Treatment outcomes of graded dose of empagliflozin in type-2 diabetes: A real world study.

Background: Costs are important cause of therapeutic noncompliance in type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Half-tablet empagliflozin (EMPA)-25 mg has lowest monthly cost among all EMPA preparations; data is unavailable on efficacy of half EMPA-25. This study compared real world weight loss and glycaemic outcomes of 10 mg versus 12.5 mg versus 25 mg of EMPA.

Methods: Data, retrospectively captured from records of 2 different centresfor patients > 35 years-age having T2DM on EMPA as part of standard pharmacotherapy for T2DM, having > 6 months follow-up data available was analysed. Patients were in 3-groups depending on EMPA dosage: Group 1 on EMPA 10 mg/day (1-tablet EMPA-10), Group-2 on EMPA 12.5 mg/day (half-tablet EMPA-25), and Group 3 on EMPA 25 mg/day (1-tablet EMPA-25). Primary endpoints were glycaemic efficacy and weight-loss.

Results: Of 3601 records screened, data from 599 patients (184, 239 and 176 in Group-1, 2 and 3 respectively) was analysed. All 3 groups were comparable with regards to sex, blood pressure, haemoglobin, renal function, medications use. Group-3 were significantly older, had longest diabetes duration, highest HbA1c and lowest body mass index. Glycaemic efficacy was comparable among groups (ΔHbA1c Groups 1-3: -0.9 (-1.9 - 0.0), -1.0 (-1.8 - 0.5) and - 1.0 (-1.5 - 0.22], respectively; P = 0.363). Patients on EMPA 12.5 or 25 mg/d had significantly higher total (-1.4 [-3.0 -0.2] vs. -0.3 [-2.4 - 1.32] kg; P = 0.028) and percent weight-loss (-1.75% [-4.15 - 0.26] vs. -0.44% [-3.11 - 1.39]; P = 0.039), and significantly higherfraction achieving HbA1c < 5.7% (12% vs. 0; P = 0.021), compared to EMPA-10.

Conclusion: Half EMPA-25 is the most cost effective way of using EMPA in clinical practice.