In a new chapter for the ongoing story of sodium glucose transporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2) inhibitors, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH and Eli Lilly and Co.'s Jardiance (empagliflozin) has become the first therapy of the class to significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular death or hospitalization vs. placebo for heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The finding comes from the phase III Emperor-Preserved study, which tested once-daily Jardiance 10 mg vs. placebo in nearly 6,000 adults living with HFpEF, with and without diabetes.
Shares of Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:LXRX) fell 70.3% Monday to $1.69 as Sanofi SA terminated a $1.7 billion diabetes collaboration with the company. The decision followed two trials in which Zynquista (sotagliflozin), a dual SGLT inhibitor, failed to make a statistically significant dent in blood sugar control in patients with chronic kidney disease, a common result of diabetes.