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          FDA announced that a safety review has found type 2 diabetes medicines containing saxagliptin and alogliptin may increase the risk of heart failureFDA Drug Safety Podcasts FDA announced that a safety review has found type 2 diabetes medicines containing saxagliptin and alogliptin may increase the risk of heart failure
  
  	
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Welcome to FDA Drug Safety Podcasts for health care professionals. This is Lesley Navin, Advanced Practice Nurse from the Division of Drug Information.

On April 5, 2016, FDA announced that a safety review has found type 2 diabetes medicines containing saxagliptin and alogliptin may increase the risk of heart failure, particularly in patients who already have heart or kidney disease. Heart failure can result in the heart not being able to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. As a result, we are adding new warnings to the drug labels about this safety issue.

Saxagliptin and alogliptin are dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor drugs, which are used with diet and exercise in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Health care professionals should consider discontinuing the medicine in patients who develop heart failure and monitor their diabetes control. If a patient’s glucose level is not well-controlled with their current treatment, other diabetes medicines may be required.

We evaluated two large clinical trials conducted in patients with heart disease. These clinical trials were also discussed at the FDA Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee meeting in April 2015. Each trial showed that more patients who received saxagliptin- or alogliptin-containing medicines were hospitalized for heart failure compared to patients who received an inactive treatment called a placebo. In the saxagliptin trial, 3.5% of patients who received the drug were hospitalized for heart failure versus 2.8% of patients who received a placebo. This is the same as 35 out of every 1,000 patients compared to 28 out of every 1,000 patients. Risk factors included a history of heart failure or kidney impairment. In the alogliptin trial, 3.9% of alogliptin-treated patients were hospitalized for heart failure versus 3.3% in the placebo group. This is the same as 39 out of every 1,000 patients compared to 33 out of every 1,000 patients.

As a result, we have added new Warnings and Precautions to the labels of medicines that contain saxagliptin or alogliptin to inform of the potential increased risk of heart failure.

Side effects involving saxagliptin, alogliptin, or other medicines should be reported to FDA’s MedWatch program at www.fda.gov/medwatch.

A link to the full communication detailing information for health care professionals, the complete Data Summary, and a list of saxagliptin- and alogliptin-containing medicines can be found at www.fda.gov/DrugSafetyCommunications. If you have drug questions, you can reach us at druginfo@fda.hhs.gov.

And follow us on Twitter @FDA_Drug_Info for up to the minute important drug information. Know the moment it happens. Thank you for listening.

                                                                                  Content current as of:
      01/11/2022FDA Drug Safety Podcasts
 
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