Different persistence on initial basal supported oral therapy in Type 2 diabetics is associated with unequal distributions of insulin treatment regimens under real-life conditions in Germany.

OBJECTIVES: Results from a representative German database and from two German health services research studies revealed an unequal distribution between basal supported oral therapy (BOT) and basal-bolus therapy (ICT) regimens in Type 2 diabetics treated with either insulin glargine (GLA) or human insulin (Neutral Protamine Hagedorn; NPH). This study assesses whether this unequal distribution could be caused by a different persistence on the initial BOT regimen.
METHODS: A Markov model was developed simulating the transition from BOT to ICT during a treatment course of 10 years. Data on persistence with BOT were obtained from the IMS® Disease Analyzer database. The model cohort consisted of German statutorily insured Type 2 diabetics starting a BOT either with insulin glargine or NPH insulin at a ratio of 1 : 1.
RESULTS: The number of Type 2 diabetics who switched from BOT to ICT differed between the two groups: After 2 years, 53% of glargine-treated patients and 31% of NPH-treated patients continued the BOT. After 6.5 years, all NPH-treated patients had switched to ICT. However, complete transition to ICT of glargine-treated patients occurred 1.75 years later. In the first quarter of Year 3, the model simulation resulted in BOT : ICT ratios comparable to those found in the real-world settings for GLA- and NPH-treated patients.
CONCLUSIONS: The simulation indicates that the persistence on the initial basal supported oral therapy is associated with the resulting BOT : ICT ratio. Therefore, the unequal distribution between BOT and ICT of Type 2 diabetics treated with either insulin glargine or NPH insulin might be caused by different persistence on the initial BOT regimen.