Balkau B, et al. - The physicians conducted this DIAPAZON study, a multicenter observational study, to document the effectiveness, safety and patterns of saxagliptin use in France, including the saxagliptin retention rate, over 2 years of follow-up. In a real-world practice setting, saxagliptin was efficacious and well tolerated, with almost 80% of participants remaining on treatment after 2 years.

• A total of 1131 adults with type 2 diabetes were recruited by a geographically representative sample of 304 French physicians (general practitioners and specialist endocrinologists or diabetologists) into an ambispective cohort; 1033 fulfilled the inclusion criteria.
• During the previous 6 months or at study inclusion, all had started saxagliptin.
• The follow-up was for 24 ± 3 months after starting saxagliptin.

• When starting saxagliptin, the mean age of the study population was 61 years, and the mean HbA1c level was 8.0%; 79% had an HbA1c level ≥7%.
• Most participants (91%) were receiving treatment with oral glucose-lowering drugs alone, prior to starting saxagliptin treatment.
• A combination of saxagliptin and metformin was the most commonly prescribed regimen at starting saxagliptin (53% of participants).
• At 2 years, the overall saxagliptin retention rate was 79%, as estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method.
• Inadequate glycemic control (52%) and intolerance (22%) were the most common reasons for discontinuation.
• The mean HbA1c level decreased to 7.0%, and the percentage of people with HbA1c <7% increased from 21% to 49% during the course of the study.
• In this study, the mean change in body weight was -1.8 kg.
• During the follow-up period, 294 hypoglycemic episodes were reported in 70 participants (6.8%).
• Out of these, 143 episodes in 41 participants (4.0%) occurred when saxagliptin was used in combination with agents associated with hypoglycemia, like insulin, sulfonylureas or glinides.