One million UK diabetics set to benefit from new drug dapagliflozin
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will announce it is recommending dapagliflozin for some people with type 2 diabetes.
One million diabetics are set to benefit from a new drug which could soon be available on the NHS.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will announce today it is recommending dapagliflozin for some people with type 2 diabetes.
The condition causes a sufferer’s blood sugar to become too high when the body does not produce enough insulin or when the body’s cells do not use insulin properly.
The new drug, also known as forxiga, blocks the re-absorption of glucose in the kidneys and “promotes” excretion of excess glucose in the urine.
If given the green light, patients will be able to use it with blood-sugar lowering drug metformin or in combination with insulin.
Manufacturers Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca estimate one million UK patients could benefit from it.
Clifford Bailey, professor of clinical science at Aston University, said: “Type 2 diabetes is a complex and progressive disease with a wide range of complications. Dapagliflozin is a new way to control blood glucose.”
Libby Dowling, clinical advisor at Diabetes UK, said: “We welcome any new treatment options that help people with diabetes manage their condition.
"There are 3.8 million people with diabetes in Britain, including about 850,000 who have type 2 but do not know it.”
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