NICE approves type 2 diabetes drug dapagliflozin

NICE has issued a Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) for the first-in-class type 2 diabetes drug dapagliflozin (Forxiga).

Currently in the UK, more than one million patients are on either metformin alone or insulin. The FAD recommends dapagliflozin to be used in combination with metformin instead of a sulphonylurea (SU) in certain patients.

These are patients for whom an SU is not tolerated/contraindicated or are at significant risk of hypoglycaemia or its consequences. Furthermore, the addition of dapagliflozin to metformin may be preferable to a thiazolidinedione if further weight gain is a concern.

Dapagliflozin indicated for adults with type 2 diabetes

The NICE recommendation means that adults with type 2 diabetes who are not being managed on metformin alone or insulin will soon have access to this new, cost-effective oral once-daily, first-in-class  treatment.

Professor Clifford Bailey, Professor of Clinical Science at Aston University, UK, said, “Dapagliflozin is a once-daily tablet which is a new way to control blood glucose. It also has weight loss benefits. It works in a novel way by removing excess glucose from the body in the urine. In this way, dapagliflozin removes calories from the body. Dapagliflozin provides a new option for healthcare professionals and patients alike.”