Michaela Mattheus

Empagliflozin, Cardiovascular Outcomes, and Mortality in Type 2 Diabetes

BACKGROUND The effects of empagliflozin, an inhibitor of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2, in addition to standard care, on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk are not known. METHODS We randomly assigned patients to receive 10 mg or 25 mg of empagliflozin or placebo once daily. The primary composite outcome was death from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke, as analyzed in the pooled empagliflozin group versus the placebo group. The key secondary composite outcome was the primary outcome plus hospitalization for unstable angina. RESULTS A total of 7020 patients were treated (median observation time, 3.1 years). The primary outcome occurred in 490 of 4687 patients (10.5%) in the pooled empagliflozin group and in 282 of 2333 patients (12.1%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio in the empagliflozin group, 0.86; 95.02% confidence interval, 0.74 to 0.99; P=0.04 for superiority). There were no significant between-group differences in the rates of myocardial infarction or stroke, but in the empagliflozin group there were significantly lower rates of death from cardiovascular causes (3.7%, vs. 5.9% in the placebo group; 38% relative risk reduction), hospitalization for heart failure (2.7% and 4.1%, respectively; 35% relative risk reduction), and death from any cause (5.7% and 8.3%, respectively; 32% relative risk reduction). There was no significant between-group difference in the key secondary outcome (P=0.08 for superiority). Among patients receiving empagliflozin, there was an increased rate of genital infection but no increase in other adverse events. CONCLUSIONS Patients with type 2 diabetes at high risk for cardiovascular events who received empagliflozin, as compared with placebo, had a lower rate of the primary composite cardiovascular outcome and of death from any cause when the study drug was added to standard care. (Funded by Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly; EMPA-REG OUTCOME ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01131676.).

Empagliflozin and Progression of Kidney Disease in Type 2 Diabetes

BACKGROUND Diabetes confers an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular and renal events. In the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial, empagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes at high risk for cardiovascular events. We wanted to determine the long-term renal effects of empagliflozin, an analysis that was a prespecified component of the secondary microvascular outcome of that trial. METHODS We randomly assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and an estimated glomerular filtration rate of at least 30 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) of body-surface area to receive either empagliflozin (at a dose of 10 mg or 25 mg) or placebo once daily. Prespecified renal outcomes included incident or worsening nephropathy (progression to macroalbuminuria, doubling of the serum creatinine level, initiation of renal-replacement therapy, or death from renal disease) and incident albuminuria. RESULTS Incident or worsening nephropathy occurred in 525 of 4124 patients (12.7%) in the empagliflozin group and in 388 of 2061 (18.8%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio in the empagliflozin group, 0.61; 95% confidence interval, 0.53 to 0.70; P<0.001). Doubling of the serum creatinine level occurred in 70 of 4645 patients (1.5%) in the empagliflozin group and in 60 of 2323 (2.6%) in the placebo group, a significant relative risk reduction of 44%. Renal-replacement therapy was initiated in 13 of 4687 patients (0.3%) in the empagliflozin group and in 14 of 2333 patients (0.6%) in the placebo group, representing a 55% lower relative risk in the empagliflozin group. There was no significant between-group difference in the rate of incident albuminuria. The adverse-event profile of empagliflozin in patients with impaired kidney function at baseline was similar to that reported in the overall trial population. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk, empagliflozin was associated with slower progression of kidney disease and lower rates of clinically relevant renal events than was placebo when added to standard care. (Funded by the Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company Diabetes Alliance; EMPA-REG OUTCOME ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01131676.).

Design and baseline characteristics of the CARdiovascular Outcome Trial of LINAgliptin Versus Glimepiride in Type 2 Diabetes (CAROLINA

CARdiovascular Outcome Trial of LINAgliptin Versus Glimepiride in Type 2 Diabetes (NCT01243424) is an ongoing, randomized trial in subjects with early type 2 diabetes and increased cardiovascular risk or established complications that will determine the long-term cardiovascular impact of linagliptin versus the sulphonylurea glimepiride. Eligible patients were sulphonylurea-naïve with HbA1c 6.5%–8.5% or previously exposed to sulphonylurea (in monotherapy or in a combination regimen <5 years) with HbA1c 6.5%–7.5%. Primary outcome is time to first occurrence of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke or hospitalization for unstable angina. A total of 631 patients with primary outcome events will be required to provide 91% power to demonstrate non-inferiority in cardiovascular safety by comparing the upper limit of the two-sided 95% confidence interval as being below 1.3 for a given hazard ratio. Hierarchical testing for superiority will follow, and the trial has 80% power to demonstrate a 20% relative cardiovascular risk reduction. A total of 6041 patients were treated with median type 2 diabetes duration 6.2 years, 40.0% female, mean HbA1c 7.2%, 66% on 1 and 24% on 2 glucose-lowering agents and 34.5% had previous cardiovascular complications. The results of CARdiovascular Outcome Trial of LINAgliptin Versus Glimepiride in Type 2 Diabetes may influence the decision-making process for selecting a second glucose-lowering agent after metformin in type 2 diabetes.

Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and safety of empagliflozin, a sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, in subjects with renal impairment

Empagliflozin is a selective sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor that inhibits renal glucose reabsorption and is being investigated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

A randomized, open-label, crossover study to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of empagliflozin and linagliptin after coadministration in healthy male volunteers.

BACKGROUND Empagliflozin is an oral, potent, and selective inhibitor of sodium glucose cotransporter 2, inhibition of which reduces renal glucose reabsorption and results in increased urinary glucose excretion. Linagliptin is an oral inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Canada. Due to their complementary modes of action, there is a good rationale to combine empagliflozin with linagliptin to improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. OBJECTIVE This study was conducted to investigate the pharmacokinetics of empagliflozin and linagliptin after coadministration in healthy volunteers. METHODS This was an open-label, randomized, multiple-dose, crossover study with 3 treatments in 2 treatment sequences. Sixteen healthy male subjects received treatment A (empagliflozin 50 mg once daily [QD] for 5 days), treatment B (empagliflozin 50 mg QD and linagliptin 5 mg QD for 7 days), and treatment C (linagliptin 5 mg QD for 7 days) in sequence AB then C, or sequence C then AB. RESULTS Sixteen healthy male subjects aged between 18 and 50 years with a body mass index of 18.5 to 29.9 kg/m(2) were included in the study. Linagliptin total exposure (AUC over a uniform dosing interval τ at steady state geometric mean ratio [GMR], 1.03 [90% CI, 0.96-1.11]) and peak exposure (C(max) at steady state GMR, 1.01 [90% CI, 0.87-1.19) exposure was unaffected by coadministration of empagliflozin. Empagliflozin total exposure (AUC over a uniform dosing interval τ at steady state GMR, 1.02 [90% CI, 0.97-1.07]) was unaffected by coadministration of linagliptin. There was a reduction in empagliflozin peak exposure (C(max) at steady state GMR, 0.88 [90% CI, 0.79-0.99]) when linagliptin was coadministered that was not considered clinically meaningful. No adverse events were reported during the coadministration period. No hypoglycemia was reported. Empagliflozin and linagliptin were well tolerated. CONCLUSION These data support the coadministration of empagliflozin and linagliptin without dose adjustments. European Union Drug Regulating Authorities Clinical Trials Registration: EudraCT 2008-006089-27.

Pharmacokinetics of empagliflozin, a sodium glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor, coadministered with sitagliptin in healthy volunteers.

IntroductionThis randomized, open-label, crossover study investigated potential drug-drug interactions between the sodium glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor empagliflozin and the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor sitagliptin. Empagliflozin is a potent and selective SGLT-2 inhibitor that lowers blood glucose levels by inhibiting renal glucose reabsorption, leading to an increase in urinary glucose excretion. Sitagliptin lowers blood glucose through an insulin-dependent mechanism of action.MethodsSixteen healthy male volunteers received three treatments (A, B, C) in one of two treatment sequences (AB then C, or C then AB). In treatment AB, 50 mg empagliflozin was administered once daily (q.d.) for 5 days (treatment A), immediately followed by coadministration of 50 mg empagliflozin q.d. and 100 mg sitagliptin q.d. over 5 days (treatment B). In treatment C, 100 mg sitagliptin was administered q.d. for 5 days. A washout period of ≥7 days separated treatments AB and C.ResultsCoadministration of sitagliptin with empagliflozin did not have a clinically relevant effect on the area under the concentration-time curve of the analyte in plasma at steady state over a uniform dosing interval τ (AUCτ,ss) (geometric mean ratio [GMR] 110.4; 90% confidence interval [CI] 103.9, 117.3) or maximum measured concentration of the analyte in plasma at steady state over a uniform dosing interval τ (Cmax,ss) (GMR 107.6; 90% CI 97.0, 119.4) of empagliflozin. Coadministration of empagliflozin with sitagliptin did not have a clinically meaningful effect on the AUCτ,ss (GMR 103.1; 90% CI 98.9, 107.3) or Cmax,ss (GMR 108.5; 90% CI 100.7, 116.9) of sitagliptin. Empagliflozin and sitagliptin were well tolerated when given alone or in combination. Five subjects (31.3%) reported at least one adverse event (AE): three (18.8%) experienced an AE while receiving empagliflozin monotherapy and three (18.8%) while receiving sitagliptin monotherapy. No adverse events were reported during the coadministration period. No AEs were regarded as drug-related by the investigator.ConclusionThese results indicate that empagliflozin and sitagliptin can be coadministered without dose adjustments.

