Pharmacology: Pharmacodynamics: Mechanism of action: Dapagliflozin/sitagliptin combination: SIDAPVIA combines the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor dapagliflozin and the dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitor sitagliptin with distinct and complementary mechanisms of action to improve glycaemic control.
Dapagliflozin: Dapagliflozin is a reversible inhibitor of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) with nanomolar potency that improves glycaemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus and provides cardio-renal benefits.
Inhibition of SGLT2 by dapagliflozin reduces reabsorption of glucose from the glomerular filtrate in the proximal renal tubule with a concomitant reduction in sodium reabsorption, leading to urinary excretion of glucose and osmotic diuresis. Dapagliflozin therefore increases the delivery of sodium to the distal tubule which increases tubuloglomerular feedback and reduces intraglomerular pressure. This combined with osmotic diuresis leads to a reduction in volume overload, reduced blood pressure, and lower preload and afterload, which may have beneficial effects on cardiac remodelling and preserve renal function. Other effects include an increase in haematocrit and reduction in body weight.
The cardio-renal benefits of dapagliflozin are not solely dependent on the blood glucose-lowering effect. In addition to the osmotic diuretic and related hemodynamic actions of SGLT2 inhibition, potential secondary effects on myocardial metabolism, ion channels, fibrosis, adipokines and uric acid may be mechanisms underlying the cardio-renal beneficial effects of dapagliflozin.
Dapagliflozin improves both fasting and postprandial plasma glucose levels by reducing renal glucose reabsorption, leading to urinary glucose excretion. This glucose excretion (glucuretic effect) is observed after the first dose, is continuous over the 24-hour dosing interval, and is sustained for the duration of treatment. The amount of glucose removed by the kidney through this mechanism is dependent upon the blood glucose concentration and GFR. Thus, in subjects with normal blood glucose and/or low GFR, dapagliflozin has a low propensity to cause hypoglycaemia, as the amount of filtrated glucose is small and can be reabsorbed by SGLT1 and unblocked SGLT2 transporters. Dapagliflozin does not impair normal endogenous glucose production in response to hypoglycaemia. Dapagliflozin acts independently of insulin secretion and insulin action. Over time, improvement in beta-cell function (HOMA-2) has been observed in clinical studies with dapagliflozin.
The majority of weight reduction is body-fat loss, including visceral fat, rather than lean tissue, or fluid loss as demonstrated by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
SGLT2 is selectively expressed in the kidney. Dapagliflozin does not inhibit other glucose transporters important for glucose transport into peripheral tissues and is approximately 1,000-3,000 times more selective for SGLT2 versus SGLT1, the major transporter in the gut responsible for glucose absorption.
Sitagliptin: Sitagliptin is a member of a class of oral anti-hyperglycaemic agents called dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitors, which improve glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes by enhancing the levels of active incretin hormones. Incretin hormones, including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), are released by the intestine throughout the day, and levels are increased in response to a meal. The incretins are part of an endogenous system involved in the physiologic regulation of glucose homeostasis. When blood glucose concentrations are normal or elevated, GLP-1 and GIP increase insulin synthesis and release from pancreatic beta cells by intracellular signalling pathways involving cyclic AMP. Treatment with GLP-1 or with DPP4 inhibitors in animal models of type 2 diabetes mellitus has been demonstrated to improve beta cell responsiveness to glucose and stimulate insulin biosynthesis and release. With higher insulin levels, tissue glucose uptake is enhanced. In addition, GLP-1 lowers glucagon secretion from pancreatic alpha cells. Decreased glucagon concentrations, along with higher insulin levels, lead to reduced hepatic glucose production, resulting in a decrease in blood glucose levels. The effects of GLP-1 and GIP are glucose-dependent. When blood glucose concentrations are low, stimulation of insulin release and suppression of glucagon secretion by GLP-1 are not observed. For both GLP-1 and GIP, stimulation of insulin release is markedly enhanced as glucose rises above normal concentrations. GLP-1 does not impair the normal glucagon response to hypoglycaemia. The activity of GLP-1 and GIP is limited by the DPP4 enzyme, which rapidly hydrolyses the incretin hormones to produce inactive products. Sitagliptin prevents the hydrolysis of incretin hormones by DPP4, thereby increasing plasma concentrations of the active forms of GLP-1 and GIP. By enhancing active incretin levels, sitagliptin increases insulin release and decreases glucagon levels in a glucose-dependent manner. This glucose-dependent mechanism is unlike the mechanism seen with sulfonylureas where insulin is released even when glucose levels are low, which can lead to hypoglycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes and in normal subjects. In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with hyperglycaemia, these changes in insulin and glucagon levels lead to lower HbA1c and lower fasting and postprandial glucose concentrations. Sitagliptin inhibits DPP4 with nanomolar potency (IC
50 18 nM). It does not inhibit the closely-related enzymes DPP8 or DPP9 at therapeutic concentrations. Inhibition of DPP8 or DPP9 is associated with toxicity in preclinical animal models and alteration of immune function
in vitro.
