The primary objectives of the ORIGIN study were:

• To determine whether insulin glargine-mediated normoglycemia can reduce cardiovascular morbidity and/or mortality in people at high risk for vascular disease with either Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG), Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) or early type 2 diabetes;
• To determine whether omega-3 fatty acids can reduce cardiovascular mortality in people with IFG, IGT or early type 2 diabetes.

The secondary objectives of the insulin glargine study were to determine if insulin glargine-mediated normoglycemia can reduce:

• total mortality (all causes);
• the risk of diabetic microvascular outcomes;
• the rate of progression of IGT or IFG to type 2 diabetes.

The ORIGIN study was conducted by the Population Health Research Institute in Hamilton, Ontario (Canada), working in conjunction with the sponsor, and an independent Steering Committee.

Routine visits were to occur at 2, 4, 8, and 16 weeks following randomization, then every four months for the rest of the study, for all participants

The duration of the study was based on the number of events observed (event-driven study) and was originally planned to be 5 years. In 2008-2009 ORIGIN's follow-up was extended by approximately 2 years, because of published literature of completed studies suggesting that a longer period of effective glycemic contrast between treatments might be needed to see an effect on cardiovascular events.

Inclusion criteria:

I1. Individuals with IFG and/or IGT, or early diabetes, as defined below.

Glucose tolerance status was determined by a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) that was performed fasting (ie, no consumption of food or beverage other than water for at least 8 hours) at the time of screening for all candidates who were not known to have diabetes. The qualifying OGTT could be obtained up to 4 weeks prior to screening provided that anti-diabetic therapy (if any) remained unchanged between the qualifying OGTT and the screening visit. Two plasma glucose values were drawn during the OGTT - a fasting value (FPG) and a value drawn two hours after the 75 g oral glucose load was administered (postprandial plasma glucose [PPG]).

- Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), defined as a PPG value ≥140 and <200 mg/dL (ie, ≥7.8 and <11.1 mmol/L), with a FPG <126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L).

OR

- Impaired fasting glucose (IFG), defined as an FPG ≥110 and <126 mg/dL (≥6.1 and <7 mmol/L), without diabetes mellitus (PPG must be <200 mg/dL [11.1 mmol/L]).

OR

- Early type 2 diabetes, defined as a FPG ≥126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L) or a PPG of ≥200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L), or a previous diagnosis of diabetes, and either:

• on no pharmacological treatment (while ambulatory) for at least 10 weeks prior to screening, with screening glycated hemoglobin <150% of the upper limit of normal (ULN) for the laboratory (eg, <9% if the ULN is 6%)
• or taking one oral antidiabetic drug (OAD) from among sulfonylureas (SU), biguanides, thiazolidinediones (TZDs), alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs), and meglitinides (MGTs) at a stable dose while ambulatory for at least 10 weeks at the time of screening (or for the 10 weeks prior to hospitalization if identified while hospitalized for a CV event), with screening glycated hemoglobin <133% of the ULN for the laboratory (eg, <8% if the ULN is 6%) if taking this medication at half-maximum dose or greater, and glycated hemoglobin <142% of the ULN for the laboratory (eg, <8.5% if the ULN is 6%) if taking this medication at less than half-maximum dose. Individuals taking combination products containing two or more OADs were not eligible.

I2. Men or women aged 50 years and older

I3. At least one of the following CV risk factors:

• previous myocardial infarction (MI) (≥ 5 days prior to randomization)
• previous stroke (≥ 5 days prior to randomization)
• previous coronary, carotid or peripheral arterial revascularization
• angina with documented ischemic changes (at least 2 mm ST segment depression on electrocardiogram during a Graded Exercise Test [GXT]; or with a cardiac imaging study positive for ischemia); or unstable angina with documented ischemic changes (either ST segment depression of at least 1 mm or an increase in troponin above the normal range but below the range diagnostic for acute myocardial infarction)
• microalbuminuria or clinical albuminuria (an albumin: creatinine ratio ≥ 30 μg/mg in at least one or timed collection of urine with albumin excretion ≥20 μg/min or ≥30 mg/24 hours or total protein excretion ≥500 mg/24 hours)
• left ventricular hypertrophy by electrocardiogram or echocardiogram
• significant stenosis on angiography of coronary, carotid, or lower extremity arteries (ie, 50% or more stenosis)
• ankle-brachial index < 0.9.

I4. Provision of signed and dated informed consent prior to any study procedures.

I5. Ability and willingness to complete study diaries and questionnaires.

I6. Demonstrated ability to use the self-glucose-monitoring device, and to self-inject insulin prior to randomization.

I7. A negative pregnancy test for all women of childbearing potential (ie, ovulating, pre- menopausal, and not surgically sterile) and the agreement of these women to use a reliable method of birth control to prevent pregnancy during the duration of the study .

I8. Willingness to discontinue prior omega-3 PUFA supplements for the duration of the study.

Exclusion criteria

E1. Type 1 diabetes.

E2. Requiring ambulatory insulin treatment or uncontrolled or symptomatic hyperglycemia that is likely to require the addition of ambulatory insulin therapy or a new antidiabetic agent either before or within 2 weeks after randomization.

E3. Known anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody (anti-GAD Ab) positivity in the past.

E4. Screening glycated hemoglobin ≥150% of the ULN for the laboratory (eg, ≥9% if the ULN is 6%).

E5. Unwillingness to inject insulin or perform self-monitoring of blood glucose.

E6. Nonadherence to the run-in requirement to inject placebo insulin and do capillary glucose monitoring for at least 4 days prior to randomization.

E7. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) either planned at the time of screening, or CABG within the 4 years prior to screening - however, participants with angina, MI, or stroke since a previous CABG will be eligible for randomization, even if the last CABG was within 4 years.

E8. Serum creatinine >2.0 mg/dL (176 μmol/L) at screening.

E9. Active liver disease, or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) >2.5 times ULN at screening.

E10. Chronic or recurrent treatment with systemic corticosteroids, or niacin treatment for hyperlipidemia.

E11. Heart failure of New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Class III or IV.

E12. Expected survival of <3 years for non-CV causes such as cancer.

E13. Any other factor likely to limit protocol compliance or reporting of adverse events (AEs).

E14. Unwilling or unable to discontinue TZDs.

E15. Simultaneous participation in any other clinical trial of an active pharmacologic agent.

E16. Unwillingness to permit sites to contact their primary physicians to communicate information about the study and the participant's data and treatment assignment.

E17. History of hypersensitivity to the investigational products.

E18. Previous randomization in this study.

E19. A prior heart transplant, or awaiting a heart transplant.

E20. Known infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).