Research & Development
Phase 3 trial of diabetes drug Farxiga showed it did not help hospitalised COVID-19 patients
12 April 2021 -

Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has disclosed that a Phase 3 trial of the diabetes drug Farxiga, also known as dapagliflozin, has shown that the drug did not help patients hospitalised with COVID-19 patients, news website CNN reported on Monday.

According to AstraZeneca, the DARE-19 trial did not show statistical significance in preventing organ dysfunction and death in hospitalised coronavirus patients who had other risk factors for severe COVID-19, which included hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and heart failure or chronic kidney disease.

This trial looked at a sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor, or SGLT2, in hospitalised COVID-19 patients who have risk factors for developing serious complications. The SGLT2 inhibitors are described by the US Food and Drink Administration (FDA) as "a class of prescription medicines that are FDA-approved for use with diet and exercise to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes."

Dr Mikhail Kosiborod, a cardiologist at Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute and principal investigator of DARE-19, commented "DARE-19 provided important data on the potential benefits and risks of using SGLT2 inhibitors to treat hospitalized patients with Covid-19." He added: "While the trial did not achieve statistical significance, the findings are very interesting and valuable, and will inform future clinical science."

AstraZeneca stated that the full DARE-19 trial results will be presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions in May 2021.

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