Source: DGNews  |  Posted 8 years ago

By Jill Stein

PARIS, FRANCE -- August 25, 2003 -- New data indicate that insulin glargine (Lantus) as a basal insulin facilitates at least equivalent glycaemic control to NPH insulin, with lower fasting plasma glucose and significantly less severe hypoglycaemia, in type 2 diabetics.

The results were reported on today at the Eighteenth International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Congress.

Dr. George Dailey, with Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California, United States, and colleagues elsewhere conducted a meta-analysis of all phase III/IIIb studies performed to date with insulin glargine versus NPH insulin. These studies were 16 to 28 weeks in duration, except for one study of 52 weeks' duration, where interim 20-week data were used. In the trials, insulin glargine was administered once daily and NPH insulin once or twice daily. A total of 2,304 patients were enrolled in the studies.

Baseline characteristics and demographics were comparable in the two treatment groups.

Results showed that the mean endpoint haemoglobin A1 C was similar with insulin glargine (7.8