Effect of Tofogliflozin on Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Results from the Prospective, Randomized, Open-Label, Parallel-Group Comparative UTOPIA Trial

Background: This study aimed to investigate the preventive effects of tofogliflozin, a selective sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, on atherosclerosis progression in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients without apparent cardiovascular disease (CVD) by monitoring carotid intima-media thickness (IMT). Methods: This prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded-endpoint, multicenter, parallel-group, comparative study included 340 subjects with T2DM but no history of apparent CVD recruited at 24 clinical units. Subjects were randomly allocated to either the tofogliflozin treatment group (n=169) or conventional treatment group using drugs other than SGLT2 inhibitors (n=171). Primary outcomes were changes in mean and maximum common carotid IMT measured by echography during a 104-week treatment period. Findings: Although the mean IMT of the common carotid artery (mean-IMT-CCA), along with the right and left maximum IMT of the CCA (max-IMT-CCA), statistically significantly declined in both the tofogliflozin (-0.132 mm, SE 0.007; -0.163 mm, SE 0.013; -0.170 mm, SE 0.020; respectively) and the control group (-0·140 mm, SE 0·006; -0·190 mm, SE 0·012; -0·190 mm, SE 0·020; respectively), no significant difference was observed between the two groups. Relative to the control treatment effects, tofogliflozin statistically significantly reduced the HbA1c, blood glucose level, body weight/body mass index, abdominal circumference, and systolic blood pressure, and statistically significantly increased the HDL-C. Interpretation: A tofogliflozin treatment regimen of 104 weeks was not associated with improved inhibition of carotid wall thickening in T2DM patients without apparent CVD, as compared to the effect of the control treatment. Trial Registration: UMIN000017607. Funding Statement: Kowa Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan. Declaration of Interests: Naoto Katakami is a staff member of the endowed chair established by funds from Kowa Co., Ltd., and has received research funds from MSD, and lecture fees from Astellas Pharma Inc., AstraZeneca K.K., Boehringer Ingelheim, Daiichi Sankyo Inc., Eli Lilly, Kowa Pharmaceutical Co., Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co. Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Co., Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk Pharma, Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Taisho Toyama Pharmaceutical Co., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., and Sanofi-Aventis, and Shionogi & Co. Tomoya Mita has received lecture fees from Astellas Pharma Inc., Daiichi Sankyo Inc., Eli Lilly, Kowa Pharmaceutical Co., Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co. Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Co., Novo Nordisk Pharma, Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and Sanofi-Aventis, scholarship donations from MSD K.K., Astellas Pharma Inc., AstraZeneca K.K., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co. Ltd., Sanofi-Aventis K.K., Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Terumo Corporation, Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Pfizer Japan Inc., Benefit One Health Care Inc., Mochida Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Nitto Boseki Co., Ltd. as well as funds of endowed chair from MSD K.K., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. Toshihiko Shiraiwa has received lecture fees from Sanofi-Aventis K.K. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and research funding from Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Sanofi-Aventis K.K., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, AstraZeneca K.K., Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation. Tetsuyuki Yasuda has received lecture fees from Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd. and Sanofi-Aventis K.K. Yosuke Okada has received lecture fees from Astellas Pharma Inc., MSD K.K., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Bayer Holding Ltd., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., and Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. as well as research funding from Kowa Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation. Hideaki Kaneto has received lecture fees from Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., Sanofi-Aventis K.K., Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., MSD K.K., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, AstraZeneca K.K., Astellas Pharma Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., and Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co.; scholarship donations from Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Sanofi-Aventis K.K., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Astellas Pharma Inc., Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, MSD K.K., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, AstraZeneca K.K., Mochida Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Taisho Toyama Pharmaceutical Co., Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co. Ltd; and research funding from Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co. Takeshi Osonoi has received lecture fees from Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Astellas Pharma Inc., Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., and Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho Co., Ltd.; manuscript fees from Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho Co., Ltd.; and research funding from Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Astellas Pharma Inc., Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited, Bayer Holding Ltd., Kowa Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., and AbbVie Inc. Nobuichi Kuribayashi has received lecture fees from Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sanofi-Aventis K.K., Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., MSD K.K., and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation. Satoru Sumitani has received lecture fees from Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd. Yasunori Sato has received lecture fees from Mochida Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Hirotaka Watada has received lecture fees from Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma CO., Ltd., Bayer Yakuhin, Ltd. Sanofi-Aventis K.K., MSD K.K., Astellas Pharma Inc., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Co., AstraZeneca K.K., Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho Co., Ltd., Kowa Co., Ltd., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., Daiichi Sankyo Company, Ltd, Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co. Ltd., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and research support from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., MSD K.K., Astellas Pharma Inc., Bayer Yakuhin, Ltd. Teijin Pharma Ltd., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co. Ltd., Kowa Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Sanofi-Aventis K.K., Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho Co., Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo Company, Ltd, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Taisho Toyama Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Pfizer Japan Inc., Shionogi & Co., Ltd. Yakult, and Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Iichiro Shimomura has received lecture fees from Astellas Pharma Inc., AstraZeneca K.K., MSD K.K., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd., Kowa Company, Ltd., Sanofi K.K., Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho Co., Daiichi Sankyo Co., Takeda Pharma K.K., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Co., Teijin Pharma, Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Novartis Pharma K.K., Novo Nordisk Pharma, Mochida Pharmaceutical Co., Taisho Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Nippon Chemiphar Co., Ltd., Covidien Japan Inc., Amgen Astellas Biopharma K.K., KOBAYASHI Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; and research funds from Astellas Pharma Inc., MSD K.K, Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Kaken Pharmaceutical Co., Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd., Sanofi K.K., Shionogi & Co., Daiichi Sankyo Co., Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Takeda Pharma K.K., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Co., Teijin Pharma, Novartis Pharma K.K., Novo Nordisk Pharma, Eli Lilly Japan K.K, Kowa Company, Ltd.; and consulting fees from AstraZeneca K.K., MSD K.K., Taisho Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Novo Nordisk Pharma, Lotte Co., Ltd. Hidenori Yoshii, Yutaka Umayahara, Tsunehiko Yamamoto, Kazuhisa Maeda, Hiroki Yokoyama, Keisuke Kosugi, Kentaro Ohtoshi, Isao Hayashi, Mamiko Tsugawa, Kayoko Ryomoto, Hideki Taki, Tadashi Nakamura, and Satoshi Kawashima declare that they have no conflict of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1964, as revised in 2013. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.