Liraglutide – Indian Experience

Liraglutide is an effective drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The aim of this review is to collate evidence on the real-world clinical effectiveness of liraglutide from the published Indian studies. A review of publications was conducted to identify observational studies that assessed the effectiveness of liraglutide among Indian T2DM. Total ten publications were retrieved and these observational studies are compared with the results of the liraglutide randomized controlled trial (RCT) program (Liraglutide Effect and Action in Diabetes [LEAD]). Liraglutide therapy demonstrated HbA1c reduction in the Indian population up to 2.26% and 2.54%, over 24 and 52 weeks, respectively. Among the LEAD trials, the HbA1c reduction at 24 weeks was maximum in LEAD-4 with 1.5% reduction at both doses used (1.2 and 1.8 mg) and up to 1.14% in LEAD-3 with a dose of 1.8 mg. The weight loss among Indian subjects was generally around 5 kg or more with maximum weight loss of 8.6 kg over 24 weeks. The maximal weight loss in LEAD studies was less than 3 kg with an exception of 3.24 kg in LEAD-6. In over 52 weeks of liraglutide therapy among Indian subjects, mean weight loss was 7.4 kg, which was 3.5 times more than of LEAD program. Two Indian observational studies also demonstrated significant weight loss among nondiabetic obese subjects at a much lower than that of 3 mg anti-obesity dose. Gastrointestinal (GI) events are the commonly reported adverse events with Indian studies as well as LEAD program. Liraglutide therapy produces better glycemic control and more weight loss among Indian T2DM subjects compared with RCTs conducted in western population with almost similar adverse consequences.