Farxiga® (dapagliflozin) is one of AstraZeneca’s best-selling drugs and brought in $1.54 billion in revenue for 2019. Farxiga® is proven to be a useful drug in treating diabetes, but recently, it has also shown promise in helping both the kidneys and heart. The American Kidney Fund (AKF) presents new research that shows the potential benefits of Farxiga® for treating chronic kidney disease (CKD).*

What is Farxiga®?

Farxiga® is part of a class of drugs called sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. This type of medication prompts the kidneys to eliminate excess blood glucose through the urine. Farxiga® was originally designed to treat diabetes, but recently, the FDA has approved its use in treating heart failure in those with and without diabetes.  

What is the connection to CKD?

With proven aid to the heart, AstraZeneca seeks to find other potential benefits of Farxiga®. Results from a recent study showed additional benefits to CKD patients. In this study, for participants taking Farxiga®, the risk of dying from any cause for people with CKD was cut by 31% when compared to the placebo group. While researchers are still in the process of determining the reason for these results, they believe it may be related to Farxiga®’s ability to protect structures in the kidney that filter blood. 

What are the next steps?

“With today’s results, Farxiga becomes the first SGLT2 inhibitor proven to significantly prolong the survival of patients with chronic kidney disease with and without type 2 diabetes,” said Mene Pangalos, head of research and development at AstraZeneca. “[W]e look forward to sharing these data with regulatory authorities around the world.” According to Pangalos, AstraZeneca will strive to get regulatory approval over the next few months for the use of Farxiga® in treating CKD. 

*AKF Staff. (2020, Aug. 31). More good news in research: Clinical trials show dramatic results for Farxiga® in treating CKD. American Kidney Fund. https://www.kidneyfund.org/kidney-today/research-clinical-trials-show-dramatic-results-for-farxigar-in-treating-ckd.html