Study: Sanofi insulin reduces weight gain, increases blood sugar control

PARIS — An insulin analogue made by Sanofi appears to work better in certain cases than competing treatments at reducing weight gain and controlling blood sugar among patients with Type 2 diabetes.

The French drug maker announced the release of data from a 2,900-patient study showing that initiating patients with Lantus (insulin glargine [rDNA origin]) led to better glycemic control and comparable or modest weight gain compared with other insulins, oral anti-diabetic drugs and dietary changes. The lowest weight gain was seen in patients ages 65 years and older. The data were presented at the 47th annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Lisbon, Portugal.

"Weight gain is a commonly perceived effect of using insulin in Type 2 diabetes," lead study investigator and University of Vermont professor Jack Leahy said. "[These data demonstrate] that initiation of Lantus when A1C is less than 8% may help to limit weight gain in this patient population."