U.S. FDA Grants Fast Track Designation to Empagliflozin for the Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure
?Fast Track designation facilitates development of new therapies that treat serious conditions and fulfill an unmet medical need- FDA's Fast Track designation for empagliflozin underscores the urgent need for new potential treatment options for the 6.5 million people in the U.S. who have heart failure
RIDGEFIELD, Conn.?and?INDIANAPOLIS, June 26,?2019 /PRNewswire/ --?The U.S. Food and Drug Administration?(FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to empagliflozin for the reduction of the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure in people with chronic heart failure, Boehringer Ingelheim and?Eli Lilly and Company?(NYSE: LLY) announced. The Fast Track designation facilitates the development of new therapies that fill an unmet medical need for serious conditions in an effort to expedite the availability of new treatment options.
This designation is for the ongoing EMPEROR program, which consists of the EMPEROR-Reduced and EMPEROR-Preserved studies. These studies will evaluate the effect of empagliflozin on cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure in adults with chronic heart failure with reduced or preserved ejection fraction, respectively.
"Heart failure contributes to one in nine deaths and is a leading cause of hospitalization in the U.S., yet there are limited treatment options for people living with this debilitating disease," said?Mohamed Eid, M.D., M.P.H., M.H.A, vice president,?Clinical Development & Medical Affairs, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.?"The FDA Fast Track designation for empagliflozin is an important step forward in addressing this unmet need, and we look forward to working closely with the?FDA?as we explore the potential for empagliflozin to improve outcomes for adults with chronic heart failure."
Heart failure is a serious condition in which the heart is unable to supply enough blood to the body. About half of people who develop heart failure die within five years. Heart failure also leads to a substantial reduction in quality of life and a high symptom burden, in part due to limitation of physical activity and difficulty carrying out typical everyday activities. Already affecting 26 million people worldwide, including more than 6.5 million in the U.S., heart failure is expected to become even more prevalent.
"Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly are committed to advancing treatments that address the public health challenges of cardiometabolic diseases, including chronic heart failure," said?Jeff Emmick, M.D., Ph.D., vice president, Product Development, Lilly. "We eagerly anticipate results from the EMPEROR studies as we advance the development of empagliflozin in this setting."
The two EMPEROR phase III studies include more than 8,500 people with chronic heart failure and are designed to assess the effect of treatment with empagliflozin on cardiovascular death and hospitalization for chronic heart failure as primary endpoints. The EMPEROR studies are part of the empagliflozin chronic heart failure program.
Empagliflozin, marketed as Jardiance??in the U.S., is a once-daily tablet used along?with diet?and?exercise to lower?blood sugar?in?adults with?type 2 diabetes and to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes and known cardiovascular disease. Jardiance is not for people with type 1 diabetes or for people with diabetic ketoacidosis (increased ketones in the blood or urine).
About the Empagliflozin Chronic Heart Failure Program
The empagliflozin chronic heart failure program consists of the EMPEROR-Reduced and EMPEROR-Preserved studies, the EMPERIAL-Reduced and EMPERIAL-Preserved studies and the EMPA-VISION study. These studies are evaluating the efficacy and safety of empagliflozin in more than 9,000 adults with chronic heart failure, including those with and without diabetes.
About the EMPEROR Chronic Heart Failure Studies
The EMPEROR (EMPagliflozin outcomE tRial in patients with chrOnic heaRt failure) chronic heart failure studies are two phase III, randomized, double-blind trials investigating once-daily empagliflozin compared with placebo in adults with chronic heart failure with preserved or reduced ejection fraction*, both with and without diabetes, who are receiving current standard of care:
- EMPEROR-Preserved?[NCT03057951]: will investigate the safety and efficacy of empagliflozin in patients with chronic heart failure with?preserved ejection fraction?(HFpEF).
- Primary endpoint: time to first event of adjudicated cardiovascular death or adjudicated hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) [Time Frame: up to 38 months]
- Anticipated number of patients: approx. 5,250
- Estimated completion: 2020
- EMPEROR-Reduced?[NCT03057977]: will investigate the safety and efficacy of empagliflozin in patients with chronic heart failure with?reduced ejection fraction?(HFrEF).
