Date: {{$ActivityAssignDate}}

Dear Dr. {{ $doctorName }},

Subject: Assessing Sitagliptin's Perception and Prescription patterns of Physicians In REcently diagnosed T2DM patients (ASPIRE)

101.3 million diabetes patients is the expected prevelance of diabetes in India for 2021. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex disease with progressive nature, due to the loss of β-cell. T2DM is predominantly because of insulin resistance along with diminishing insulin secretion over time. Long term glycemic control plays a vital role in the prevention of complication of diabetes. Along with exercise and diet oral antidiabetic drugs play a key role in the control of glycemia in diabetic patients. This knowledge drives current clinical practice, in which treatment is directed to the attainment of near-normoglycaemia. The American Diabetes association standard of care guidelines 2024 and other guidelines recommend metformin to be considered at treatment initiation.

Metformin is the drug of the first choice for treating T2DM irrespective of age.However, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus and as first line agent whenever metformin is not tolerated or contraindicated. In general, DPP-4 inhibitors cause a clinically meaningful reduction in blood glucose, have a low risk of hypoglycemia and a neutral effect on body weight, while their safety profile is overall favorable. They are also easy to use, requiring no dose titration and can be taken at any time of day regardless of meal times. Furthermore, DPP-4 inhibitors exhibit non-glycemic favorable effects including reductions in systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as improvement in β-cell function.

Sitagliptin is a dipeptidyl-peptidase inhibitor (DPP-4 inhibitor) that has recently been approved for the therapy of type 2 diabetes. Like other DPP-4 inhibitors its action is mediated by increasing levels of the incretin hormones glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP). Sitagliptin is effective in lowering HbA1c, and fasting as well as postprandial glucose in monotherapy and in combination with other oral antidiabetic agents. It stimulates insulin secretion when hyperglycemia is present and inhibits glucagon secretion. In clinical studies it is weight neutral.

The purpose of this survey is to understand the perceptions and practices in Diabetes management and to analyse the perception and prescription trends of SITAGLIPTIN in recently diagnosed and treatment-naïve (new) patients of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM).

If you agree to participate, you will need to provide assessment response, on to the standard questionnaire form. A link will be provided for the same on your registered email address.

We trust you and we are partners in safe and effective drug therapy. In that spirit we hope you will consent to participate in this survey.

If you agree to participate in the said study, we would request you to sign and return the enclosed reply along with your visiting card for accuracy of records.