Study shows GSK’s novel diabetes treatment Syncria improves glucose control and reduces weight

The FINANCIAL — New Phase II data presented today at the American Diabetes Association 69th Scientific Sessions in New Orleans show that the investigational type 2 diabetes treatment Syncria (albiglutide) significantly reduced blood glucose levels and provided weight loss across weekly, biweekly and monthly dosing.1 

Reducing blood sugar is a key part of managing type 2 diabetes, a disease that affects over 250 million people worldwide.2

In the study, dose-dependent reductions in A1C – a measure of how well blood sugar is being controlled over time – with albiglutide 30 mg weekly, 50 mg biweekly, and 100 mg monthly were 0.9%, 0.8% and  0.9% respectively (p<0.05). The A1C reduction by placebo was 0.2% and by open-label exenatide was 0.5%.  Weight loss (0.9 to 1.8 kg) was observed across all doses.  The most frequently reported adverse events included nausea, vomiting and headache.  At the 30 mg weekly dose, fewer than 10% of patients experienced nausea and vomiting, which subsided after week eight.  Albiglutide was not shown to increase the risk of abnormally low blood sugar, known as hypoglycemia.1

“Despite a range of available diabetes therapies, over half of patients with type 2 diabetes are unable to achieve the ADA target blood sugar goal,” said the study’s lead investigator, Julio Rosenstock, MD of the Dallas Diabetes and Endocrine Center at Medical City and clinical professor of medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School.“While these results need to be confirmed in ongoing studies, the findings with albiglutide are important since weight gain and fear of increased blood sugar levels can be major barriers to diabetes management.”