Efficacy and Safety of Ertugliflozin (MK-8835/PF-04971729) With Sitagliptin in the Treatment of Participants With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) With Inadequate Glycemic Control on Diet and Exercise (MK-8835-017)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02226003 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : August 26, 2014
Results First Posted : April 7, 2017
Last Update Posted : September 13, 2018
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus | Drug: Ertugliflozin Drug: Sitagliptin Drug: Placebo to Ertugliflozin Drug: Placebo to Sitagliptin Drug: Glimepiride | Phase 3 |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 291 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | Double (Participant, Investigator) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | A Phase III, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group, Multicenter Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of the Initial Combination of Ertugliflozin (MK-8835/PF-04971729) With Sitagliptin in the Treatment of Subjects With T2DM With Inadequate Glycemic Control on Diet and Exercise |
Actual Study Start Date : | September 23, 2014 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | February 23, 2016 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | February 23, 2016 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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Experimental: Ertugliflozin 5 mg and Sitagliptin 100 mg
Ertugliflozin, 5 mg, administered orally, once daily for 26 weeks. Sitagliptin, 100 mg, administered orally, once daily for 26 weeks. Placebo to ertugliflozin, 10 mg, administered orally, once daily for 26 weeks.
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Drug: Ertugliflozin
Ertugliflozin, 5 mg or 15 mg, administered orally, once daily for 26 weeks. Drug: Sitagliptin Sitagliptin, 100 mg, administered orally, once daily for 26 weeks. Drug: Placebo to Ertugliflozin Matching placebo to ertugliflozin administered orally, once daily for 26 weeks. Drug: Glimepiride Open-label glimepiride rescue therapy will be initiated at 1 or 2 mg/day and may be titrated to the maximum labeled dose or maximum tolerated dose (if lower than labeled dose), as considered appropriate by the investigator, based on blood glucose measurements and in accordance with the local, approved label. |
Experimental: Ertugliflozin 15 mg and Sitagliptin 100 mg
Ertugliflozin, 15 mg, administered orally, once daily for 26 weeks. Sitagliptin, 100 mg, administered orally, once daily for 26 weeks.
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Drug: Ertugliflozin
Ertugliflozin, 5 mg or 15 mg, administered orally, once daily for 26 weeks. Drug: Sitagliptin Sitagliptin, 100 mg, administered orally, once daily for 26 weeks. Drug: Glimepiride Open-label glimepiride rescue therapy will be initiated at 1 or 2 mg/day and may be titrated to the maximum labeled dose or maximum tolerated dose (if lower than labeled dose), as considered appropriate by the investigator, based on blood glucose measurements and in accordance with the local, approved label. |
Placebo Comparator: Placebo to Ertugliflozin and Placebo to Sitagliptin
Placebo to ertugliflozin, 5 mg and 10 mg, administered orally, once daily for 26 weeks. Placebo to sitagliptin, 100 mg, administered orally, once daily for 26 weeks.
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Drug: Placebo to Ertugliflozin
Matching placebo to ertugliflozin administered orally, once daily for 26 weeks. Drug: Placebo to Sitagliptin Matching placebo to sitagliptin administered orally, once daily for 26 weeks. Drug: Glimepiride Open-label glimepiride rescue therapy will be initiated at 1 or 2 mg/day and may be titrated to the maximum labeled dose or maximum tolerated dose (if lower than labeled dose), as considered appropriate by the investigator, based on blood glucose measurements and in accordance with the local, approved label. |
- Change From Baseline in Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) at Week 26 - Full Analysis Set (FAS Population Excluding Rescue Approach [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 26 ]HbA1C is blood marker used to report average blood glucose levels over prolonged periods of time and is reported as a percentage (%). HbA1C represents the percentage of glycated hemoglobin. A negative number indicates a reduction in HbA1C level. Excluding rescue approach excludes all data following the initiation of rescue, in order to avoid the confounding influence of the rescue therapy with open-label glimepiride.
