Type 2 Diabetes | TreatmentTrends | US | 2015
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic, progressive metabolic disease in which the body becomes resistant to insulin, most often as a result of obesity and sedentary lifestyle. The primary goal of treatment of T2D is to achieve and maintain glycemic control, to reduce the risk of both microvascular complications (e.g., diabetic neuropathy, retinopathy, nephropathy) and macrovascular complications (e.g., myocardial infarction, stroke). Due to the progressive nature of T2D, the number of antidiabetic medications used increases over time. Physicians and treatment guidelines acknowledge the role of metformin as the gold-standard first-line therapy in treating T2D. Further therapies (primarily oral agents such as DPP-IV inhibitors, SGLT-2 inhibitors, and sulfonylureas) are typically added as second- and third-line agents to help maintain long-term glycemic control. A significant number of patients will also require additional treatment with injectable therapies such as the GLP-1 receptor agonists and insulins. Using U.S. physician survey data, this report analyzes the use of key therapies in T2D patients. The report provides an analysis of treatment patterns and share by line of therapy between both endocrinologists and primary care physicians (PCPs). The report also investigates the importance of various clinical and performance attributes on choice of therapy, as well as sales representative performance and knowledge of emerging therapies.
