Diabetes Study of Linagliptin and Empagliflozin in Children and Adolescents (DINAMO)TM

The purpose of this research study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an empagliflozin dosing regimen and one dose of linagliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes who are aged 10 to below 18 years and are currently taking metformin, insulin or both drugs (DINAMO TM) or who are treatment naïve or not on active treatment after metformin withdrawal (DINAMO TM MONO) . Empagliflozin and linagliptin are both approved for use in adult patients with type 2 diabetes. This study will assess how well empagliflozin and linagliptin work by finding out how these treatments affect blood glucose (sugar) levels compared to placebo (a pill that contains no active drug), in children and adolescents. Empagliflozin and linagliptin are considered investigational products in this study since while they have been approved for use in adults, they have not been approved for children and adolescents due to lack of clinical studies in this specific population. Patients with type 2 diabetes have higher levels of blood glucose (sugar) than patients who do not have this disease. The high level of sugar in the blood can lead to serious short-term and long-term medical problems. The main goal of treating diabetic patients is to lower blood glucose to a normal level. Lowering and controlling blood glucose help prevent or delay complications of diabetes such as heart disease, kidney, eye and nerve diseases, and the possibility of amputation. Empagliflozin is a drug that helps to reduce blood glucose (sugar) levels by causing glucose to be excreted in the urines. Linagliptin works by increasing the production of insulin (a hormone that controls the level of blood glucose) after meals when blood glucose (sugar) levels are too high. This helps to lower blood sugar levels. The subject will either receive one of the active study drugs or a placebo. This study will be double blind; this means that neither the subject, nor the study doctor will know which treatment the subject will receive. Which treatment the subject receives is decided by a computer, purely by chance; this is called a "random assignment". For this study, there will first be a screening visit, followed by a 2-week placebo run-in period (all subjects will take placebo once daily). This run-in period is designed to ensure subjects are able to take the study drugs as described in the study protocol. Thereafter there will be a 26-week treatment phase (week 1-week 26) and a 26-week safety extension period (week 27-week 52). Following this there will be a follow-up visit at week 55. On Day 1 after the placebo run-in phase, the subject will be randomly assigned to receive one of the 3 treatments: empagliflozin 10 mg, linagliptin 5 mg or placebo in a blinded manner. This treatment will continue up to week 14. Then after week 14, the subject will be assigned to receive one of the following 4 treatments: empagliflozin 10 mg, empagliflozin 25 mg, linagliptin 5 mg or placebo in a blinded manner. The drugs assigned after week 14 will be the same drugs as on Day 1 but some subjects will receive a higher dose of empagliflozin. After the completion of the 26-week treatment period, the subject will enter a 26-week safety extension period. The same active treatment that the subject had been assigned to at week 14 visit will be continued. Subjects assigned to placebo on Day 1 will be randomly assigned to receive one of the 3 active treatments: empagliflozin 10 mg, empagliflozin 25 mg or linagliptin 5 mg in a blinded manner. This safety extension period is primarily designed to provide additional information on how well empagliflozin and linagliptin are tolerated. Following the treatment phases, there will be a follow-up visit at week 55 Intervention model description: Eligible subjects with HbA1c of 6.5% to 10.5% at screening will be randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive empagliflozin 10 mg, linagliptin 5 mg or placebo. HbA1c assessment will be performed at Week 12. All subjects with Week 12 HbA1c \< 7% will remain on previously assigned randomized treatment. Subjects taking empagliflozin with Week 12 HbA1c \>= 7% will be re-randomized in a 1:1 ratio to continue on the low dose treatment (empagliflozin 10 mg) or up-titrate to the high dose treatment (empagliflozin 25 mg). Subjects taking linagliptin or placebo with Week 12 HbA1c \>= 7% will remain on previously assigned treatment. All subjects will get new medication kits dispensed at Week 14 to maintain the blinding. At Week 26, all subjects previously assigned to placebo will be re-randomized in a 1:1:1: ratio to receive one of the active treatments: empagliflozin 10 mg, empagliflozin 25 mg or linagliptin 5 mg. All subjects will get new medication kits dispensed at Week 14 to maintain the blinding.