- Primary endpoint: time to first event of adjudicated cardiovascular death or adjudicated HHF [Time Frame: up to 38 months]
- Anticipated number of patients: approx. 3,600
- Estimated completion: 2020
- Dehydration.?JARDIANCE?can?cause some people to have dehydration?(the loss?of?body?water?and salt). Dehydration?may?cause you to feel dizzy, faint,?light-headed, or?weak,?especially?when?you stand up.You may?be at?a higher?risk?of?dehydration?if you:
- have?low?blood?pressure
- take medicines?to lower?your?blood pressure, including?water?pills?(diuretics)
- are?on?a low?salt?diet
- have?kidney?problems
- are?65 years?of?age or?older.
- Vaginal yeast infection.?Women who take JARDIANCE may get vaginal yeast infections. Talk to your doctor if you experience vaginal odor, white or yellowish vaginal discharge (discharge may be lumpy or look like cottage cheese), and/or vaginal itching.
- Yeast?infection?of the penis.?Men?who take JARDIANCE?may?get?a yeast?infection?of?the skin around the penis, especially?uncircumcised males?and those with chronic?infections. Talk?to your doctor?if you experience redness, itching?or?swelling?of the?penis,?rash of the penis, foul smelling discharge from?the penis,?and/or?pain?in?the skin?around?penis.
- Ketoacidosis (increased ketones in your blood or urine).?Ketoacidosis is a serious condition and may need to be treated in the hospital. Ketoacidosis may lead to death. Ketoacidosis occurs in people with type 1 diabetes and can also occur in people with type 2 diabetes taking JARDIANCE, even if blood sugar is less than 250 mg/dL.?Stop taking JARDIANCE and call your doctor right away if you get any of the following symptoms,?and if possible, check for ketones in your urine:
-
- nausea
- vomiting
- stomach-area (abdominal) pain
- tiredness
- trouble breathing
-
- Kidney?problems.?Sudden kidney injury has happened in people taking JARDIANCE. Talk to your doctor right away if you reduce the amount you eat or drink, or if you lose liquids; for example, from vomiting, diarrhea, or being in the sun too long.
- Serious urinary tract infections.?Serious urinary tract infections can occur in people taking JARDIANCE and may lead to hospitalization. Tell your doctor if you have symptoms of a urinary tract infection, such as a burning feeling when passing urine, a need to urinate often or right away, pain in the lower part of your stomach or pelvis, or blood in the urine. Sometimes people also may have a fever, back pain, nausea or vomiting.
- Low?blood?sugar?(hypoglycemia):?If you take JARDIANCE?with another?medicine that?can?cause low?blood sugar, such as?sulfonylurea or?insulin, your?risk?of low?blood sugar?is?higher. The dose of your?sulfonylurea or?insulin?may?need?to be lowered. Symptoms?of?low?blood?sugar?may?include:
- headache
- drowsiness
- weakness
- dizziness
- confusion
- irritability
- hunger
- fast heartbeat
- sweating
- shaking or feeling jittery
- Necrotizing fasciitis. A rare but serious bacterial infection that causes damage to the tissue under the skin in the area between and around your anus and genitals (perineum).?This bacterial infection has happened in women and men who take JARDIANCE, and may lead to hospitalization, multiple surgeries, and death.?Seek medical attention immediately if you have fever or are feeling very weak, tired or uncomfortable (malaise), and you develop any of the following symptoms in the area between and around your anus and genitals: pain or tenderness, swelling, and redness of skin (erythema).
- Allergic (hypersensitivity) reactions. Symptoms?of?serious?allergic?reactions?to JARDIANCE may?include:
- swelling of your face, lips, throat and other areas of your skin
- difficulty with swallowing or breathing
- raised, red areas on your skin (hives) If you have any of these symptoms, stop taking JARDIANCE and contact your doctor or go to the nearest emergency room right away.
- Increased fats in your blood (cholesterol).
- have kidney?problems. Your?doctor?may?do blood tests?to check?your?kidneys?before and during?your treatment?with JARDIANCE
- have liver?problems
- have a history?of urinary?tract?infections?or?problems?with urination
- are going to have surgery
- are eating less due to illness, surgery, or a change in your diet
- have or have had problems with your pancreas, including pancreatitis or surgery on your pancreas
- drink alcohol very often, or drink a lot of alcohol in the short term ("binge" drinking)
- have any?other?medical conditions
- are pregnant?or?plan?to become pregnant. JARDIANCE may harm?your?unborn baby. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant during treatment with JARDIANCE.
- are breastfeeding?or?are planning to breastfeed. JARDIANCE may pass into your?breast?milk and may harm your baby. Do not breastfeed while taking JARDIANCE.