1668-P: Exit Interviews Examining Patient Experiences with Tirzepatide and Dulaglutide for Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes in the SURPASS-CVOT Trial

Introduction and Objective: Qualitative exit interviews with people who recently completed a clinical trial can provide in-depth insights into their treatment experience and the benefits they perceive as most meaningful. The purpose of this exit interview study was to examine the impact of long-term treatment with dulaglutide and tirzepatide from the perspective of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Methods: Interviews were conducted after completing treatment with either dulaglutide or tirzepatide in the multiyear SURPASS-CVOT clinical trial. Interviews were conducted by telephone or web-based conference according to a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed following a content analysis approach. Results: From 10 of over 120 US sites, 147 people were invited to participate in the exit interviews, and all reachable participants were interviewed (N=74; 63.5% male; mean age = 68.9y), including 31 treated with dulaglutide and 43 treated with tirzepatide. Participants reported positive changes during the trial, such as improved glycemic control (97.3%), weight reduction (91.9%), perceived increased energy (56.8%), reduced appetite (78.4%), improved diet and eating habits (64.9%), and decreased desire for unhealthy food (41.9%). Some noted improvement in conditions other than T2D, including sleep apnea (8.1%) and joint pain/osteoarthritis (18.9%). Nearly all participants said these treatment-related changes were meaningful. Participants described improvements in quality of life and daily activities associated with treatment. Despite adverse events (most commonly nausea [28.4%]), most said they would be very likely (77.0%) or likely (16.2%) to recommend their treatment to others. Conclusion: Results indicate that self-reported treatment benefits were important to people who received long-term treatment with dulaglutide or tirzepatide. Disclosure K.S. Boye: Employee; Current; Lilly. Stock/Shareholder; Current; Lilly. K. Stewart: Other - I am employee of Thermo Fisher Scientific, a company that has received funding from Eli Lilly for time spent on this research.; Current; Thermo Fisher Scientific. L. Matza: Employee; Current; Thermo Fisher Scientific. C. Chinthammit: Employee; Current; Eli Lilly and Company. Stock/Shareholder; Current; Eli Lilly and Company. I. Pavo: Employee; Current; Eli Lilly and Company. Stock/Shareholder; Current; Eli Lilly and Company. A.K. Bartee: Employee; Current; Eli Lilly and Company. Stock/Shareholder; Current; Eli Lilly and Company.