Sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4 inhibitors added to insulin regimens in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) can improve glycaemic control. This study compared the efficacy and safety of empagliflozin and linagliptin added to premixed insulin therapy in patients with poorly controlled T2DM.

In this 24-week, open-label, parallel-design randomized controlled trial, patients with poorly controlled T2DM despite a premixed insulin regimen were randomized to receive 5mg of linagliptin (n=53) or 25mg of empagliflozin (n=53) for 24 weeks.

At week 24, changes in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) from baseline were −0.06±0.17% and −1.01±0.16% in the linagliptin and empagliflozin groups, respectively, and the mean treatment HbA1c difference was −0.88% (95% CI: −1.33, −0.43). At week 24, the empagliflozin group showed significant reductions, compared with the linagliptin group, in fasting plasma glucose (P<0.001), body weight (P<0.001), systolic blood pressure (P=0.003) and total daily insulin dose (P=0.042). Hypoglycaemia was reported to be slightly, and not significantly, higher in the empagliflozin group vs linagliptin group (30.2% vs 22.6%, respectively; P=0.51). Similar percentages of patients (1.9%) had urinary tract infections in the two groups.

In Asian patients with inadequately controlled T2DM while taking premixed insulin, the addition of empagliflozin for 24 weeks provided better glycaemic control and greater reductions in body weight and systolic blood pressure than the addition of linagliptin.

Clinical Trial Registration #: NCT03458715.