Janssen has announced that it has submitted a supplemental new drug application to the Food and Drug Administration to add an indication for canagliflozin (Invokana). The sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 is currently indicated, in addition to diet and exercise, for glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. However, in hopes of reducing the risks of end-stage kidney disease and of renal or cardiovascular death, according to a press release from the manufacturer.
If approved, canagliflozin will be the first diabetes medicine for the treatment of people living with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, according to the press release.
The application was based on the results of the phase 3 CREDENCE trial, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study of 4,401 patients with type 2 diabetes, stage 2 or 3 chronic kidney disease, and macroalbuminuria. The patients received standard of care as well. The trial was stopped early, in July 2018, because it had met the prespecified criteria for efficacy. Data from the trial will be presented in mid-April at the annual meeting of the International Society of Nephrology World Congress of Nephrology in Melbourne.
Canagliflozin is contraindicated in patients with severe renal impairment (an estimated glomerular filtration rate of less than 30 mL/min per 1.73 m2), patients with end-stage renal disease, or patients on dialysis. Serious side effects associated with canagliflozin include ketoacidosis, kidney problems, hyperkalemia, serious urinary tract infections, and hypoglycemia. The most common side effects are yeast infections of the vagina or penis, and changes in urination.
The full prescribing information for canagliflozin is available on the FDA website.