Yshai Yavin

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: ), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS: The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P = 0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P<0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P = 0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P = 0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years. (Funded by Janssen Research and Development; CREDENCE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02065791.).

BACKGROUND: Canagliflozin reduces the risk of kidney failure in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease, but effects on specific cardiovascular outcomes are uncertain, as are effects in people without previous cardiovascular disease (primary prevention). METHODS: In CREDENCE (Canagliflozin and Renal Events in Diabetes With Established Nephropathy Clinical Evaluation), 4401 participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease were randomly assigned to canagliflozin or placebo on a background of optimized standard of care. RESULTS: Primary prevention participants (n=2181, 49.6%) were younger (61 versus 65 years), were more often female (37% versus 31%), and had shorter duration of diabetes mellitus (15 years versus 16 years) compared with secondary prevention participants (n=2220, 50.4%). Canagliflozin reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events overall (hazard ratio [HR], 0.80 [95% CI, 0.67-0.95]; P=0.01), with consistent reductions in both the primary (HR, 0.68 [95% CI, 0.49-0.94]) and secondary (HR, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.69-1.06]) prevention groups (P for interaction=0.25). Effects were also similar for the components of the composite including cardiovascular death (HR, 0.78 [95% CI, 0.61-1.00]), nonfatal myocardial infarction (HR, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.59-1.10]), and nonfatal stroke (HR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.56-1.15]). The risk of the primary composite renal outcome and the composite of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure were also consistently reduced in both the primary and secondary prevention groups (P for interaction >0.5 for each outcome). CONCLUSIONS: Canagliflozin significantly reduced major cardiovascular events and kidney failure in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease, including in participants who did not have previous cardiovascular disease. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02065791.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Higher plasma concentrations of tumour necrosis factor receptor (TNFR)-1, TNFR-2 and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) have been found to be associated with higher risk of kidney failure in individuals with type 2 diabetes in previous studies. Whether drugs can reduce these biomarkers is not well established. We measured these biomarkers in samples of the CANVAS study and examined the effect of the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor canagliflozin on these biomarkers and assessed whether the early change in these biomarkers predict cardiovascular and kidney outcomes in individuals with type 2 diabetes in the CANagliflozin cardioVascular Assessment Study (CANVAS). METHODS: Biomarkers were measured with immunoassays (proprietary multiplex assay performed by RenalytixAI, New York, NY, USA) at baseline and years 1, 3 and 6. Mixed-effects models for repeated measures assessed the effect of canagliflozin vs placebo on the biomarkers. Associations of baseline levels and the early change (baseline to year 1) for each biomarker with the kidney outcome were assessed using multivariable-adjusted Cox regression. RESULTS: In total, 3523/4330 (81.4%) of the CANVAS participants had available samples at baseline. Each doubling in baseline TNFR-1, TNFR-2 and KIM-1 was associated with a higher risk of kidney outcomes, with corresponding HRs of 3.7 (95% CI 2.3, 6.1; p < 0.01), 2.7 (95% CI 2.0, 3.6; p < 0.01) and 1.5 (95% CI 1.2, 1.8; p < 0.01), respectively. Canagliflozin reduced the level of the plasma biomarkers with differences in TNFR-1, TNFR-2 and KIM-1 between canagliflozin and placebo during follow-up of 2.8% (95% CI 3.4%, 1.3%; p < 0.01), 1.9% (95% CI 3.5%, 0.2%; p = 0.03) and 26.7% (95% CI 30.7%, 22.7%; p < 0.01), respectively. Within the canagliflozin treatment group, each 10% reduction in TNFR-1 and TNFR-2 at year 1 was associated with a lower risk of the kidney outcome (HR 0.8 [95% CI 0.7, 1.0; p = 0.02] and 0.9 [95% CI 0.9, 1.0; p < 0.01] respectively), independent of other patient characteristics. The baseline and 1 year change in biomarkers did not associate with cardiovascular or heart failure outcomes. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Canagliflozin decreased KIM-1 and modestly reduced TNFR-1 and TNFR-2 compared with placebo in individuals with type 2 diabetes in CANVAS. Early decreases in TNFR-1 and TNFR-2 during canagliflozin treatment were independently associated with a lower risk of kidney disease progression, suggesting that TNFR-1 and TNFR-2 have the potential to be pharmacodynamic markers of response to canagliflozin.

INTRODUCTION: Hyperkalemia risk is increased in diabetes, particularly in patients with renal impairment or those receiving angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) or potassium-sparing diuretics. Conversely, other diuretics can increase hypokalemia risk. We assessed the effects of the sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor dapagliflozin on serum potassium levels in a pooled analysis of clinical trials in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: Fourteen randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind T2DM studies were analyzed: pooled data from 13 studies of ≤24 weeks' duration (dapagliflozin 10 mg, N = 2360; placebo, N = 2295); and one 52-week moderate renal impairment study in patients with baseline eGFR ≥30 to <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) (dapagliflozin 10 mg, N = 85; placebo, N = 84). Central laboratory serum potassium levels were determined at each study visit. RESULTS: No clinically relevant mean changes from baseline in serum potassium ≤24 weeks were reported for dapagliflozin 10 mg [-0.05 mmol/L; 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.07, -0.03] versus placebo (-0.02 mmol/L; 95% CI -0.04, 0.00) in the pooled population or in the renal impairment study (-0.03 mmol/L; 95% CI -0.14, 0.08 vs. -0.02 mmol/L; 95% CI -0.13, 0.09, respectively). The incidence rate ratio for serum potassium ≥5.5 mmol/L over 24 weeks for dapagliflozin 10 mg versus placebo was 0.90 (95% CI 0.74, 1.10) in the pooled population; with no increased risk in patients receiving ARBs/ACE inhibitors, or potassium-sparing diuretics, or in those with moderate renal impairment. Slightly more patients receiving dapagliflozin 10 mg had serum potassium ≤3.5 mmol/L versus placebo (5.2% vs. 3.6%); however, no instances of serum potassium ≤2.5 mmol/L were reported. CONCLUSION: Dapagliflozin is not associated with an increased risk of hyperkalemia or severe hypokalemia in patients with T2DM. FUNDING: Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca.