A new treatment option for some people with type 2 diabetes has been recommended in a recent Final Appraisal Determination published by NICE. The guidance states that dapaglifozin, which is manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca under the brand name Forxiga®, could be used as dual therapy together with the glucose-lowering agent metformin or in combination with insulin.
Dapaglifozin belongs to the sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor class, which work by preventing the re-absorption of glucose by the kidneys and thus increasing glucose elimination in the urine. Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca have estimated that more than 1 million people with diabetes could potentially benefit from this therapy in the UK.
Professor Carole Longson, Health Technology Evaluation Centre Director at NICE, said: “We are pleased to recommend dapagliflozin for some people with type 2 diabetes. It is a serious problem in the UK and dapagliflozin provides another treatment option for some people with this condition.”
