Efficacy and Safety of Empagliflozin Versus Sitagliptin in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Inclusion criteria: Inclusion criteria: * Diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus. * Male and female patients on diet and exercise regimen who are: * Treatment-naïve, defined as absence of any oral antidiabetic therapy for 12 weeks prior to randomisation. or * Pre-treated with immediate release metformin unchanged for 10 weeks prior to randomisation. Minimum dose for metformin: \>=1500 mg/day or maximum tolerated dose or maximum dose according to local label. * HbA1c of \>= 7.5 % and \<= 10.5 % at Visit 1 and 3. * Age \>= 18 yrs. Exclusion criteria: * Uncontrolled hyperglycaemia with a glucose level \>270 mg/dL (\>15 mmol/L) after an overnight fast during dose stabilisation (if applicable) and/or placebo run-in. * Any other antidiabetic drug within 12 weeks prior to randomisation (applicable to treatment-naïve patients). * Any other antidiabetic drug within 10 weeks prior to randomisation except metformin (applicable to patients on background treatment with metformin). * Acute coronary syndrome (non-STEMI, STEMI and unstable angina pectoris), stroke or TIA within 3 months prior to informed consent. * Indication of liver disease. * Moderate to severe renal impairment. * Bariatric surgery within the past two years. * Treatment with anti-obesity drugs 3 months prior to informed consent. * Current treatment with systemic steroids at time of informed consent or any other uncontrolled endocrine disorder except type 2 diabetes mellitus.