Long-Term, Real-World Safety and Efficacy of Teneligliptin: A Post-Marketing Surveillance of More Than 10,000 Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in Japan

Introduction: Teneligliptin is a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor that was approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Japan in 2012. We performed a long-term post-marketing surveillance (RUBY) to obtain real-world evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of teneligliptin in Japan. Methods: This 3-year follow-up RUBY surveillance registered patients with T2DM who started treatment with teneligliptin between May 2013 and February 2015 in Japan. Collected data included demographics, treatments, adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and laboratory variables. Data were evaluated in all patients and in patients divided according to baseline renal function across categories of estimated glomerular filtration rate (G1–G5) and dialysis. Safety was assessed as the incidence of ADRs and efficacy was assessed in terms of glycaemic control, for up to 3 years. Results: Of 11,677 patients registered, 10,696 and 10,249 were evaluable for safety and efficacy analyses, respectively. The median duration of exposure was 1096 days. ADRs occurred in 412 patients (3.85%) and were serious in 117 patients (1.09%). The most frequent ADR class was gastrointestinal disorders (0.68%), which included constipation. There were no new ADRs warranting attention beyond those already described in teneligliptin’s package insert. ADRs and serious ADRs in renal function subgroups occurred in 3.24–7.14% and 0.65–5.36% in G1–G5, and 4.49% and 1.92% in patients on dialysis, respectively. Reduction in HbA1c was sustained for 3 years after starting teneligliptin (− 0.70% ± 1.36%, p < 0.001 at 3 years). The least-squares mean changes in HbA1c adjusted for baseline were − 0.76% to − 0.66% in G1–G5 at 3 years. Glycated albumin levels decreased in patients on dialysis (− 2.92% ± 4.78% at 3 years). Conclusion: There were no new safety or efficacy concerns about teneligliptin used in long-term, real-world, clinical settings in patients with T2DM with any stages of renal impairment. Trial registration: Japan Pharmaceutical Information Center clinical trials database identifier: Japic CTI-153047. Plain Language Summary: Plain language summary available for this article.