- Percentage of Participants Who Experienced an Adverse Event (AE) - All Participants as Treated Excluding Rescue Approach [ Time Frame: Up to Week 28 ]An adverse event (AE) is defined as any unfavorable and unintended sign including an abnormal laboratory finding, symptom or disease associated with the use of a medical treatment or procedure, regardless of whether it is considered related to the medical treatment or procedure, that occurs during the course of the study. Excluding rescue approach excludes all data following the initiation of rescue, in order to avoid the confounding influence of the rescue therapy with open-label glimepiride.
- Percentage of Participants Who Discontinued Study Medication Due to an AE - All Participants as Treated Excluding Rescue Approach [ Time Frame: Up to Week 26 ]An AE is defined as any unfavorable and unintended sign including an abnormal laboratory finding, symptom or disease associated with the use of a medical treatment or procedure, regardless of whether it is considered related to the medical treatment or procedure, that occurs during the course of the study. Excluding rescue approach excludes all data following the initiation of rescue, in order to avoid the confounding influence of the rescue therapy with open-label glimepiride.
- Change From Baseline in Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) at Week 26 - Full Analysis Set Excluding Rescue Approach [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 26 ]Blood glucose was measured after a ≥10 hour fast. Blood was drawn at predose on Day 1 and after 26 weeks of treatment to determine change in plasma glucose levels (i.e., FPG at Week 26 minus FPG at baseline). Excluding rescue approach excludes all data following the initiation of rescue, in order to avoid the confounding influence of the rescue therapy with open-label glimepiride.
- Change From Baseline in 2-hour Post-Meal Glucose (PMG) at Week 26 - Full Analysis Set Excluding Rescue Approach [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 26 ]Change from baseline at Week 26 is defined as 2-hour PMG at Week 26 minus 2-hour PMG at Week 0. Two-hour post-meal glucose was measured following a standard meal. Excluding rescue approach excludes all data following the initiation of rescue, in order to avoid the confounding influence of the rescue therapy with open-label glimepiride.
- Percentage of Participants With HbA1C <7% (<53 mmol/Mol) at Week 26 [ Time Frame: Week 26 ]HbA1C is blood marker used to report average blood glucose levels over prolonged periods of time and is reported as a percentage (%). HbA1c represents the percentage of glycated hemoglobin.
- Change From Baseline in Body Weight at Week 26 - Full Analysis Set Excluding Rescue Approach [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 26 ]Body weight was measured using a standardized, digital scale at each of the pre-defined nominal time points. Weight was taken in duplicate throughout the trial at approximately the same time of day, after voiding (i.e., forced void) and while wearing only a gown and underwear. Excluding rescue approach excludes all data following the initiation of rescue, in order to avoid the confounding influence of the rescue therapy with open-label glimepiride.
- Change From Baseline in Sitting Systolic Blood Pressure at Week 26 - Full Analysis Set Excluding Rescue Approach [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 26 ]Blood pressure measurements were taken after at least 5 minutes of rest. Three measurements were taken approximately 2 minutes apart with the triplicate set recorded. Excluding rescue approach excludes all data following the initiation of rescue, in order to avoid the confounding influence of the rescue therapy with open-label glimepiride.
- Change From Baseline in Sitting Diastolic Blood Pressure at Week 26 - Full Analysis Set Excluding Rescue Approach [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 26 ]Blood pressure measurements were taken after at least 5 minutes of rest. Three measurements were taken approximately 2 minutes apart with the triplicate set recorded. Excluding rescue approach excludes all data following the initiation of rescue, in order to avoid the confounding influence of the rescue therapy with open-label glimepiride.

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus as per American Diabetes Association guidelines
- Not on antihyperglycemic agent (AHA) >=8 weeks with a Visit 1/Screening HbA1C >=8.0% and <=10.5% (>=64 mmol/mol and <=91 mmol/mol) OR on single allowable AHA (allowable AHAs prior to screening are: metformin, α-glucosidase inhibitors, sulfonylureas and glinides) with a Visit 1/Screening HbA1C >=7.5% and <=10.0% (>=58 mmol/mol and <=86 mmol/mol) OR on low-dose dual combination therapy (≤50% of maximum labeled dose of an AHA) with allowable AHAs with a Visit 1/Screening HbA1C >=7.5% and <=10.0% (>=58 mmol/mol and <=86 mmol/mol)
- Body mass index (BMI) >=18.0 kg/m^2
- Male or female not of reproductive potential
- Female of reproductive potential who agrees to (or have their partner agree to) remain abstinent from heterosexual activity or to use 2 acceptable combinations of contraception.
