Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Velagliflozin oral treatment controls diabetes in cats
By Behrend, Ellen N et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2024·1Veterinary Information Network·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Velagliflozin, a once-daily, liquid, oral SGLT2 inhibitor, is effective as a stand-alone therapy for feline diabetes mellitus: the SENSATION study.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 252 cats with diabetes, including both newly diagnosed and those previously treated with insulin, were given a daily oral medication called velagliflozin. Over six months, their blood sugar levels significantly improved, dropping from an average of 436 mg/dL to 125 mg/dL, and many showed reduced symptoms like excessive thirst and urination. By the end of the study, 81% of the cats had blood sugar levels within the normal range. While some cats developed ketones in their urine, serious complications like ketoacidosis were less common in newly diagnosed cats compared to those on insulin. Overall, velagliflozin proved to be an effective alternative treatment for diabetic cats.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate safety and effectiveness of velagliflozin oral solution as sole therapy in naïve and previously insulin-treated diabetic cats. ANIMALS: 252 client-owned cats receiving ≥ 2 doses of velagliflozin; 214 (85%) naïve diabetics and 38 (15%) insulin-treated diabetics. PROCEDURES: Prospective, baseline-controlled, open-label clinical field trial. Cats received velagliflozin orally, once daily. Physical examinations and blood collections were performed days 0, 3, 7, 30, 60, 120, and 180. RESULTS: Data are median (range). Screening blood glucose (BG) was 436 mg/dL (272 to 676 mg/dL). On days 30, 60, 120, and 180, single BG after receiving velagliflozin was 153 mg/dL (62 to 480 mg/dL), 134 mg/dL (64 to 414 mg/dL), 128 mg/dL (55 to 461 mg/dL), and 125 mg/dL (77 to 384 mg/dL), respectively. Screening fructosamine was 538 µmol/L (375 to 794 µmol/L). On the same recheck days, fructosamine was 310 µmol/L (204 to 609 µmol/L), 286 µmol/L (175 to 531 µmol/L), 269 µmol/L (189 to 575 µmol/L), and 263 µmol/L (203 to 620 µmol/L). At day 180, 81% of 158 cats remaining had BG and/or fructosamine within reference ranges; 88.6% (124 of 140) and 87.7% (121 of 138) showed improvement in polyuria and polydipsia, respectively. Ketonuria developed in 35 cats (13.9%), including 18 (7.1%) that had ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis was less common in naïve diabetic cats (11 of 214 [5.1%]) compared to insulin-treated diabetic cats (7 of 38 [18.4%]). At ketoacidosis diagnosis, 14 of 18 cats (77.8%) were euglycemic (ie, BG < 250 mg/dL). Most episodes of ketosis or ketoacidosis (30 of 35 [85.7%]) occurred within the first 14 days of treatment. Insulin-treated diabetic cats were less likely to complete the trial. No clinical hypoglycemia occurred. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Velagliflozin improved glycemic parameters and clinical signs in diabetic cats. Velagliflozin provides an alternative to insulin as a stand-alone treatment of diabetic cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39142336/