Early Intermittent Intensive Insulin Therapy as an Effective Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes (RESET-IT Pilot Study)

Mount Sinai Hospital, Canada

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 3

Conditions: Type 2 Diabetes

Treatments: Drug: Continuous metformin; Drug: Intermittent insulin therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01755468

12-0263-A Pilot

Details and patient eligibility

About

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by progressive deterioration in the function of the pancreatic beta-cells, which are the cells that produce and secrete insulin (the hormone primarily responsible for the handling of glucose in the body). The investigators propose a pilot randomized controlled trial to determine whether intermittent intensive insulin therapy is an effective therapeutic strategy that can preserve pancreatic beta-cell function and maintain glycemic control early in the course of type 2 diabetes.

Full description

In this study, eligible patients with type 2 diabetes will be randomized to either intermittent insulin therapy or continuous metformin therapy, after both arms have first undergone a short course of intensive insulin therapy. The hypothesis under study is whether intermittent insulin therapy can better preserve beta-cell function.

Enrollment: 24 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 30 to 80 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Men and women between the ages of 30 and 80 years inclusive
2. T2DM diagnosed by a physician </= 5 years prior to enrolment
3. Negative for anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (anti-GAD) antibodies
4. On either no anti-diabetic medication or on metformin monotherapy, with no change in dose/regimen within 4 weeks prior to enrolment
5. A1c at screening between 5.5% and 9.0% inclusive if on metformin, or between 6.0% and 9.5% inclusive if on no oral anti-diabetic medication
6. BMI >/= 23 kg/m2
7. Negative pregnancy test at recruitment for all women with childbearing potential

Exclusion criteria

1. Current anti-diabetic treatment with insulin, sulfonylurea, thiazolidinedione, alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, GLP-1 agonist or dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor
2. Type 1 diabetes or secondary forms of diabetes
3. History of hypoglycemia unawareness or severe hypoglycemia requiring assistance
4. Any major illness with a life expectancy of <5 years
5. Hypersensitivity to insulin, metformin or the formulations of these products
6. Renal dysfunction as evidenced by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <50 ml/min
7. Hepatic disease considered to be clinically significant (includes jaundice, chronic hepatitis, previous liver transplant) or transaminases >2.5 X upper limit of normal
8. History of congestive heart failure
9. Excessive alcohol consumption, defined as >14 alcoholic drinks per week for males and >9 alcoholic drinks per week for females
10. Unwillingness to administer insulin therapy or perform capillary blood glucose monitoring at least 4 times per day while receiving IIT
11. Pregnancy or unwillingness to use reliable contraception. Women should not be planning pregnancy for the duration of the study or the first 3 months after the study. Reliable contraception includes birth control pill, intra-uterine device, abstinence, tubal ligation, partner vasectomy, or condoms with spermicide.
12. Non-adherence to the induction phase or any factor likely to limit adherence to the study protocol, in the opinion of the investigator

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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24 participants in 2 patient groups

Continuous metformin

Active Comparator group

Description:

After a 3-week course of intensive insulin therapy, participants will be treated with ongoing metformin monotherapy. Metformin will be initiated at 500mg twice a day for the first 2 weeks, before progressing to 1000mg twice a day for the duration of the trial (24 months).

Treatment:

Drug: Continuous metformin

Intermittent insulin therapy

Experimental group

Description:

After a 3-week course of intensive insulin therapy, participants will receive intermittent intensive insulin therapy for 2 weeks every 3 months. The 2-week course of insulin therapy will be repeated at 3-, 6-, 9-, 12-, 15-,18- and 21-months, with final outcome measurement performed at 24-months

Treatment:

Drug: Intermittent insulin therapy