Novo Nordisk announced that the European Commission has approved Levemir? (insulin detemir) for once-daily use in combination with oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs).
Levemir? initiated once daily significantly improves blood glucose levels, with less weight gain compared to NPH insulin and insulin glargine.(1-3) Levemir? is the first long-acting insulin associated with less weight gain and the weight benefit of Levemir? has been shown to increase with increasing baseline body mass index (BMI).(4) This makes Levemir? an appealing long-acting insulin for initiating early insulin treatment for people with type 2 diabetes.
?Our findings showed that not only did Levemir? given once daily improve glycaemic control, but unlike many other forms of insulin, it actually led to weight loss and this benefit was even greater for the more obese people with diabetes,? says Dr Anne Dornhorst, Department of Metabolic Medicine, Imperial College, London, and leading investigator of the PREDICTIVE? study.(5)
The weight benefit of Levemir? is both confirmed by clinical trials and in clinical practice. Thirteen out of thirteen trials have consistently confirmed significantly less weight gain with Levemir? compared to NPH insulin.(1,2,6-16) In a clinical practice study the fact is that patients treated with Levemir? did not gain weight.(4)
Furthermore, Levemir? provides effective blood glucose control with a reduced risk of hypoglycaemia (too low blood sugar), which is one of the most serious concerns for people with diabetes. A recent trial shows that Levemir? reduces the relative overall risk of hypoglycaemia by 53% while the relative risk of nocturnal hypoglycaemic events is reduced by 65% compared to NPH insulin.(1) Therefore, the new approval of Levemir? once-daily use in combination with OADs provides a new treatment option for people with type 2 diabetes who have difficulties in maintaining acceptable blood glucose levels when treated with OADs alone.