Managing high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) during pasireotide treatment: A plain language summary of the B2219 study

Pasireotide is a medication used to treat people with acromegaly or Cushing's disease, both of which are hormonal disorders caused by a non-cancerous tumor (adenoma) in the pituitary gland. Because of the way pasireotide works to treat these conditions, sometimes blood sugar levels can increase during treatment, causing a side effect known as hyperglycemia. This is a summary about a study called B2219 (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02060383), which was designed specifically to look at which additional medication(s) work(s) best to reduce blood sugar levels (antihyperglycemic medication) for people who require treatment for hyperglycemia while receiving pasireotide. Researchers found that 4 in every 10 people who took part in the; study did not develop hyperglycemia and therefore did not require antihyperglycemic medication. For those who did, metformin was a good treatment option, followed by incretin-based therapy (sitagliptin and/or liraglutide) if hyperglycemia continued. This study shows that if hyperglycemia occurs during pasireotide treatment, it is manageable in most people. As such, people with acromegaly or Cushing's disease can experience long-term treatment benefits with pasireotide. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT02060383 ( ClinicalTrials.gov ) (B2219 study); 2012-002916-16 (B2219 study)