The Food and Drug Administration has approved ertugliflozin for use both as monotherapy and in combination with sitagliptin or metformin to control blood glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes.
The FDA approval covers ertugliflozin monotherapy (Steglatro, Merck and Pfizer) and ertugliflozin plus sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase–4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, as a fixed-dose combination (Steglujan, Merck) and ertugliflozin plus metformin (Segluromet, Merck).
Ertugliflozin is the third sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor to win FDA approval. Another such agent, empagliflozin, recently won a second indication for lowering the risk for cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes and established heart disease.
The American Diabetes Association recognized the value of SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes in its 2018 Standards of Care in Diabetes, now recommending that clinicians consider adding agents proved to reduce major cardiovascular events and cardiovascular death – such as the SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin or the glucagonlike peptide–1 agonist liraglutide – to the regimens of patients with diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (Diabetes Care 2018;41(Suppl. 1):S86-S104. doi: 10.2337/dc18-S009).
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