AIM: A retrospective observational cohort study, in the Netherlands, evaluated clinical outcomes with oral semaglutide.
METHODS: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1ra) naïve type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients who initiated oral semaglutide between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2022 were identified from the PHARMO Data Network. Change from baseline was evaluated in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), body weight, blood lipids, and blood pressure over 12 months of follow-up. Outcomes were analysed in patients with at least a baseline and ≥1 follow-up measurement, using mixed-effect models for repeated measurements.
RESULTS: Of 932 T2D patients initiating oral semaglutide identified, 731 were GLP-1ra naïve (mean [standard deviation] age, 62 [11] years; baseline HbA1c, 70 [14] mmol/mol; baseline body weight, 102 [19] kg). In 320 patients with an average follow-up of 8.1 months the mean (95% confidence interval) change in HbA1c from baseline was -16.05 (-12.57, -19.54) mmol/mol at 12 months, of whom 70% achieved personalized HbA1c targets. Body weight was reduced by -4.73 (-3.63, -5.83) kg at 12 months in 260 patients over an average of 8.2 months follow-up. Minimal changes were observed in blood lipid parameters and diastolic blood pressure, with moderate changes in systolic blood pressure.
CONCLUSIONS: Among Dutch T2D patients who were GLP-1ra naïve and initiated oral semaglutide, significant reductions in HbA1c and body weight were observed over 12 months, consistent with prospective clinical trial data. These results provide a first-look insight into real-world glycaemic control and body weight reduction in early adopters of oral semaglutide in the Netherlands.
