AstraZeneca launches programme to assess the potential benefits of Forxiga (dapagliflozin) for kidney disease and heart failure.

First programme to assess potential cardiovascular and renal benefit of an SGLT-2 beyond diabetes- AstraZeneca announced two new randomised, placebo-controlled Phase IIIb outcome trials with Forxiga (dapagliflozin), an SGLT-2 inhibitor currently indicated for the treatment of type-2 diabetes. These two large outcome trials will help to define the potential role of dapagliflozin in the management of chronic kidney disease and chronic heart failure respectively, in people with and without type-2 diabetes.

This marks the first time a major outcome trial will be conducted to evaluate the effect of an SGLT-2 inhibitor in chronic kidney disease, for which there are currently few treatment options and a significant unmet medical need. AstraZeneca also announced the initiation of a series of new mechanistic trials designed to understand the underlying science behind the potential cardiovascular and renal protective signals seen with the SGLT-2 inhibitor class. These new trials reinforce AstraZeneca�s commitment to Cardiovascular and Metabolic disease (CVMD) as one of its main therapy areas.