INTRODUCTION: Once-weekly (OW) semaglutide was associated with clinically relevant improvements in glycaemic control and body weight versus comparators in the SUSTAIN randomised controlled trials (RCTs). SURE UK, which is one of a series of individual studies that comprise the SURE programme, evaluated the use of OW semaglutide in a real-world patient population with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the UK.
METHODS: In this prospective, observational study, adults (≥ 18 years) with ≥ 1 documented glycated haemoglobin (HbA) value ≤ 12 weeks before semaglutide initiation were enrolled. The primary endpoint was change in HbAfrom baseline to end of study (EOS; ~ 30 weeks, although due to the COVID-19 pandemic, visits up to week 52 were permitted). Secondary endpoints included change in body weight, waist circumference and patient-reported outcomes (PROs). Physicians were to report all episodes of documented or severe hypoglycaemia, fatal events, serious adverse drug reactions, pregnancies and adverse events (AEs) in foetuses/newborn infants; other AEs during the study period could be reported on a voluntary basis.
RESULT: The estimated mean change in HbAfrom baseline to EOS was - 16.3 mmol/mol [95% confidence interval (CI): - 18.22, - 14.37] (- 1.5%-points [95% CI - 1.67, - 1.31]; p < 0.0001) among the 171 enrolled patients who completed the study on treatment. Mean body weight change was - 5.8 kg (95% CI - 6.75, - 4.94; p < 0.0001). Sensitivity analyses showed similar results. Improvements were also observed in other secondary endpoints, including PROs. No new safety concerns were identified with semaglutide treatment.
CONCLUSION: Patients receiving OW semaglutide experienced statistically significant and clinically relevant reductions from baseline in HbAand body weight. These results are in line with those of the SUSTAIN RCTs and support the use of OW semaglutide in routine clinical practice in adults with T2D in the UK.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT03876015.