Boehringer Ingelheim’s Trajenta shows efficacy in comparative trial

Boehringer Ingelheim's linagliptin-based diabetes therapy Trajenta has demonstrated its efficacy in a clinical study comparing it to another commonly used treatment.

Data from a two-year study has shown that Trajenta provides similar blood glucose improvements in adult patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled on metformin alone, when compared to the commonly prescribed sulphonylurea, glimepiride.

It was also shown that Trajenta offered a number of advantages compared to the alternative therapy, such as relative weight loss and a reduced number of hypoglycaemic events.

Baptist Gallwitz, professor of medicine at Germany's Eberhard Karls University, said: "Although based on a small number of cardiovascular events, we were able to evaluate and compare the incidences of major cardiovascular events between linagliptin and glimepiride for the first time."

The two drugs are also being compared in an ongoing five-year trial called Carolina, recruitment for which will be completed later this year.

Last week, Boehringer Ingelheim reported results from a new analysis of its drug Pradaxa, demonstrating its strong safety profile when used to prevent venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing total knee or hip arthroplasty.