Singapore: Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly's investigational Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) drug dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor linagliptin has shown to significantly reduce blood glucose levels (HbA1c) compared with those receiving placebo.

"Elderly individuals comprise approximately 15 percent of people with Type 2 Diabetes2; however, few glucose-lowering agents have been investigated in this group. This evidence gap hinders clinical decision-making as the risks and benefits of treatment may be unclear," said Professor Anthony H. Barnett of England NHS Foundation Trust and University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. "This study may inform treatment decisions for improving individualised glycaemic goals in the elderly."

"This study provides much-needed data on glucose-lowering treatment of elderly people with Type 2 Diabetes, inadequately controlled with common anti-hyperglycaemic agents," said Professor Klaus Dugi, Corporate Senior Vice President Medicine, Boehringer Ingelheim. "The results support linagliptin's efficacy and safety profile in these patients, a prevalent population for which many other treatment options may have important limitations."

The combination was evaluated in the EGF104900 trial, a randomised, open-label, Phase III study of lapatinib + trastuzumab versus lapatinib monotherapy in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer whose disease had progressed on a trastuzumab-containing regimen.