Effect of ipragliflozin on liver function in Japanese type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: a subgroup analysis of the STELLA-LONG TERM study (3-month interim results).

This subgroup analysis of STELLA-LONG TERM, an ongoing 3-year post-marketing surveillance study on the long-term efficacy and safety of ipragliflozin, assessed the effect of ipragliflozin on liver function in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. Patients were divided according to baseline liver function (normal [male: ALT ≤30, female: ALT ≤20], abnormal [male: ALT ≥31, female: ALT ≥21]). We evaluated changes in aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyltransferase (γ-GTP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and fatty liver index (FLI) at 3 months of treatment; the proportion of patients with abnormal liver function whose liver function normalized after 3 months of treatment; and correlations between changes in ALT levels and efficacy variables/laboratory values. Liver function was normal in 2,570 and abnormal in 3,239 patients. Only patients with abnormal liver function showed a statistically/clinically significant decrease in AST, ALT, γ-GTP, and ALP levels at 3 months (all p < 0.05 vs. baseline). The FLI significantly decreased from 63.2677 ± 26.4363 (baseline) to 56.7137 ± 27.6484 (3 months) (p < 0.05) in the overall patient population. Liver function normalized in 20.5% (543/2,648) of patients with abnormal liver function. There was no obvious correlation between changes in ALT and changes in efficacy/laboratory parameters. Liver function improved after 3-month treatment with ipragliflozin in T2DM patients with abnormal liver function.