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GLP-1 analogues and insulin: sound the wedding bells?

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A large-scale, placebo-controlled clinical study shows a remarkable benefit from adding exenatide, a short-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist, to insulin glargine, on a background of metformin and/or pioglitazone, in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Is this partnership here to stay?

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Figure 1: Schematic view of mechanisms of action of GLP-1 analogues and long-acting insulin with respect to the pathophysiological phenotype of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Diabeteszentrum Bad Lauterberg, Kirchberg 21, Bad Lauterberg im Harz, D–37431, Germany

    Michael A. Nauck

  2. Department of Internal Medicine 1, St. Josef-Hospital, Klinikum der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Gudrunstraße 56, Bochum, D–44791, Germany

    Juris J. Meier

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  1. Michael A. Nauck
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  2. Juris J. Meier
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Correspondence to Michael A. Nauck.

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Competing interests

M. A. Nauck has been member on advisory boards or has consulted with AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly & Co., GlaxoSmithKline, Hoffman—La Roche, Menarini/Berlin Chemie, Merck, Sharp & Dohme, NovoNordisk, Versatis. He has received grant support from Eli Lilly & Co., Menarini/Berlin-Chemie, Merck, Sharp & Dohme, Novartis Pharma, and Ypsomed. He has also served on the speakers' bureau of AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly & Co., Hoffman—La Roche, Menarini/Berlin Chemie, Merck, Sharp & Dohme, and NovoNordisk.

J. J. Meier has been member on advisory boards or has consulted with AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly & Co., GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Sharp & Dohme, Sanofi-Aventis and NovoNordisk. He has received grant support from Eli Lilly & Co., Merck, Sharp & Dohme, Novartis Pharma, and Sanofi-Aventis. He has also served on the speakers' bureau of AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly & Co., Novartis, Merck, Sharp & Dohme, Sanofi-Aventis and NovoNordisk.

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Nauck, M., Meier, J. GLP-1 analogues and insulin: sound the wedding bells?. Nat Rev Endocrinol 7, 193–195 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2011.30

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