TECOS – what are the lessons now that the dust has settled? (#370)
TECOS is a large placebo-comparison cardiovascular study of sitagliptin, and the third reported of such studies of DPP-4 inhibitors. Overall the study provided very reassuring data on safety and tolerability. There was no impact of sitagliptin on cardiovascular outcomes, despite an ~0.3% lowr HbA1c in the treatment arm across the 3 years of the study. Important additional data will be examined, including a lack of any Hospitalisation for Heart Failure signal, and effects of the drug on eGFR and pancreatic outcomes. TECOS results will be compared with similar trials of other agents, with overarching conclusions, and open questions, discussed.