Phase III trial of Victoza meets endpoints in children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes

Novo Nordisk announced results of the ELLIPSE phase III diabetes trial which shows Victoza (liraglutide) injection has met both primary and secondary endpoints in children and adolescents with type II diabetes. The results showed the drug reduced A1C - the amount of haemoglobin in the blood that has glucose attached to it - at both 26 weeks and 52 weeks. The results also show that the safety profile of Victoza seen in children and adolescents was similar to that seen in adults.

The percentage of children who reported an adverse event was similar in both groups with headache, nasopharyngitis, dizziness and gastroenteritis in the top adverse reactions. The ELLIPSE trial is the first Phase III trial completed in over a decade in children and adolescents with type II diabetes, despite the prevalence of type II diabetes in children and adolescents ever-increasing.

Comment: GLP-1 drugs now account for about 11% of the entire global diabetes market's value. In the US, the figure is around 12%, in Europe around 7%, in emerging markets around 4%, but in China it is around 1%.