Efficacy and safety of chiglitazar add‐on to metformin in type 2 diabetes mellitus (RECAM study)

Chiglitazar is a novel peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor pan-agonist regulating glucose and lipid metabolism. The RECAM study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of chiglitazar add-on therapy to metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In this randomised, double-blind, phase III trial (NCT04807348), 533 patients with T2DM inadequately controlled by metformin were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive chiglitazar 32 mg (n = 178), chiglitazar 48 mg (n = 177), or placebo (n = 178) for 24 weeks, in addition to metformin. The primary endpoint was the change in glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) from baseline to week 24. At week 24, the least squares mean changes in HbA1c were -0.91% (95% CI: -1.03% to -0.79%) in the chiglitazar 32 mg group, -1.14% (95% CI: -1.26% to -1.02%) in the chiglitazar 48 mg group, and -0.49% (95% CI: -0.62% to -0.36%) in the placebo group. Both chiglitazar 32 mg and 48 mg significantly reduced HbA1c compared to placebo (both p < 0.001), with the reduction being greater in the 48 mg group than in the 32 mg group (p = 0.008). Chiglitazar significantly improved fasting plasma glucose and 2-h postprandial glucose while reducing triglyceride and free fatty acid levels and increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. The incidence of adverse events was comparable across groups, with a slight increase in weight gain and mild oedema observed in the chiglitazar groups. Chiglitazar combined with metformin significantly improves glycaemic control and lipid metabolism in Chinese patients with T2DM who are inadequately managed with metformin and have a favourable safety profile. ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04807348).