The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) today issued a draft guidance recommending dapagliflozin, sold under the brand name Forxiga among others, as an option for treating certain adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Dapagliflozin belongs to a group of medicines called sodium glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. It is the first SGLT2 inhibitor to be recommended through NICE’s technology appraisal process for CKD.
Adding dapagliflozin to current standard care has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of having declining kidney function, end-stage kidney disease, or dying from causes related to the kidneys or cardiovascular system.
“Dapagliflozin is a promising treatment for certain people with chronic kidney disease and it has the potential to increase the length of time before the disease gets worse,” Meindert Boysen, deputy chief executive and director of the NICE Centre for Health Technology Evaluation, said.
“Our independent appraisal committee heard from people with the disease who said that further options which prevented the progress of the disease would offer real hope and a much-improved quality of life. Alongside standard care, dapagliflozin has the potential to significantly reduce the risk of end-stage kidney disease.”
It is estimated that there are around 91,000 people who could be eligible for this treatment in England.
CKD is a long-term condition in which the kidneys do not work as well as they should and is common, especially in older people. It is often caused by other conditions that affect the kidneys, including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and kidney infections.
Sukhi Basra