New diabetes combo drug available soon

A new combination drug for type 2 diabetes will available in the United States in the coming months.

FDA approved empagliflozin and metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablets (Synjardy XR, Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly) to help improve blood glucose in adults with type 2 diabetes. Empagliflozin, a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor, removes excess glucose through the urine by blocking glucose re-absorption in the kidney. Metformin, a commonly prescribed initial treatment for type 2 diabetes, lowers glucose production by the liver and its absorption in the intestine.

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“Synjardy XR is the fourth FDA-approved treatment that includes empagliflozin, and provides a treatment option that can be taken once-daily, along with diet and exercise, for adults with T2D to improve glycemic control,” Graham Goodrich, vice president of diabetes marketing for Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, told FormularyWatch.

While Goodrich declined to reveal Synjardy’s wholesale acquisition cost (WAC), he said the new drug “will be priced competitively with other diabetes treatments”.

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“Adults with type 2 diabetes often take multiple medications, sometimes more than once a day, to manage their condition,” said Paul Fonteyne, president and CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals. “With Synjardy XR, the eighth FDA-approved treatment to emerge from our partnership with Lilly, adults with type 2 diabetes now have another convenient daily option to help them reach their glycemic goals, whether they are already being treated or are just at the beginning of their treatment.”

FDA’s approval of Synjardi XR is based on results from multiple clinical trials examining the co-administration of empagliflozin and metformin, alone or in combination with sulfonylurea, in the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes. 

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