Alleviating Carbohydrate Counting for Patients with Type-1 Diabetes Using a Closed Loop System with Weekly Subcutaneous Semaglutide

What this study is testing ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06387199 ↗

Description as written by the study sponsor.

A closed-loop insulin system, often labelled the "artificial pancreas" (AP), consists of an insulin pump, a continuous glucose monitor, and an interface coordinating between them to regulate insulin dosage based on glucose levels. Primarily designed for managing type 1 diabetes, this system has demonstrated significant benefits in previous studies. Yet, despite these advantages, certain challenges persist. Semaglutide, utilized in treating type 2 diabetes and obesity, is a once-weekly injectable medication that elevates levels of a gastrointestinal hormone known as Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1). This hormone alters gastric emptying, inhibits glucagon release, and reduces appetite. While not officially sanctioned for type 1 diabetes treatment in North America, studies have explored its efficacy as an adjunctive therapy alongside insulin, yielding favorable outcomes in blood glucose regulation. Comparable drugs like liraglutide and exenatide have been employed in type 1 diabetes treatment as well, albeit with less pronounced glucose-regulating effects compared to semaglutide, even in type 2 diabetes. The goal of this 50-week randomized placebo-controlled crossover 2x4 factorial designed trial is to assess whether commercial automated insulin delivery (AID) systems using rapid-acting insulin with adjunct weekly injections of semaglutide (at the maximally tolerated dose) can replace carbohydrate counting with simple meal announcements (SMA) without degrading glucose control.

Treatments tested

• Semaglutide with 4 meal strategies Drug

  The blinded drug will be used in addition to the participants routine closed-loop insulin pump therapy. It will be administered through subcutaneous injection on a weekly basis. The first 12 weeks will include progressively increasing doses of the drug whereby, the dose increases every 4 weeks. Once the maximum tolerated dose is achieved after 12 weeks, participants will undergo 4 meal strategies in a randomized order. These include (in no particular order); full carbohydrate counting with rapid-acting insulin, SMA with rapid-acting insulin, SMA with Lyumjev and fully closed-loop system with Lyumjev. Each meal strategy will be 3 weeks in duration and will occur sequentially in the designated order.

• Placebo with 4 meal strategies Drug

  The blinded drug will be used in addition to the participants routine closed-loop insulin pump therapy. It will be administered through subcutaneous injection on a weekly basis. The first 12 weeks will include progressively increasing doses of the drug whereby, the dose increases every 4 weeks. Once the maximum tolerated dose is achieved after 12 weeks, participants will undergo 4 meal strategies in a randomized order. These include (in no particular order); full carbohydrate counting with rapid-acting insulin, SMA with rapid-acting insulin, SMA with Lyumjev and fully closed-loop system with Lyumjev. Each meal strategy will be 3 weeks in duration and will occur sequentially in the designated order.