Empagliflozin and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Established Cardiovascular Disease, and Chronic Kidney Disease

Background: Empagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, reduced cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and established cardiovascular disease in the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial (Empagliflozin Cardiovascular Outcome Event Trial in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients). Urinary glucose excretion with empagliflozin decreases with declining renal function, resulting in less potency for glucose lowering in patients with kidney disease. We investigated the effects of empagliflozin on clinical outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, established cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease. Methods: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, established cardiovascular disease, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥30 mL·min−1·1.73 m−2 at screening were randomized to receive empagliflozin 10 mg, empagliflozin 25 mg, or placebo once daily in addition to standard of care. We analyzed cardiovascular death, hospitalization for heart failure, all-cause hospitalization, and all-cause mortality in patients with prevalent kidney disease (defined as eGFR <60 mL·min−1·1.73 m−2 and/or urine albumin-creatinine ratio >300 mg/g) at baseline. Additional analyses were performed in subgroups by baseline eGFR (<45, 45–<60, 60–<90, ≥90 mL·min−1·1.73 m−2) and baseline urine albumin-creatinine ratio (>300, 30–⩽300, <30 mg/g). Results: Of 7020 patients treated, 2250 patients had prevalent kidney disease at baseline, of whom 67% had a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus for >10 years, 58% were receiving insulin, and 84% were taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers. In patients with prevalent kidney disease at baseline, empagliflozin reduced the risk of cardiovascular death by 29% compared with placebo (hazard ratio [HR], 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52–0.98), the risk of all-cause mortality by 24% (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.59–0.99), the risk of hospitalization for heart failure by 39% (HR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.42–0.87), and the risk of all-cause hospitalization by 19% (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.72–0.92). Effects of empagliflozin on these outcomes were consistent across categories of eGFR and urine albumin-creatinine ratio at baseline and across the 2 doses studied. The adverse event profile of empagliflozin in patients with eGFR <60 mL·min−1·1.73 m−2 was consistent with the overall trial population. Conclusions: Empagliflozin improved clinical outcomes and reduced mortality in vulnerable patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, established cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease. Clinical Trial Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01131676.

Pharmacodynamic Effects of Single and Multiple Doses of Empagliflozin in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

PURPOSE Our aim was to investigate the effects of the sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor empagliflozin on urinary and serum glucose and electrolytes, urinary volume, osmolality, and the renin-angiotensin system in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In an open-label study, 22 patients receiving metformin (median age 56 years; range 40-65 years) received empagliflozin 25 mg once daily for 5 days. Food, fluid, and sodium intake were standardized for 3 days before and during treatment. FINDINGS Twenty patients completed treatment. After single and multiple doses of empagliflozin, mean (SE) changes from baseline in 24-hour urinary glucose excretion were 463.3 (57.3) mmol/d and 599.5 (60.0) mmol/d, respectively (83.5 [10.3] g/d and 108.0 [10.8] g/d, respectively) (both P < 0.001), and in fasting serum glucose concentration were -1.8 (0.4) mmol/L and -1.1 (0.3) mmol/L, respectively (both P < 0.001). After a single dose, mean (SE) change from baseline in urine sodium excretion was 45.3 (9.6) mmol/d (P < 0.001), and in urine volume was 341.0 (140.5) g/d (P = 0.025), but there were no changes compared with baseline in either parameter after multiple doses. There were no changes in plasma renin or serum aldosterone with single or multiple doses of empagliflozin. There was a nonsignificant reduction in weight after a single dose of empagliflozin and a mean (SE) change of -1.4 (0.5) kg after multiple doses (P = 0.020). IMPLICATIONS Empagliflozin 25 mg increased urinary glucose excretion and decreased serum glucose and weight with transient natriuresis and increases in urine volume, without significant changes in the renin-angiotensin system. Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01276288.

Pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of empagliflozin, a sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, in patients with hepatic impairment

This open‐label, parallel‐group study investigated the effect of various degrees of hepatic impairment on the pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of the sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor empagliflozin.

Empagliflozin and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Asian Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Established Cardiovascular Disease ― Results From EMPA-REG OUTCOME® ―

BACKGROUND In the EMPA-REG OUTCOME®trial, empagliflozin added to standard of care reduced the risk of 3-point major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events (3-point MACE: composite of CV death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or non-fatal stroke) by 14%, CV death by 38%, hospitalization for heart failure by 35%, and all-cause mortality by 32% in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and established CV disease. We investigated the effects of empagliflozin in patients of Asian race.Methods and Results:Patients were randomized to receive empagliflozin 10 mg, empagliflozin 25 mg, or placebo. Of 7,020 patients treated, 1,517 (21.6%) were of Asian race. The reduction in 3-point MACE in Asian patients was consistent with the overall population: 3-point MACE occurred in 79/1,006 patients (7.9%) in the pooled empagliflozin group vs. 58/511 patients (11.4%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio: 0.68 [95% confidence interval: 0.48-0.95], P-value for treatment by race interaction (Asian, White, Black/African-American): 0.0872). The effects of empagliflozin on the components of MACE, all-cause mortality, and heart failure outcomes in Asian patients were consistent with the overall population (P-values for interaction by race >0.05). The adverse event profile of empagliflozin in Asian patients was similar to the overall trial population. CONCLUSIONS Reductions in the risk of CV outcomes and mortality with empagliflozin in Asian patients with T2DM and established CV disease were consistent with the overall trial population.