Combo Therapy vs Insulin: Type 2 Diabetes

The Qatar Study investigated the efficacy of combination therapy with exenatide plus pioglitazone versus basal-bolus insulin.

The study, published in Diabetes Care, randomized 231 patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes on a sulfonylurea and metformin to receive either exenatide plus pioglitazone or insulin therapy.

After a mean follow up of 12 months, combination therapy caused a significantly greater decrease in HbA1c vs insulin therapy, dropping from a mean HbA1c of 10 to 6.1%.

In addition, patients in the insulin group had a significantly greater weight gain and more episodes of hypoglycemia.