What the trial was testing
The BETWEEN enrolled 31 patients with type 1 diabetes. The study was sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was initial testing (phase 2). Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
The two-drug combination lowered kidney filtration by 8 points, suggesting reduced strain on the kidneys.
Circulation · 2022 · NCT02632747
These findings — that a sign the kidneys were under less strain with the two-drug combo — were published in the Circulation and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 31 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with type 1 diabetes, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
If you have type 1 diabetes, this combination may help protect your kidneys from long-term damage. Both drugs are FDA-approved, though typically used separately. The kidney changes seen here are considered protective, not harmful. Talk to your doctor about whether this combination makes sense for you, especially if you have early signs of kidney stress.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open type 1 diabetes trials
The Effect of Glycemic Control and of GLP-1 Receptor Agonism on Islet GLP-1 in People With Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
The investigators recently demonstrated that blockade of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1's (GLP-1) receptor (GLP1R) results in changes in islet function without changes in circulating GLP-1. These effects are more pronounced in people with early type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in keeping with increased expression of PC-1/3 and GLP-1 that is observed in diabetic islets. However, its regulation is at present unknown. There is evidence that α-cell proglucagon processing is subject to paracrine regulation by the β-cell3. It is unclear if the effects of GLP1R agonism on islet GLP-1 differ in Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) compared to T2DM. This experiment will examine the effect of glycemic control ± a GLP1R agonist on islet GLP-1 in people with (T2DM) and without (T1DM) β-cells.
Type 1 Diabetes and Obstructive Sleep Apnea
The purpose of the study is to investigate the role of sleep apnea in glycemic dysregulation in adults with Type 1 diabetes.