New analysis of DEVOTE trial of Tresiba (insulin degludec) shows people with type 2 diabetes who experience severe hypoglycaemia are at greater risk of death.- Novo Nordisk.

Novo Nordisk announced new analyses from the DEVOTE trial of Tresiba (insulin degludec) showing that people with type 2 diabetes who experience severe hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar levels) are at greater risk of death. The risk was four-fold higher 15 days after an event and two and a half-fold higher anytime following an episode of severe hypoglycaemia.

In addition, results also showed that daily fluctuations in blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes are associated with a higher risk of death. The main results of DEVOTE trial have already shown that Tresiba has benefit of lesser hypoglycaemia over insulin glargine. These results should further give the treating physician and the patients with diabetes confidence to have better glyceamic control with less risk of hypoglyceamia and change treatment outcomes. The results were presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes 53rd Annual Meeting and simultaneously published in Diabetologia.

See: "Day-to-day fasting glycaemic variability in DEVOTE: associations with severe hypoglycaemia and cardiovascular outcomes (DEVOTE 2)." Zinman B, Marso SP, Poulter NR, et al. Diabetologia. 2017; TBC:TBC. (In press)