On May 4^th, Handok Inc. held a symposium at the 31^st Spring Congress of the Korean Diabetes Association and presented the interim results of observational studies on additional blood sugar-enhancing effects during Tenelia (teneligliptin) conversion therapy.

Professor Park Sung-woo of School of Medicine Diabetes Endocrinology in Sungkyunkwan University took the Chair, professor Kim Hye-jin of School of Medicine Diabetes Endocrinology in Ajou university was the speaker in the symposium. <Observational Study on Tenelia Conversion Therapy> was conducted on 1,888 patients who were treated Korea for a total of 52 weeks with type 2 diabetes at approximately 200 research institutes in Korea. Patients whose blood sugar level did not reach the target (HbA1c less than 7.0) in spite of taking DPP-4 inhibitor such as sitagliptin, vildagliptin, linagliptin, saxagliptin, alogliptin and gemigliptin for at least 12 weeks were evaluated to determine the efficacy and safety when DPP-4 inhibitor was converted to teneligliptin.

In the interim analysis of the study, it was found that the mean HbA1c significantly decreased by 0.44% after being prescribed teneligliptin converted from a DPP-4 inhibitor for 12 weeks. Thus the additional blood sugar lowering of teneligliptin was confirmed. In addition, fasting blood sugar, body weight, and BMI decreases were also found to be statistically significant.

“The early on active blood glucose regulation not only improves blood glucose but also affects the reduction of the incidence of future diabetic complications,” said Dr. Kim Hye-jin of the Ajou University Medical Department of Endocrinology. “This study shows that for patients with type-2 diabetes whose blood glucose regulation is insufficient, changing the existent DDP-4 inhibitor to Teneligliptin can be another treatment option.”

Meanwhile, Tenelia is a DPP-4 inhibitor that has recently been growing rapidly in popularity. Its inherent structural properties and long half-life of about 24 hours are the characteristics that induce the long lasting DPP-4 inhibitory effect. Clinical studies have shown that 7 out of 10 patients with type-2 diabetes have reached their target blood glucose levels and are able to tightly regulate glucose levels even after dinner by taking it once a day. In addition, Tenelia is advantageous in that it can be prescribed to all renal patients without any usage or dosage adjustment.