Clinical trials: Treatment with dapagliflozin added-on to sitagliptin (with or without metformin), in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, produced clinically relevant and statistically significant improvements in mean change from baseline at Week 24 in HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) compared to control (placebo added on to sitagliptin (with or without metformin)). Additionally, a clinically relevant and statistically significant reduction in mean change from baseline in body weight was seen at Week 24.
Glycaemic control: Add-on of dapagliflozin to sitagliptin alone or in combination with metformin: A total of 452 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were drug naive, or who were treated at entry with metformin or a DPP4 inhibitor alone or in combination, and had inadequate glycaemic control (HbA1c ≥7.0% and ≤10.0% at randomization), participated in a 24-week, placebo-controlled study with a 24-week extension period to evaluate dapagliflozin in combination with sitagliptin with or without metformin.
Eligible patients were stratified based on the presence or absence of background metformin (≥1,500 mg/day) and within each stratum were randomized to either dapagliflozin 10 mg plus sitagliptin 100 mg once daily or placebo plus sitagliptin 100 mg once daily. Endpoints were tested for dapagliflozin 10 mg versus placebo for the total study group (sitagliptin with or without metformin) and for each stratum (sitagliptin alone or sitagliptin with metformin). Thirty-seven percent (37%) of patients were drug naive, 32% were on metformin alone, 13% were on a DPP4 inhibitor alone, and 18% were on a DPP4 inhibitor plus metformin. Dose titration of dapagliflozin, sitagliptin or metformin was not permitted during the study.
The mean age of the total study population was 54.9 years (18% ≥65 years of age), mean body mass index (BMI) was 32.40 kg/m
2 and 54.8% were male. The mean duration of type 2 diabetes mellitus was 5.67 years and the mean baseline HbA1c was 7.93% (HbA1c was slightly lower in patients using metformin [7.83%] than in patients not using metformin [8.03%]).
In combination with sitagliptin (with or without metformin), dapagliflozin 10 mg provided significant improvements in HbA1c, HbA1c in patients with baseline HbA1c ≥8%, and FPG, and significant reduction in body weight compared with the placebo plus sitagliptin (with or without metformin) group at Week 24. These improvements were also seen in the stratum of patients who received dapagliflozin 10 mg plus sitagliptin alone (n=110) compared with placebo plus sitagliptin alone (n=111), and in the stratum of patients who received dapagliflozin 10 mg plus sitagliptin with metformin (n=113) compared with placebo plus sitagliptin with metformin (n=113). Results on primary and key secondary endpoints are displayed in Table 1.
The proportion of patients achieving HbA1c <7% was higher in the dapagliflozin plus sitagliptin (with or without metformin) group (28.3%) compared to the placebo plus sitagliptin (with or without metformin) group (19.4%) at Week 24, using last observation carried forward (LOCF) analysis excluding data after rescue. Nominal p<0.05 for the difference between treatment groups.
