Safety of sitagliptin in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes: a pooled analysis
of 25 clinical studies.
Author(s): Round EM(1), Engel SS, Golm GT, Davies MJ, Kaufman KD, Goldstein BJ.
Affiliation(s): Author information:
(1)Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA, elizabeth.round@merck.com.
Publication date & source: 2014, Drugs Aging. , 31(3):203-14
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and tolerability of
sitagliptin 100 mg/day in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes.
DESIGN: A post hoc pooled analysis of 25 randomized, double-blind, parallel group
clinical studies with results available as of 1 December 2011.
SETTING: Multicenter, international clinical trials.
SUBJECTS: Patients with type 2 diabetes aged 65 years or older.
INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to sitagliptin 100 mg/day (n = 1,261) or
a comparator (n = 1,185) for 12 weeks to 2 years.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: In each study, investigators reported serious and
non-serious adverse events that occurred during the study, and serious adverse
events occurring within 14 days following the last dose of study drug. This
analysis used patient-level data from each study to assess the exposure-adjusted
incidence rates of specific adverse events that occurred following initiation of
study drug.
RESULTS: Summary measures of adverse events overall were similar between the
sitagliptin and non-exposed (active comparator or placebo) groups, except for
higher incidences of deaths and drug-related adverse events in the non-exposed
group. Incidence rates of specific adverse events were generally similar between
the two groups, with the exception of hypoglycemia. A lower incidence rate of
hypoglycemia was observed in the sitagliptin group compared with the non-exposed
group [7.0 vs. 14.3 per 100 patient-years; difference -7.6 (95 % CI -11.2 to
-4.3]), primarily due to greater use of sulfonylureas in the non-exposed group.
CONCLUSIONS: In this pooled safety analysis of elderly patients with type 2
diabetes, treatment with sitagliptin 100 mg/day was generally well tolerated for
up to 2 years.
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