasiglucagon in insulin-induced hypoglycemia in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).
Study design: Meta-analysis.
Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane databases along with clinical trial registries were searched to include data from five randomized controlled trials conducted using dasiglucagon for the treatment of insulin-induced hypoglycemia in T1DM patients published until May 2023. We performed a risk of bias assessment to determine the quality of the included studies and a random-effects model analysis for determining the effect size. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were done as applicable.
Results: The time to recovery (in minutes) with dasiglucagon was earlier than placebo [mean difference (MD): -24.73; 95% confidence interval (CI): -30.94 to -18.52; p < 0.00001) or oral glucose (MD: -15.00; 95% CI: -20.33 to -9.67; p < 0.00001); however, the difference between dasiglucagon and glucagon was not statistically significant (MD: -0.76; 95% CI: -2.19 to 0.66; p = 0.29).
Conclusion: Dasiglucagon is safer and more effective than placebo or oral glucose for insulin-induced hypoglycemia in T1DM patients; however, it is not superior to conventional glucagon.