NICE recommends AstraZeneca’s dapagliflozin to treat chronic kidney disease

The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended AstraZeneca’s dapagliflozin as a treatment for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

It has been recommended as an option to treat patients with CKD and type-2 diabetes.

CKD is a long-term condition often caused by other conditions that affect kidneys. These conditions include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, kidney infections, and diabetes.

Dapagliflozin belongs to sodium glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and is claimed to be the first SGLT2 inhibitor to be recommended through the technological appraisal process of NICE for chronic kidney disease.

The SGLT2 inhibitor blocks the SGLT2 protein in kidneys and reduces kidney damage.

NICE stated that the addition of dapagliflozin to the standard care has shown to have significantly reduced the risk of decline in kidney functioning, end-stage kidney disease, or cardiovascular death.

NICE Centre for Health Technology Evaluation deputy chief executive and director Meindert Boysen said: “Dapagliflozin is a promising treatment for certain people with chronic kidney disease and it has the potential to increase the length of time before the disease gets worse.

“Our independent appraisal committee heard from people with the disease who said that further options which prevented the progress of the disease would offer real hope and a much-improved quality of life.

“Alongside standard care, dapagliflozin has the potential to significantly reduce the risk of end-stage kidney disease.”

According to the company, approximately 91,000 people are estimated to be eligible for this treatment in England.

In August this year, NICE recommended the use of Novartis’ Rydapt (midostaurin) as the first targeted therapy for adult patients with advanced systemic mastocytosis