dapagliflozin

Dapagliflozin (Farxiga) is an oral medication used to improve glycemia (blood glucose) control in patients with type 2 diabetes. Dapagliflozin is a sodium-glucose cotransporter (SGLT2) inhibitor. It is similar to canagliflozin (Invokana) and empagliflozin (Jardiance). SGLT2 is found in the kidney tubules and is responsible for reabsorbing the majority of glucose filtered out of the blood by the kidneys. By inhibiting SGLT2 dapagliflozin reduces the reabsorption of filtered glucose and consequently increases excretion of glucose in the urine. Dapagliflozin is not recommended for use in patients with moderate to severe kidney disease. Dapagliflozin was approved by the US FDA in January 2014.

Farxiga

GENERIC AVAILABLE: No

Yes

The most common side effects associated with dapagliflozin were:

• vaginal yeast infections,
• yeast infections of the penis,
• nasopharyngitis (upper respiratory tract infections usually with associated sore throat, runny nose, nasal congestion, and sneezing),
• urinary tract infections (UTIs), and
• changes in urination (urinary urgency, urinating more often and in larger amounts).

Other reported side effects include:

• hypotension (decrease in blood pressure),
• kidney dysfunction,
• dehydration,
• hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) when co-administered with insulin or insulin secretagogues,
• increase in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C),
• bladder cancer, and
• hypersensitivity reactions.

• The recommended starting dose of dapagliflozin is 5 mg by mouth once daily in the morning.
• Dapagliflozin may be taken with or without food.
• The dose may be increased to 10 mg once daily in patients who require additional glycemic control. Kidney function must be assessed before starting treatment.
• Dapagliflozin should not be used in patient whose estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is <60 ml/min/1.73m².

: No significant drug interactions have been reported with dapagliflozin use.

It is not known if dapagliflozin is excreted in human breast milk. However, dapagliflozin is secreted in the milk of lactating rats, and exposure showed risk to the developing kidneys in the rat fetus. Currently, the manufacturer does not recommend use of this medication while nursing.

What preparations of dapagliflozin are available?

Oral tablets: 5 and 10 mg

How should I keep dapagliflozin stored?

Tablets may be stored at room temperature, between 20 C to 25 C (68 F to 77 F).