The adjusted mean change from baseline in seated SBP in the full study population was -1.8 mmHg in the dapagliflozin plus sitagliptin (with or without metformin) group and 0.8 mmHg in the placebo plus sitagliptin (with or without metformin) group at Week 24, using last observation carried forward (LOCF) analysis including data after rescue. Nominal p<0.05 for the difference between treatment groups.
The proportion of patients at Week 24 and Week 48 who were rescued or discontinued for lack of glycaemic control (adjusted for baseline HbA1c) was higher for sitagliptin with or without metformin (40.5% and 56.5%, respectively) than for dapagliflozin plus sitagliptin with or without metformin (19.5% and 32.6%, respectively). (See Table 1.)
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Glycaemic control in special populations: Use in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension: Dapagliflozin: In the pre-specified pooled analysis of 13 placebo-controlled studies (see Adverse Reactions), treatment with dapagliflozin 10 mg resulted in a systolic blood pressure change from baseline of -3.7 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure of -1.8 mmHg versus -0.5 mmHg systolic and -0.5 mmHg diastolic blood pressure for the placebo group at Week 24. Similar reductions were observed up to 104 weeks.
In two 12-week, placebo-controlled studies, a total of 1,062 patients with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes and hypertension (despite pre-existing stable treatment with an ACE-I or ARB in one study and an ACE-I or ARB plus one additional antihypertensive treatment in another study) were treated with dapagliflozin 10 mg or placebo. At Week 12 for both studies, dapagliflozin 10 mg plus usual antidiabetic treatment provided improvement in HbA1c, and decreased the placebo-corrected systolic blood pressure on average by 3.1 and 4.3 mmHg, respectively.
Use in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and renal impairment: Dapagliflozin: The glycaemic efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin was evaluated in a dedicated study of patients with eGFR ≥45 to <60 mL/min/1.73 m
2.
In this randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial, a total of 321 adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and eGFR ≥45 to <60 mL/min/1.73 m
2 (moderate renal impairment subgroup Chronic Kidney Disease [CKD] 3A), with inadequate glycaemic control on current treatment regimen, were treated with dapagliflozin 10 mg or placebo. At Week 24, dapagliflozin 10 mg (n=159) provided significant improvements in HbA1c, FPG, body weight and SBP compared with placebo (n=161) (Table 2). The mean change from baseline in HbA1c and the placebo-corrected mean HbA1c change was -0.37% and -0.34%, respectively. The mean change from baseline in FPG and the placebo-corrected mean FPG was -1.19 mmol/L and -0.92 mmol/L, respectively. The mean body weight reduction (percentage) and the placebo-corrected mean body weight reduction was -3.42% and -1.43%, respectively. The mean reduction in seated SBP and the placebo-corrected mean reduction in seated SBP was -4.8 mmHg and -3.1 mmHg, respectively. (See Table 2.)
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The safety profile of dapagliflozin in the study was consistent with that in the general population of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Mean eGFR decreased initially during the treatment period in the dapagliflozin group and subsequently remained stable during the 24-week treatment period (dapagliflozin: -3.39 mL/min/1.73 m
2 and placebo: -0.90 mL/min/1.73 m
2). At 3 weeks after termination of dapagliflozin, the mean change from baseline in eGFR in the dapagliflozin group was similar to the mean change in the placebo group (dapagliflozin: 0.57 mL/min/1.73 m
2 and placebo: -0.04 mL/min/1.73 m
2).
The efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin was also assessed in a study of 252 patients with diabetes with eGFR ≥30 to <60 mL/min/1.73 m
2 (moderate renal impairment subgroup CKD 3A, eGFR ≥45 to <60 mL/minute/1.73 m
2 and CKD 3B, eGFR ≥30 to <45 mL/minute/1.73 m
2). Dapagliflozin treatment did not show a significant placebo-corrected change in HbA1c in the overall study population (CKD 3A and CKD 3B combined) at 24 weeks. At Week 52, dapagliflozin was associated with a greater reduction in mean eGFR (dapagliflozin 10 mg -4.46 mL/min/1.73 m
2 and placebo -2.58 mL/min/1.73 m
2). At Week 104, these changes persisted (eGFR: dapagliflozin 10 mg -3.50 mL/min/1.73 m
2 and placebo -2.38 mL/min/1.73 m
2). With dapagliflozin 10 mg, eGFR reduction evident at Week 1 and remained stable through Week 104, while placebo-treated patients had a slow continuous decline through Week 52 that stabilised through Week 104.
At Week 52 and persisting through Week 104, greater increases in mean parathyroid hormone (PTH) and serum phosphorus were observed in this study with dapagliflozin 10 mg compared to placebo, where baseline values of these analytes were higher. Elevations of potassium of ≥6 mEq/L were more common in patients treated with placebo (12.0%) than those treated with dapagliflozin 10 mg (4.8%) during the cumulative 104-week treatment period. The proportion of patients discontinued for elevated potassium, adjusted for baseline potassium, was higher for the placebo group (14.3%) than for the dapagliflozin 10 mg group (6.7%).
Overall, there were 13 patients with an adverse event of bone fracture reported in the dapagliflozin group. Eight (8) of these 13 fractures were in patients who had eGFR 30 to 45 mL/min/1.73 m
2 and 10 of the 13 fractures were reported within the first 52 weeks. There was no apparent pattern with respect to the site of fracture. No bone fractures were reported in the dedicated study of patients with eGFR ≥45 to <60 mL/min/1.73 m
2 (CKD 3A). No fractures were reported in the placebo group.
Supportive study: Dapagliflozin dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in type 2 diabetic patients: Due to the mechanism of action of dapagliflozin, a study was done to evaluate body composition and bone mineral density in 182 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Treatment with dapagliflozin 10 mg added on to metformin over a 24-week period provided significant improvements compared with placebo plus metformin, respectively, in body weight (mean change from baseline: -2.96 kg versus -0.88 kg); waist circumference (mean change from baseline: -2.51 cm versus -0.99 cm), and body-fat mass as measured by DXA (mean change from baseline: -2.22 kg versus -0.74 kg) rather than lean tissue or fluid loss. Dapagliflozin plus metformin treatment showed a numerical decrease in visceral adipose tissue compared with placebo plus metformin treatment (change from baseline: -322.6 cm
3 versus -8.7 cm
3) in an MRI substudy. In an ongoing extension of this study to week 50, there was no important change in bone mineral density for the lumbar spine, femoral neck or total hip seen in either treatment group (mean change from baseline for all anatomical regions <0.5%, 7/89 dapagliflozin and 4/91 comparator subjects showed a decrease of 5% or more). These effects were sustained in a further extension of the study to 102 weeks where no important changes in BMD for the lumbar spine, femoral neck or total hip in either treatment group were observed.
Cardiovascular outcomes studies in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: Dapagliflozin: Dapagliflozin Effect on Cardiovascular Events (DECLARE) was an international, multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study conducted to determine the effect of dapagliflozin compared with placebo on cardiovascular (CV) and renal outcomes when added to current background therapy. All patients had type 2 diabetes mellitus and either at least two additional CV risk factors (age ≥55 years in men or ≥60 years in women and one or more of dyslipidaemia, hypertension or current tobacco use) without having had a CV event at baseline (primary prevention) or established CV disease (secondary prevention).
Of 17,160 randomized patients, 69,74 (40.6%) had established CV disease and 10,186 (59.4%) did not have established CV disease. 8,582 patients were randomized to dapagliflozin 10 mg and 8,578 to placebo and were followed for a median of 4.2 years.
