Lantus vs. Tresiba: How Do They Compare on Time-in-Range in Type 2 Diabetes?

By Emma Ryan

By Emma Ryan

The SWITCH PRO trial will examine whether Tresiba improves blood sugar management more than Lantus, as measured by FreeStyle Libre Pro; now recruiting at 67 locations across the US

Clinical Trials Identifier: NCT03687827

Trial name: A Research Study to Compare the Effect of Insulin Degludec and Insulin Glargine on Blood Sugar Levels in People With Type 2 Diabetes – the SWITCH PRO Study

Diabetes type: Type 2

What the trial is testing: The trial is comparing how two types of basal insulin – Lantus (insulin glargine) and Tresiba (insulin degludec) – impact blood sugar levels in adults. Participants will receive free Lantus and Tresiba in insulin pens during two different periods while blood sugar levels are recorded with the FreeStyle Libre Pro professional (blinded) CGM.

What the trial is measuring: Researchers will record time in range (70-180 mg/dl) using the FreeStyle Libre Pro during three 14-day periods throughout the nine months of the study. The Libre Pro is a blinded, retrospective CGM, meaning that users cannot see their glucose readings until they return to the clinic and view the downloaded data. When not wearing the Libre Pro, fingerstick glucose measurements will be used to adjust insulin dosing as needed but will not be analyzed for the study. The researchers will also measure time in the tighter target range of 70-140 mg/dl, and any changes in A1C.

What is this new/important? Lantus and Tresiba are already FDA-approved long-acting basal insulins on the market. A previous trial, SWITCH 2, showed that Tresiba reduced hypoglycemia more than Lantus when defined as below 56 mg/dl, but did not look at hypoglycemia defined as below 70 mg/dl or time-in-range broadly. This study will help further illuminate the benefits of Lantus vs. Tresiba by recording CGM data.

Trial length: 9 months

Trial locations: The trial is enrolling across 67 locations (a big trial!), including several US states such as California, Massachusetts, New York, and Texas. See a full list here.

Do you qualify? Select eligibility criteria include:

At least 18 years of age
Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes for at least three months
At least one of the following:
- Treated with insulin for more than five years
- Episode of hypoglycemia (below 70 mg/dl) within the last 12 weeks
- One severe hypoglycemic episode within the last year
- Moderate renal impairment (eGFR 30-59)
- Hypoglycemia unawareness
Cannot have been treated with a GLP-1 agonist (Byetta/Bydureon, Victoza, Lyxumia/Adlyxin, Trulicity, Ozempic) or sulfonylurea (glipizide, gliclazide, glibenclamide, glimepiride) in the past 90 days