Type 2 diabetics using Toujeo, a type of long-acting insulin made by Sanofi S.A., may be able to maintain better control of their illness without suffering episodes of low blood sugar.
Sanofi said that patients taking Toujeo are 33 percent less likely to suffer low blood sugar, a condition that can lead to a coma, according to a press release from the company.
The findings were based on two six-month studies Sanofi conducted of 881 and 1,894 patients, respectively, who substituted Toujeo for one of three other types of insulin. Scientists examined patients outside of the laboratory, assessing their medical records for changes in HbA1c levels, as well as trips to an emergency room to treat low blood sugar.
Riccardo Perfetti, chief of Sanofi’s global diabetes team, said that both lab and observational studies have their place in diabetes research.
"While randomized clinical trials provide the highest-level of evidence, comparative data from real-world observational studies can be relevant for payors and other organizations evaluating how findings from clinical trials can translate into routine clinical practice," he said in the release.
Perfetti said that Sanofi would continue to evaluate the findings along with those from gained in carefully controlled environments, such as the company's EDITION Phase III clinical trial.