The mean age of the study population was 63.9 years, 37.4% were female, 79.6% were White, 3.5% Black or African-American and 13.4% Asian. In total, 22.4% had had diabetes for ≤5 years, mean duration of diabetes was 11.9 years. Mean HbA1c was 8.3% and mean BMI was 32.1 kg/m
2.
At baseline, 10.0% of patients had a history of heart failure. Mean eGFR was 85.2 mL/min/1.73 m
2, 7.4% of patients had eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m
2 and 30.3% of patients had micro- or macroalbuminuria (urine albumin to creatinine ratio [UACR] ≥30 to ≤300 mg/g or >300 mg/g, respectively).
Most patients (98.1%) used one or more diabetic medications at baseline, 82.0% of the patients were being treated with metformin, 40.9% with insulin, 42.7% with a sulfonylurea, 16.8% with a DPP4 inhibitor, and 4.4% with a GLP-1 agonist.
Approximately 81.3% of patients were treated with ACEi or ARB, 75.0% with statins, 61.1% with antiplatelet therapy, 55.5% with acetylsalicylic acid, 52.6% with beta-blockers, 34.9% with calcium channel blockers, 22.0% with thiazide diuretics and 10.5% with loop diuretics.
Results on primary and secondary endpoints are displayed in Figure 1. (See Figure 1.)
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Hospitalisation for heart failure or cardiovascular death: Dapagliflozin 10 mg was superior to placebo in preventing the primary composite endpoint of hospitalisation for heart failure or CV death (Hazard Ratio [HR] 0.83 [95% CI 0.73, 0.95]; p=0.005) (Figure 2).
Exploratory analyses of the single components suggest that the difference in treatment effect was driven by hospitalisation for heart failure (HR 0.73 [95% CI 0.61, 0.88]) (Figure 1), with no clear difference in CV death (HR 0.98 [95% CI 0.82 to 1.17]). (See Figure 2.)
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Major adverse cardiovascular events: Dapagliflozin demonstrated cardiovascular safety (tested as non-inferiority versus placebo for the composite of CV death, myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke [MACE]; one-sided p<0.001).
Nephropathy: The composite of confirmed sustained eGFR decrease, ESKD, renal or CV death was a secondary variable in the DECLARE study. Because confirmatory testing stopped before the secondary variables were assessed, the analyses of the secondary variables should be considered exploratory.
Dapagliflozin reduced the incidence of events of the composite of confirmed sustained eGFR decrease, ESKD, renal or CV death (HR 0.76 [95% CI 0.67, 0.87]; nominal p<0.001, Figure 3). The difference between groups was driven by reductions in events of the renal components; sustained eGFR decrease, ESKD and renal death (Figure 1), and was observed both in patients with and without CV disease. (See Figure 3.)
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When evaluating the renal components, there were 127 and 238 events of new or worsening nephropathy (sustained eGFR decrease, ESKD or renal death) in patients in the dapagliflozin and placebo groups, respectively. The HR for time to nephropathy was 0.53 (95% CI 0.43, 0.66) for dapagliflozin versus placebo.
Beneficial effects of dapagliflozin on renal outcomes were also observed for albuminuria, e.g.,: In patients without pre-existing albuminuria, dapagliflozin reduced the incidence of sustained albuminuria (UACR >30 mg/g) compared with placebo (HR 0.79 [95% CI 0.72, 0.87].
In patients without pre-existing macroalbuminuria, new onset of macroalbuminuria (UACR >300 mg/g) was reduced in the dapagliflozin group compared with the placebo group (HR 0.54 [95% CI 0.45, 0.65].
In patients with pre-existing macroalbuminuria, regression of macroalbuminuria was greater in the dapagliflozin group compared with the placebo group (HR 1.82 [95% CI 1.51, 2.20].
The treatment benefit of dapagliflozin over placebo was observed both in patients with and without existing renal impairment.
