Dapagliflozin Found Clinically, Cost Effective Treating Chronic Kidney Disease

Dapagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor, was found to be an effective treatment option for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the Dapagliflozin and Prevention of Adverse outcomes in CKD (DAPA-CKD) trial. Further, in patients eligible for the DAPA-CKD trial, dapagliflozin was found to be both clinically and cost effective.¹

Dapagliflozin is indicated for as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with T2D mellitus; to reduce the risk of hospitalization for HF in adults with T2D mellitus and either established CV disease or multiple CV risk factors; to reduce the risk of CV death and hospitalization for HF in adults with HF with reduced EF; to reduce the risk of sustained eGFR decline, end-state kidney disease, cardiovascular death, and hospitalization for HF in adults with chronic kidney disease at risk of progression.²

The DAPA-CKD trial showed that treatment with dapagliflozin and standard of care was able to slow the decline in kidney function and lower the incidence of kidney failure and risk of cardiovascular- or kidney-related death versus placebo and standard of care.¹

The research team estimated the cost-effectiveness of dapagliflozin added to standard therapy compared with standard therapy alone based on the results of the DAPA-CKD trial from a multinational European health care system perspective.¹

The investigators predicted that treatment with dapagliflozin would inhibit the progression of CKD to kidney failure, lower the incidence of adverse clinical outcomes including hospitalization for heart failure, and increase life expectancy by 1.7 years.¹ Additionally, it was found that delaying the progression of CKD to kidney failure and lowering the incidence of hospitalization for heart failure produced important cost-offsets to the drug acquisition of cost of dapagliflozin.¹

“Our results indicate that should patients with chronic kidney disease be treated with dapagliflozin at an early stage of disease, the rate of cardio-renal complications could be reduced leading to improved health-related quality of life in patients and significant benefits for health care systems in a cost-effective manner,” said Phil McEwan, PhD, in a press release.¹

The study authors note that the study is only a part of multiple pieces of research seeking to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors in both diabetic and non-diabetic kidney disease.¹

REFERENCE

1. Dapagliflozin is not only clinically effective, but also cost effective in patients with chronic kidney disease. American Society of Nephrology. November 2, 2022. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.asn-online.org/about/press/releases/ASN_PR_20221102_CJASNMcEwanReleaseF.pdf
2. Gallagher, Ashley. Dapagliflozin Meets Primary Endpoint in Study, Reducing Risk of CVD Death or Worsening HF. Pharmacy Times. May 9, 2022. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/dapagliflozin-meets-primary-endpoint-in-study-reducing-risk-of-cvd-death-or-worsening-hf