AZ's Farxiga shows strength in largest ever SGLT2 inhibitor cardiovascular outcomes study

AstraZeneca has revealed new data for its sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor Farxiga (dapagliflozin) at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2018 in Chicago, showing that the drug “significantly reduced” hospitalisation or death arising from cardiovascular (CV) conditions in a broad patient population.

The findings were derived from the DECLARE trial, the largest SGLT2 inhibitor CV outcomes study ever conducted, encompassing more than 17,000 participants. In the trial, Farxiga was shown to reduce the risk of CV death composite or hospitalisation as a result of heart failure by 17% compared to placebo. This reduction remained consistent across the entire patient population, including those with existing CV conditions and CV risk factors.

However, the drug’s ability to reduce adverse cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes was not deemed to be statistically significant, with an occurrence rate of 8.8% compared to 9.4% for placebo.

“These positive results are clinically relevant to the 425 million people worldwide living with diabetes, of whom those with T2D have a two-to-five times greater risk of heart failure along with an increased risk of a heart attack or stroke,” explained AstraZeneca’s Elisabeth Björk, Vice President, Head of Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, Global Medicines Development. “Heart failure survival rates are only 50% after five years from diagnosis, which is why these new findings are so important in broadening our understanding of how to go beyond blood glucose so we may better address this serious and often overlooked cardiovascular complication.”

Matt Fellows