Diabetes, obesity & metabolismApr 1, 2018

Once-weekly dulaglutide effects vary with initial insulin-producing cell function in type 2 diabetes

GLP-1 Therapies Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Updated Apr 2, 2026

Abstract

Patients with low baseline beta-cell function experienced a 1.55% reduction in HbA1c after 26 weeks of dulaglutide treatment.

Patients with lower beta-cell function had higher levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and longer duration of diabetes.
The low beta-cell function tertile exhibited greater reductions in HbA1c compared to the high tertile after 26 weeks of treatment.
Adjusting for baseline HbA1c eliminated differences in HbA1c reduction between beta-cell function tertiles.
Greater decreases in fasting blood glucose and greater increases in fasting C-peptide were noted in the low beta-cell function tertile.
All tertiles showed similar increases in beta-cell function as measured by .

Simplified

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists lower blood glucose in type 2 diabetes (T2D) partially through glucose-dependent stimulation of insulin secretion. The aim of this study was to investigate whether beta-cell function (as measured by ) at baseline affects the glycaemic response to dulaglutide. Dulaglutide-treated patients from AWARD-1, AWARD-3 and AWARD-6 clinical studies were categorised based on their homeostatic model assessment of beta-cell function (HOMA2-%B) tertiles. Changes in glycaemic measures in response to treatment with once-weekly dulaglutide were evaluated in each HOMA2-%B tertile. Patients with low HOMA2-%B had higher baseline glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting and postprandial blood glucose, and longer duration of diabetes (P < .001, all) (mean low, middle and high tertiles with dulaglutide 1.5 mg: HOMAB-2%B, 31%, 58%, 109%; HbA1c, 8.7%, 7.7%, 7.3%, respectively). At 26 weeks, the low tertile experienced larger reductions in HbA1c compared to the high tertile with dulaglutide 1.5 mg (mean; -1.55% vs. -0.98% [-16.94 vs. -10.71 mmol/mol]). Differences between low and high tertiles disappeared when adjusted for baseline HbA1c (LSM; -1.00 vs. -1.18% [-10.93 vs. -12.90 mmol/mol]). Greater decreases in fasting blood glucose and greater increases in fasting C-peptide were observed in the low tertile. Similar increases in HOMA2-%B were observed in all tertiles. Dulaglutide demonstrated clinically relevant HbA1c reduction irrespective of estimated baseline beta-cell function.

Key numbers

-1.55%

HbA1c Reduction in Low Tertile

Change in HbA1c at 26 weeks for low beta-cell function tertile

-0.98%

HbA1c Reduction in High Tertile

Change in HbA1c at 26 weeks for high beta-cell function tertile

1346 patients

Overall Patient Cohort

Total number of patients treated with dulaglutide in the analysis

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Funding

Competing interests

C. M. serves, or has served, on the advisory panel for Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Merck Sharp and Dohme Ltd., Eli Lilly and Company, Novartis, Bristol‐Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim, Hanmi Pharmaceuticals, Roche Diagnostics, Medtronic, Mannkind, Intrexon, Dianax and UCB, and serves, or has served, on the speakers bureau for Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Merck Sharp and Dohme Ltd., Eli Lilly and Company, Boehringer Ingelheim, Astra Zeneca and Novartis. KU Leuven has received research support for C. M. from Medtronic, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Merck Sharp and Dohme Ltd., Eli Lilly and Company, Roche Diagnostics, Abbott, Intrexon and Novartis. S. D. P. has received honoraria for attending meetings, consultancy fees, speaker fees, and/or travel grants for Astra Zeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly and Company, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Merck Sharp and Dohme Ltd., Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi, Laboratoires Servier, and Takeda Pharmaceuticals. F. B., V. T. T., I. P., N. J., A. H. and L. ‐E. G. ‐P. are employees and shareholders of Eli Lilly and Company. C. A. K. is an employee of Eli Lilly and Company.

PubMed

Once-weekly dulaglutide effects vary with initial insulin-producing cell function in type 2 diabetes

Abstract

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You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

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