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Lorcaserin led to weight-independent reductions in HbA1c
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SAN FRANCISCO — A pooled analysis of the BLOOM and BLOSSOM trials demonstrates that lorcaserin plus diet and exercise led to significantly greater weight loss and improved HbA1c in patients without diabetes, compared with placebo.
“Looking at baseline and HbA1c 1 year later, we found a reduction over and above the reduction that would be expected based on weight loss alone,” study author Louis Aronne, MD, of Weill Cornell Medical College, told Endocrine Today during a poster presentation here at ENDO 2013.
Louis Aronne
The modified intention-to-treat population from the pooled studies included 3,037 patients assigned to placebo plus diet and exercise and 3,097 assigned to lorcaserin 10 mg twice daily (Belviq, Arena Pharmaceuticals) plus diet and exercise.
According to data, for any given amount of weight loss, patients in the lorcaserin group experienced a greater reduction in HbA1c compared with those in the placebo arm (P<.0001). However, there was no superior effect on fasting plasma glucose.
“If you look at the statistical model,” Aronne said, “analysis of the weight-independent effect was 0.263 and statistically significant, indicating that 26.3% of the treatment effect of lorcaserin on HbA1c is independent of weight loss.”
A post-hoc analysis assessed the effect of lorcaserin, independent of weight loss.
Patients in the treatment group experienced significantly greater weight loss compared with those assigned to placebo, which was maintained by a repeated measures sensitivity analysis with nonmissing data (P<.001), according to the poster.
“There’s a greater reduction in glucose at any given amount of weight loss in patients taking lorcaserin. That supports the basic science concept that there’s an independent effect stimulating a 5-HT2C receptor reducing blood glucose.”
Reductions in LDL cholesterol were greater in the lorcaserin arm vs. placebo, but there was no significant difference in triglycerides between groups.
Aronne told Endocrine Today he looks forward to seeing the effects of lorcaserin in patients with type 2 diabetes.
For more information:
Aronne L. #SAT-665. Presented at: The Endocrine Society Annual Meeting and Expo; June 15-18, 2013; San Francisco.
Disclosure: Aronne is a consultant for Eisai and Arena Pharmaceuticals.