Toujeo® is now available in Malaysia after being registered with the local Drug Control Authority (DCA). Toujeo® is a once-daily long acting insulin used to improve glycemic control in adults living with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Toujeo® is an improved formulation containing insulin glargine (Lantus®) which works by slow release of small amounts of insulin to provide continuous glucose-lowering activity that lasts beyond 24 hours, if it is taken once a day at the same time daily.
“Sanofi takes great pride of its long heritage in diabetes solutions. The approval of Toujeo® reaffirms our continued commitment to address the challenges faced by people living with diabetes,” said Kelvin Lam, General Manager of Sanofi Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and ASEAN Head of Diabetes. “This will also provide us with an opportunity to continue helping diabetic patients by offering a new treatment option to optimize diabetes control.”
The approval of Toujeo® was based on the results from the EDITION clinical trial program, which is a series of international Phase III studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of Toujeo® in more than 3,500 adults from broad and diverse diabetes populations (Type 1 and Type 2). In the EDITION clinical trial program, the once-daily Toujeo® was compared to that of once-daily Lantus (insulin glargine injection 100 U/mL) in open-label, randomized, active-control and parallel, treat-to-target studies of up to 26 weeks of duration with 6 months safety extension. All studies of the EDITION program successfully met the primary study endpoints by demonstrating comparable blood sugar control with Toujeo® vs Lantus.
“In Malaysia, the control of diabetes is not optimal but the processes of care have improved tremendously and we have seen a gradual increment in the proportion of patients reaching their glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) targets. Over the last 5 years, insulinization rates have increased steadily; in primary care is about 26% and in hospital based care, two thirds of patients are on insulin therapy. Partnership between healthcare professionals and patients is critical with active involvement of both parties in managing the disease and achieving good glycemic control with the availability of many oral and insulin therapeutic options. However, patient empowerment and self-care are crucial in controlling this lifelong progressive disease,” said Dr Zanariah Hussein, President of the Malaysian Endocrine & Metabolic Society.
“One in every five adult Malaysians may potentially be diabetic based on the latest National Health and Morbidity Study published in 2015. For patients who are not achieving glycemic control with oral therapy, a basal insulin may be required when orals alone fail to achieve targets. Toujeo® is a new improved basal insulin formulation that helps patients overcome their barrier to insulin treatment due to hypoglycemia concerns and reach their target A1c levels with improved adherence. Having said that, even with the proven efficacy of insulin, effective titration and maintenance play a key role for achieving targets and both patients and healthcare professionals must work together to support the patient in achieving better disease outcomes,” said Prof Chan Siew Pheng, Senior Consultant Endocrinologist & Visiting Professor.
Toujeo® is available in the Toujeo® SoloSTAR pen device, a disposable prefilled pen which contains 450 units of Toujeo® and requires one third of the injection volume to deliver the same number of insulin units as compared to the Lantus SoloSTAR. The Toujeo® SoloSTAR pen can be used for up to 4 weeks once opened.
