GSK's Avandia delays deterioration of glucose control, five-year ADOPT data show

UK drug major GlaxoSmithKline presented encouraging results from its ADOPT trial at the 19th World Diabetes Congress of the International Diabetes Federation, demonstrating that initial treatment with Avandia (rosiglitazone maleate) cut the risk of monotherapy failure in people with type 2 diabetes 32% compared to metformin (p<0.001), and 63% to glyburide (p<0.001) at five years.

The results of this international, 4,360-patient study, which were also published in the December 4 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, indicate that Avandia was more effective than metformin or glyburide in delaying the progressive loss of blood sugar control, as measured by fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c.

According to GSK, ADOPT showed that the agent significantly improved insulin sensitivity (p<0.001) versus metformin or glyburide and reduced the rate of loss of beta-cell function (p=0.02 vs metformin; p <0.001 vs glyburide).