Jardiance is not FDA-approved to treat type 1 diabetes. However, it’s thought that Jardiance may be a possible treatment option for type 1 diabetes.
People with type 1 diabetes don’t make insulin in their bodies. Some drugs used to treat diabetes lower glucose levels by helping the body produce insulin or make insulin more active. Unlike those drugs, Jardiance does not need insulin to lower blood glucose levels. Because of this, Jardiance can help lower blood sugar levels in people whose bodies don’t make insulin.
Several studies have looked at using Jardiance to treat people with type 1 diabetes.
Two clinical studies showed that Jardiance lowered blood sugar levels and body weight in people with type 1 diabetes. In these studies, Jardiance was used in combination with insulin.
Three additional studies looked at treating type 1 diabetes with medications similar to Jardiance. Medications from the same class of drug as Jardiance (SGLT2 inhibitors) were taken in combination with insulin. The people in the studies had the following results:
lower blood sugar levels
weight loss
need for smaller insulin doses
In all of these studies, Jardiance and the other SGLT2 inhibitors increased the risk of ketoacidosis. This condition is a serious complication of diabetes and can be life-threatening. The risk of ketoacidosis was higher in people taking SGLT2 inhibitors, such as Jardiance, than in people taking insulin alone.
More research is needed before Jardiance can be approved to safely and effectively treat type 1 diabetes.