Exclusion Criteria:
- History of type 1 diabetes mellitus or diabetic ketoacidosis
- History of other specific types of diabetes (e.g., genetic syndromes, secondary pancreatic diabetes, diabetes due to endocrinopathies, drug- or chemical-induced, and post-organ transplant
- A known hypersensitivity or intolerance to any sodium glucose co-transporter (SGLT2) inhibitor or sitagliptin
- Has been treated with any of the following agents within 12 weeks of study start or during the pre-randomization period: insulin of any type (except for short-term use [i.e., <=7 days] during concomitant illness or other stress), other injectable anti-hyperglycemic agents (e.g., pramlintide, exenatide, liraglutide), pioglitazone or rosiglitazone, other sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 inhibitors (DPP-4 inhibitors), bromocriptine (Cycloset™), colesevelam (Welchol™), any other AHA with the exception of the protocol-approved agents
- Is on a weight-loss program or weight-loss medication or other medication associated with weight changes and is not weight stable prior to study start
- Has undergone bariatric surgery within the past 12 months or >12 months and is not weight stable prior to study start
- A history of myocardial infarction, unstable angina, arterial revascularization, stroke, transient ischemic attack, or New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional Class III-IV heart failure within 3 months of study start
- Active, obstructive uropathy or indwelling urinary catheter
- History of malignancy <=5 years prior to study start, except for adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or in situ cervical cancer
- A known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
- A blood dyscrasia or any disorder causing hemolysis or unstable red blood cells, or a clinically important hematological disorder (e.g. aplastic anemia, myeloproliferative or myelodysplastic syndromes, thrombocytopenia)
- A medical history of active liver disease (other than non-alcoholic hepatic steatosis), including chronic active hepatitis B or C, primary biliary cirrhosis, or symptomatic gallbladder disease
- Any clinically significant malabsorption condition
- Current treatment for hyperthyroidism
- On thyroid replacement therapy and not on a stable dose for at least 6 weeks prior study start
- On a previous clinical study with ertugliflozin
- Participated in other studies involving investigational drug(s) 30 days prior to study start
- Surgical procedure within 6 weeks prior to study start or major surgery planned during the trial
- Positive urine pregnancy test
- Pregnant or breast-feeding, or planning to conceive during the trial, including 14 days following the last dose of study medication
- Planning to undergo hormonal therapy in preparation for egg donation during the trial, including 14 days following the last dose of study medication
- Routinely consumes >2 alcoholic drinks per day or >14 alcoholic drinks per week or engages in binge drinking
- Donated blood or blood products within 6 weeks of study start.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT02226003
Study Director: | Medical Director | Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC |
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
Responsible Party: | Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT02226003 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
8835-017 2014-001049-25 ( EudraCT Number ) B1521047 ( Other Identifier: Pfizer Protocol Number ) |
First Posted: | August 26, 2014 Key Record Dates |
Results First Posted: | April 7, 2017 |
Last Update Posted: | September 13, 2018 |
Last Verified: | August 2018 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | Yes |
Plan Description: | https://www.merck.com/clinical-trials/pdf/ProcedureAccessClinicalTrialData.pdf |
URL: | http://engagezone.msd.com/ds_documentation.php |
Diabetes Mellitus Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 Glucose Metabolism Disorders Metabolic Diseases Endocrine System Diseases Sitagliptin Phosphate Glimepiride Ertugliflozin Hypoglycemic Agents Physiological Effects of Drugs Incretins |
Hormones Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors Protease Inhibitors Enzyme Inhibitors Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action Anti-Arrhythmia Agents Immunosuppressive Agents Immunologic Factors Sodium-Glucose Transporter 2 Inhibitors |