Safety and effectiveness of dulaglutide in Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a real‐world setting: A prospective, observational post‐marketing study

Abstract Aim To our knowledge, this is the first real‐world study to investigate the safety and effectiveness of a glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and Methods This prospective, observational, post‐marketing study conducted at 46 hospitals in China included adults with T2DM prescribed dulaglutide in routine clinical practice. The primary endpoint was the incidence of treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and serious AEs in patients who received ≥1 dose of dulaglutide, for up to 24 weeks. Exploratory endpoints included changes in patient‐reported glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and body weight. Post hoc analyses and multivariate regression were also performed. Results From 20 January 2020 to 24 November 2021, 3291 patients received dulaglutide and entered the safety analysis. TEAEs were reported in 1333 (40.5%) patients; the most commonly reported were nausea (n = 193, 5.9%), diarrhoea (n = 183, 5.6%) and decreased appetite (n = 179, 5.4%). serious AEs were reported in 160 (4.9%) patients. TEAEs led to treatment discontinuation in 212 (6.4%) patients. The mean absolute change in HbA1c from baseline to week 24 was −1.65% ( p < .001). Greater reductions in HbA1c at week 24 were observed in patients with T2DM duration ≤5 years ( p = .002), baseline HbA1c ≥8.5% ( p < .001), and without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease ( p = .002). The mean absolute change in body weight from baseline at week 24 was −2.62 kg ( p < .001). Conclusion Dulaglutide showed a safety profile consistent with previous reports and significantly reduced HbA1c in a real‐world setting. These findings support the clinical use of dulaglutide and inform the individualized treatment of patients with T2DM in China.