Abstract
OBJECTIVE:A novel, ready-to-use, liquid stable, continuous subcutaneous glucagon infusion (CSGI; Xeris Pharmaceuticals) was evaluated for the treatment of adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) with documented Hypoglycemia Associated Autonomic Failure (HAAF).
METHOD:This was a Phase 2 prospective, multi-center, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel trial in T1D adults with documented HAAF, defined as Gold Scale Score ≥4. Subjects were randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive 4 weeks of continuous treatment (via Omnipod pump) with high rate CSGI (80mcg/hour), low rate CSGI, (20mcg/hour) or placebo (matched infusion rates for low and high rate CSGI). The primary endpoint evaluated at 4 weeks was the percent change of the epinephrine hormone response after 30 minutes of induced hypoglycemia. Epinephrine levels and hypoglycemia symptoms were recorded following a stepwise hypoglycemia clamp, and results compared between study treatment arms. Following the first four weeks, subjects continued for an additional 24 weeks to assess their epinephrine hormone response to hypoglycemia measured at 3 months post-treatment (16 weeks), and 6 months post-treatment (28 weeks).
RESULTS:Forty-nine subjects were randomized to receive treatment with high rate CSGI (n=15), low rate CSGI (n=18), or matching placebo (n=16). At the end of study treatment, there were no statistically significant differences between the treatment arms for percent change of epinephrine hormone response during a stepwise hypoglycemia clamp (CSGI vs. placebo; p=0.160). As a result, long-term follow-up of the subjects was stopped early. The long-term follow-up data collected to date will be reported separately. The administration of low and high rate CSGI was associated with mild to moderate nausea (5.9%, 20%, respectively) and vomiting (11.8%, 13.3%, respectively) that was self-limited and required no additional intervention. In this 4-week assessment, CSGI was not associated with pain nor significant injection site reactions, and no SAEs related to CSGI were reported.
CONCLUSION:In this proof-of-concept study, CSGI did not demonstrate statistically significant improvements in plasma epinephrine concentration when compared to placebo at 4 weeks. While there were positive epinephrine and improved hypoglycemia awareness responses observed in some subjects, the equivocal efficacy results observed may be explained by the unanticipated and incomplete elimination of hypoglycemia on CSGI therapy, and those on placebo therapy experienced hypoglycemia improvement. CSGI can be safely used with concomitant diabetes medications, and there were no SAEs related to CSGI. The 4-week administration of both low and high rate CSGI was safe and well tolerated.
RBD in pure autonomic failure
