Farxiga approved in the US for the treatment of chronic kidney disease in patients at risk of progression with and without type-2 diabetes.- AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca’s Farxiga (dapagliflozin), a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, has been approved in the US to reduce the risk of sustained estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline, end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), cardiovascular (CV) death and hospitalisation for heart failure (hHF) in adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) at risk of progression.The approval by the FDA was based on positive results from the DAPA-CKD Phase III trial. The decision follows the Priority Review designation granted by the FDA earlier this year. CKD, a condition defined by decreased kidney function, is often associated with a heightened risk of heart disease or stroke, or the need for dialysis or kidney transplant. CKD is expected to become the fifth leading cause of mortality globally by 2040. Currently in the US, 37 million people are estimated to have CKD. The co-chair of the DAPA-CKD trial and its executive committee, Prof. Hiddo L. Heerspink, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands, said: “Based on the unprecedented results of the DAPA-CKD trial, dapagliflozin is now the first SGLT2 inhibitor approved for the treatment of chronic kidney disease regardless of diabetes status. This transformational milestone provides patients and physicians with a new and effective treatment option for this often debilitating and life-threatening disease.”