Sitagliptin: The Trial Evaluating Cardiovascular Outcomes with Sitagliptin (TECOS) was a randomised study in 14,671 patients in the intention-to-treat population with an HbA1c of ≥6.5 to 8.0% with established CV disease who received sitagliptin (7332) 100 mg daily (or 50 mg daily if the baseline eGFR was ≥30 and <50 mL/min/1.73 m
2) or placebo (7339) added to usual care targeting regional standards for HbA1c and CV risk factors. Patients with an eGFR <30 mL/min/1.73 m
2 were not to be enrolled in the study. The study population included 2004 patients ≥75 years of age and 3,324 patients with renal impairment (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m
2).
Over the course of the study, the overall estimated mean (SD) difference in HbA1c between the sitagliptin and placebo groups was -0.29% (0.01), 95% CI (-0.32, -0.27); p<0.001.
The primary cardiovascular endpoint was a composite of the first occurrence of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, or hospitalisation for unstable angina. Secondary cardiovascular endpoints included the first occurrence of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or non-fatal stroke; first occurrence of the individual components of the primary composite; all-cause mortality; and hospital admissions for congestive heart failure.
After a median follow-up of 3 years, sitagliptin, when added to usual care, did not increase the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events or the risk of hospitalisation for heart failure compared to usual care without sitagliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (see Table 3).
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Clinical safety: Events related to decreased renal function-dapagliflozin: In the 13-study, short-term, placebo-controlled pool, mean serum creatinine levels increased a small amount at Week 1 (mean change from baseline: 0.041 mg/dL dapagliflozin 10 mg versus 0.008 mg/dL placebo) and decreased toward baseline by Week 24 (mean change from baseline: 0.019 mg/dL dapagliflozin 10 mg versus 0.008 mg/dL placebo). There were no further changes through Week 102.
In the DECLARE study, there were fewer patients with marked laboratory abnormalities of creatinine, creatinine clearance, eGFR, and UACR in the dapagliflozin group compared with the placebo group. Fewer renal events (e.g., decreased renal creatinine clearance, renal impairment, increased blood creatinine, and decreased glomerular filtration rate) were reported in the dapagliflozin group compared with the placebo group: 422 (4.9%) and 526 (6.1%), respectively. There were fewer patients with events reported as acute kidney injury in the dapagliflozin group compared with the placebo group: 125 (1.5%) and 175 (2.0%), respectively. There were fewer patients with SAEs of renal events in the dapagliflozin group compared with the placebo group: 80 (0.9%) and 136 (1.6%), respectively.
Pharmacokinetics: The pharmacokinetics of the individual mono-components were generally similar in healthy subjects and in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Dapagliflozin/sitagliptin combination: Bioequivalence has been confirmed between the SIDAPVIA 10 mg/100 mg tablet and the individual dapagliflozin 10 mg and sitagliptin 100 mg tablets after single dose administration in the fasted state in healthy subjects.
Absorption: Dapagliflozin: Dapagliflozin is rapidly and well absorbed after oral administration and can be administered with or without food. Maximum dapagliflozin plasma concentrations (C
max) are usually attained within 2 hours after administration in the fasted state. The C
max and AUC values increase proportionally to the increment in dapagliflozin dose. The absolute oral bioavailability of dapagliflozin following the administration of a 10 mg dose is 78%. Food has relatively modest effects on the pharmacokinetics of dapagliflozin in healthy subjects. Administration with a high-fat meal decreases dapagliflozin C
max by up to 50% and prolonged T
max by approximately 1 hour, but does not alter AUC as compared with the fasted state. These changes are not considered to be clinically meaningful.
Sitagliptin: After oral administration of a 100-mg dose to healthy subjects, sitagliptin was rapidly absorbed, with peak plasma concentrations (median T
max) occurring 1 to 4 hours post dose. Plasma AUC of sitagliptin increased in a dose-proportional manner. Following a single oral 100 mg dose to healthy volunteers, mean plasma AUC of sitagliptin was 8.52 μM·hr, C
max was 950 nM and apparent terminal half-life (t
½) was 12.4 hours. Plasma AUC of sitagliptin increased approximately 14% following 100 mg doses at steady-state compared to the first dose. The intra-subject and inter-subject coefficients of variation for sitagliptin AUC were small (5.8% and 15.1%). The pharmacokinetics of sitagliptin were generally similar in healthy subjects and in patients with type 2 diabetes.
