Early fasting glucose measurements can predict later glycaemic response to once weekly dulaglutide.

AIMS: To assess whether early measures of fasting blood glucose predict later glycaemic response with once-weekly dulaglutide in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: Post hoc analyses were conducted separately for two phase 3 studies (AWARD-5 and AWARD-1) in patients assigned to once-weekly dulaglutide. Week 2 fasting blood glucose was used as a predictor variable, and glycaemic treatment response was defined by HbA1c response based on a composite efficacy endpoint. The association between fasting blood glucose and the glycaemic response was analysed using chi-square tests. RESULTS: There was a strong association between fasting blood glucose < 7.9 mmol/l at week 2 and achieving the HbA1c composite efficacy endpoint at week 26 (P < 0.01). Higher fasting blood glucose at week 2, however, did not predict absence of glycaemic response and requires further assessment. CONCLUSIONS: Fasting blood glucose measured at 2 weeks may be an early and useful predictor of glycaemic response to once-weekly dulaglutide treatment.