Exenatide compared with long‐acting insulin to achieve glycaemic control with minimal weight gain in patients with type 2 diabetes: results of the Helping Evaluate Exenatide in patients with diabetes compared with Long‐Acting insulin (HEELA) study

AIM: The Helping Evaluate Exenatide in overweight patients with diabetes compared with Long-Acting insulin (HEELA) study was designed to examine whether the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, exenatide, could improve HbA1c (< or =7.4%) with minimal weight gain (< or =1 kg) compared with insulin glargine. METHODS: Patients [body mass index (BMI) >27 kg/m(2)] with elevated cardiovascular risk and type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled on two or three oral antidiabetes drugs (OADs) were randomized to add-on exenatide 5-10 microg b.i.d. (n = 118) or insulin glargine o.d. (titrated to target fasting plasma glucose < or =5.6 mmol/l; n = 117) for 26 weeks. RESULTS: The study population had baseline mean (s.d.) age of 56.5 (9.1) years and BMI of 34.1 (5.3) kg/m(2), and 58.5% of patients were taking two OADs. Mean baseline HbA1c was 8.65 (0.68)% in the exenatide group and 8.48 (0.66)% in the insulin glargine group. The proportions of patients achieving the composite endpoint of HbA1c < or =7.4% with weight gain < or =1 kg were 53.4% for the exenatide group and 19.8% for the insulin glargine group (p < 0.001 for exenatide vs. insulin glargine). Exenatide and insulin glargine did not demonstrate a significant difference in HbA1c improvements [least square (LS) mean [s.e.m.]: -1.25 [0.09]% and -1.26 [0.09]% respectively; p = 0.924], but had divergent effects on body weight (-2.73 [0.31] vs. +2.98 [0.31] kg respectively, p < 0.001) after 26 weeks. There were more treatment-related adverse events with exenatide but a lower incidence of nocturnal hypoglycaemia, with no differences in overall or severe hypoglycaemia. CONCLUSIONS: Additional treatment with exenatide resulted in significantly more overweight and obese patients with an elevated cardiovascular risk and type 2 diabetes achieving better glycaemic control with minimal weight gain compared with insulin glargine.