Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Velagliflozin oral solution controls diabetes in cats without insulin
By Ellen N. Behrend et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2024·View original on Semantic Scholar →
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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 on insulin, were treated with a daily oral medication called velagliflozin. After starting the treatment, their blood sugar levels significantly improved over six months, with many cats showing better overall health and 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 experienced a condition called ketoacidosis, it was less common in those who had just been diagnosed. Overall, velagliflozin proved to be an effective alternative to insulin for managing diabetes in 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 Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/39142336