Abstract
BACKGROUND: Visepegenatide, a once-weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist injection, demonstrated effective glycaemic control and good tolerability without the requirement of dose titration in the two completed phase 2 studies. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of visepegenatide in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) inadequately controlled by metformin monotherapy in this phase 3 clinical study. METHODS: This multicentre phase 3 clinical study included a 24-week, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind period followed by a 28-week open-label extended treatment period. Patients (N = 620) aged ≥18 and ≤75 years with glycated haemoglobin (HbA(1c)) ≥7.0% and ≤10.5% [≥53.0 and ≤91.27 mmol/mol], were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive visepegenatide 150-μg or placebo once-weekly subcutaneous injection during the double-blind period. Subsequently, the patients in the placebo group were switched to visepegenatide treatment (placebo→visepegenatide group), and the patients in the visepegenatide group continued the same treatment during the open-label extended treatment period. The primary endpoint was the change in HbA(1c) from baseline to week 24. FINDINGS: At week 24, the placebo-adjusted least squares mean (LSM) change of HbA(1c) was -0.57% (95% CI -0.71 to -0.43) with visepegenatide (p < 0.001). The proportion of patients achieving HbA(1c) < 7.0% and ≤6.5% [<53 and ≤ 48 mmol/mol] was higher in the visepegenatide group versus the placebo group (115 [40.5%] vs 50 [17.9%]; p < 0.001, and 60 [21.1%] vs 17 [6.1%]; p < 0.001). Visepegenatide demonstrated a significant reduction in fasting plasma glucose and 2-h postprandial glucose compared with placebo. Trends in the improvement of these variables were maintained during the open-label extended treatment period. No severe gastrointestinal adverse event or severe hypoglycaemia was reported during the 52-week study period. INTERPRETATION: Once-weekly injection of visepegenatide 150 μg as an add-on treatment to metformin therapy significantly improved glycaemic control and was generally well tolerated in Chinese patients with T2DM who were inadequately controlled with metformin monotherapy. FUNDING: The study was funded by PegBio Co., Ltd, Suzhou, China.