The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squib new type 2 diabetes treatment, Farxiga (dapagliflozin), a once-daily oral treatment indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Farxiga is part of a newer class of medicines called sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, which remove glucose via the kidneys. (Last year the FDA approved J&J’s SGLT-2 inhibitor Invokana, which works similarly.)
The recommended starting dose of Farxiga is 5 mg once daily, taken in the morning, with or without food. In patients tolerating Farxiga 5 mg once daily who require additional glycemic control, the dose can be increased to 10 mg once daily.
Farxiga should not be used for the treatment of patients with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis.
