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Cited by 50Diabetes Treatment and ManagementDiabetes Management and ResearchPharmacology and Obesity Treatment

Real-world use of once-weekly semaglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes: pooled analysis of data from four SURE studies by baseline characteristic subgroups

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Yale, Jean-François, Bodholdt, Ulrik, Catarig, Andrei-Mircea, Catrina, Sergiu, Clark, Alice, Ekberg, Neda Rajamand, Erhan, Umut, Holmes, Patrick +5 more·2022·BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care
DOI 10.1136/bmjdrc-2021-002619PMC PMC8984040
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Abstract

Introduction: This post hoc pooled analysis of four real-world studies (SURE Canada, Denmark/Sweden, Switzerland and UK) aimed to characterize the use of once-weekly (OW) semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA), in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Research design and methods: The Semaglutide Real-world Evidence (SURE) studies had a duration of ~30 weeks. Changes in glycated hemoglobin (HbA 1c ) and body weight (BW) were analyzed for the overall population and the following baseline subgroups: GLP-1RA-naïve/GLP-1RA switchers; body mass index <25/≥25–<30/≥30–<35/≥35 kg/m 2 ; age <65/≥65 years; HbA 1c <7%/≥7–≤8%/>8–≤9%/>9%; T2D duration <5/≥5–<10/≥10 years. Data for patients achieving treatment targets were analyzed in the overall population and the baseline HbA 1c ≥7% subgroup. Results: Of 1212 patients, 960 were GLP-1RA-naïve and 252 had switched to semaglutide from another GLP-1RA. In the overall population, HbA 1c was reduced from baseline to end of study (EOS) by –1.1% point and BW by –4.7 kg; changes were significant for all subgroups. There were significantly larger reductions of HbA 1c and BW in GLP-1RA-naïve versus GLP-1RA switchers and larger reductions in HbA 1c for patients with higher versus lower baseline HbA 1c . At EOS, 52.6% of patients in the overall population achieved HbA 1c <7%. No new safety concerns were identified in any of the completed SURE studies. Conclusions: In this pooled analysis, patients with T2D initiating OW semaglutide showed significant improvements from baseline to EOS in HbA 1c and BW across various baseline subgroups, including patients previously treated with a GLP-1RA other than semaglutide, supporting OW semaglutide use in clinical practice. Trail registration numbers: NCT03457012 ; NCT03631186 ; NCT03648281 ; NCT03876015 .

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  • Studies reporting results in an 'as-started' approach found considerably lower weight-loss effectiveness.

    “Importantly, the weight‐loss effectiveness of GLP‐1RA was similar to what has been observed in trials when focusing on the subgroup of adherent patients who consistently took their prescribed GLP‐1RA, for example, at 12 months follow‐up, 50 , 53 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 61 whereas studies reporting results in an ‘as‐started’ approach found considerably lower effectiveness. 52 , 59 , 63 , 66”

    From Real‐world evidence on the utilization, clinical and comparative effectiveness, and adverse effects of newer <scp>GLP</scp> ‐ <scp>1RA</scp> ‐based weight‐loss therapies (2025) · cites this paper as [66]

    The Methods (Study design; Post hoc analysis, page unavailable) show that body weight was analyzed in the full analysis set of patients who initiated semaglutide, rather than only those who completed treatment. The Discussion (page unavailable) says weight reduction in the SURE studies was comparable to that in the SUSTAIN trials (−4.7 kg versus −3.5 to −6.4 kg), contrary to the claim of considerably lower effectiveness. The paper does not report a direct comparison with adherent patients. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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Authors
Yale, J.-F., Bodholdt, U., Catarig, A.-M., Catrina, S., Clark, A., Ekberg, N. R., Erhan, U., Holmes, P., Knudsen, S. T., Liutkus, J., Sathyapalan, T., Schultes, B., & Rudofsky, G.
Affiliations
  • McGill University Health Centre (CA)
  • Kastruplægerne, Kastrup, Denmark
  • Novo Nordisk (Denmark) (DK)
  • Karolinska Institutet (SE)
  • St. George’s Medical Practice, Darlington, UK
  • Aarhus University Hospital (DK)
  • Joanne F. Liutkus Medicine Professional Corporation, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
  • University of Hull (GB)
  • Metabolic Center St. Gallen, friendlyDocs, St. Gallen, Switzerland
  • Clinic for Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Cantonal Hospital Olten, Olten, Switzerland
Corresponding author
Yale, Jean-François
ORCID
Venue
BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care
Publisher
BMJ
Published
2022-04
Volume
10
Issue
2
Pages
e002619
ISSN
2052-4897 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1136/bmjdrc-2021-002619
PMC
PMC8984040
OpenAlex
W4224323287
Cited by
50
References
8
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 1
FWCI
7.96
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Repository@Hull (Worktribe) (University of Hull) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • Scopus (Elsevier) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
Funders
Novo Nordisk A/S (Not applicable)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes Treatment and Management
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes Management and Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Pharmacology and Obesity Treatment
Keywords
semaglutide, type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 receptor agonists, weekly dosing, HbA1c, weight loss, real-world evidence, baseline HbA1c, body mass index, treatment goals, drug safety
MeSH terms
Semaglutide, Aged, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Glucagon-Like Peptides, Glycated Hemoglobin, Humans, Hypoglycemic Agents

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