Lose the sugar - a new approach in the fight against type 2 diabetes

Forxiga® (dapagliflozin) approved in Canada – a new treatment that lowers blood glucose and can lead to weight lossⁱ and reduced blood pressure for adults living with type 2 diabetes ⁱⁱ

TORONTO, Dec. 17, 2014 /CNW/ - AstraZeneca Canada today announced that Health Canada has approved Forxiga (dapagliflozin) to be used in combination with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. Forxiga lowers blood sugar differently from current treatments by allowing the body to get rid of excess glucose through urineⁱⁱⁱ.

"Many of our patients with diabetes are overweight and unfortunately, some of the medications used for the treatment of diabetes may result in weight gain," explains Dr. Lawrence A. Leiter, Professor of Medicine and Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto. "Thus any new medication that will not only lower blood sugar levels but may also promote weight loss is a most welcome addition."

The kidney plays an important role in maintaining normal glucose balance^iv. In patients with type 2 diabetes, the capacity of the kidney to reabsorb glucose is increased by approximately 20 per cent^v. Forxiga is part of a new class of oral medications called sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors^vi. Unlike other type 2 diabetes medications that depend on insulin, Forxiga works in the kidneys and reduces the amount of sugar that is reabsorbed into the blood^vii. At the same time, it expels the excess sugar and accompanying calories through the urine^viii.

The growing diabetes epidemic^ix is expected to cost the Canadian healthcare system $16 billion by 2020^x. Effective disease management can help mitigate the number and severity of complications associated with the illness while keeping patients out of hospital and reducing healthcare costs^xi.

"AstraZeneca is dedicated to addressing the burden of diabetes by advancing new medicines and better understanding the underlying causes of the disease to bring us closer to a cure," says Dr. Neil Maresky, VP, Scientific Affairs, AstraZeneca Canada. "Forxiga is an important part of this mission and will help patients live healthier lives."

Forxiga has now been approved in more than 50 countries including the United States, countries in the European Union and Australia.

About Type 2 Diabetes

Currently, one in four Canadians has diabetes or pre-diabetes. If trends continue, this will rise to one in three by 2020^xii. Canadians living with diabetes or pre-diabetes are more likely to be hospitalized with cardiovascular disease, end-stage renal disease or amputation compared to the general population.^xiii

About SGLT2 Inhibition

The kidney plays a contributing role in maintaining normal glucose balance, in part by filtering and subsequently reabsorbing glucose back into circulation^xiv. SGLT2, a sodium-glucose cotransporter found predominantly in the kidney^xv, is responsible for the majority of glucose reabsorption^xvi. Selective inhibition of SGLT2 reduces the reabsorption of glucose and enables its removal via the urine^xvii, which is associated with reductions in HbA1c^xviii, weight^xix and systolic blood pressure^xx.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business with a primary focus on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines for gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory and inflammation, oncology and infectious disease. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. AstraZeneca's Canadian headquarters are located in Mississauga, Ontario. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.astrazeneca.ca.

FORXIGA^® is a registered trademark of AstraZeneca AB, used under license by AstraZeneca Canada Inc.

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ⁱ Forxiga Product Monograph, December 2014, page 27-37.
ⁱⁱ Forxiga Product Monograph, December 2014, page 37.
ⁱⁱⁱ Forxiga Product Monograph, December 2014, page 41.
^iv Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3743357
^v Farber SJ, Berger EY, Earle DP. Effect of diabetes and insulin of the maximum capacity of the renal tubules to reabsorb glucose. J Clin Invest 1951; 30:125-129.
^vi Forxiga (Dapagliflozin), Diabetes.co.uk: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-medication/forxiga-dapagliflozin.html.
^vii Forxiga (Dapagliflozin), Diabetes.co.uk: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-medication/forxiga-dapagliflozin.html 
^viii Forxiga (Dapagliflozin), Diabetes.co.uk: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-medication/forxiga-dapagliflozin.html.
^ix Diabetes: Canada at the Tipping Point, Canadian Diabetes Association: http://www.diabetes.ca/CDA/media/documents/publications-and-newsletters/advocacy-reports/canada-at-the-tipping-point-report-highlights-english.pdf.
^x Diabetes: Canada at the Tipping Point, Canadian Diabetes Association: http://www.diabetes.ca/CDA/media/documents/publications-and-newsletters/advocacy-reports/canada-at-the-tipping-point-report-highlights-english.pdf.
^xi Diabetes: Canada at the Tipping Point, Canadian Diabetes Association: http://www.diabetes.ca/CDA/media/documents/publications-and-newsletters/advocacy-reports/canada-at-the-tipping-point-report-highlights-english.pdf.
^xii Diabetes: Canada at the Tipping Point, Canadian Diabetes Association: http://www.diabetes.ca/CDA/media/documents/publications-and-newsletters/advocacy-reports/canada-at-the-tipping-point-report-highlights-english.pdf
^xiii Diabetes in New Brunswick & Canada, Canadian Diabetes Association: http://www.diabetes.ca/how-you-can-help/advocate/election-central-new-brunswick/diabetes-in-new-brunswick-canada
^xiv Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3743357
^xv SGLT2 Inhibitors (Glifozins), Diabetes.co.uk: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-medication/sglt2-inhibitors.html
^xvi Valentine, Virginia. The Role of the Kidney and Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibition in Diabetes Management: http://clinical.diabetesjournals.org/content/30/4/151.full#ref-32 
^xvii Diabetes.co.uk: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-medication/forxiga-dapagliflozin.html 
^xviii Forxiga Product Monograph, December 2014, page 27-37.
^xix Forxiga Product Monograph, December 2014, page 27-37.
^xx Forxiga Product Monograph, December 2014, page 37.

SOURCE: AstraZeneca Canada Inc.

For further information: Daniela Cohen, AstraZeneca Canada Inc., Senior Manager, Communications, [e-mail] / [e-mail], 905-615-6827