The absolute bioavailability of sitagliptin is approximately 87%. Since co-administration of a high-fat meal with sitagliptin had no effect on the pharmacokinetics, it may be administered with or without food.
Distribution: Dapagliflozin: Dapagliflozin is approximately 91% protein bound. Protein binding is not altered in various disease states (e.g., renal or hepatic impairment).
Sitagliptin: The mean volume of distribution at steady state following a single 100-mg intravenous dose of sitagliptin to healthy subjects is approximately 198 litres. The fraction of sitagliptin reversibly bound to plasma proteins is low (38%).
Metabolism: Dapagliflozin: Dapagliflozin is extensively metabolized, primarily to yield dapagliflozin 3-O-glucuronide, with a molar plasma AUC 52% higher than that of dapagliflozin itself at the clinical dose, is an inactive metabolite and does not contribute to the glucose-lowering effects. The formation of dapagliflozin 3-O-glucuronide is mediated by UGT1A9, an enzyme present in the liver and kidney, and CYP-mediated metabolism is a minor clearance pathway in humans.
Sitagliptin: Sitagliptin is primarily eliminated unchanged in urine, and metabolism is a minor pathway. Approximately 79% of sitagliptin is excreted unchanged in the urine.
Following a [
14C] sitagliptin oral dose, approximately 16% of the radioactivity was excreted as metabolites of sitagliptin. Six metabolites were detected at trace levels and are not expected to contribute to the plasma DPP4 inhibitory activity of sitagliptin.
In vitro studies indicated that the primary enzyme responsible for the limited metabolism of sitagliptin was CYP3A4, with contribution from CYP2C8.
Excretion: Dapagliflozin: Dapagliflozin and related metabolites are primarily eliminated via urinary excretion, of which less than 2% is unchanged dapagliflozin. After administration of 50 mg [
14C]-dapagliflozin dose, 96% is recovered; 75% in urine and 21% in faeces. In faeces, approximately 15% of the dose is excreted as parent drug. The mean plasma terminal half-life (t
½) for dapagliflozin was 12.9 hours following a single oral dose of dapagliflozin 10 mg to healthy subjects.
Sitagliptin: Following administration of an oral [
14C] sitagliptin dose to healthy subjects, approximately 100% of the administered radioactivity was eliminated in faeces (13%) or urine (87%) within one week of dosing. The apparent terminal t
½ following a 100-mg oral dose of sitagliptin was approximately 12.4 hours. Sitagliptin accumulates only minimally with multiple doses. The renal clearance was approximately 350 mL/min.
Elimination of sitagliptin occurs primarily via renal excretion and involves active tubular secretion. Sitagliptin is a substrate for human organic anion transporter-3 (hOAT-3), which may be involved in the renal elimination of sitagliptin. The clinical relevance of hOAT-3 in sitagliptin transport has not been established. Sitagliptin is also a substrate of P-gp, which may also be involved in mediating the renal elimination of sitagliptin. However, ciclosporin, a P-gp inhibitor, did not reduce the renal clearance of sitagliptin.
Special populations: Renal impairment: Dapagliflozin: At steady-state (20 mg once-daily dapagliflozin for 7 days), patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and mild, moderate, or severe renal impairment (as determined by iohexol clearance) had mean systemic exposures of dapagliflozin that were 32%, 60%, and 87% higher, respectively, than those of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and normal renal function. At dapagliflozin 20 mg once-daily, higher systemic exposure to dapagliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and renal impairment did not result in a correspondingly higher renal-glucose clearance or 24-hour glucose excretion. The renal-glucose clearance and 24-hour glucose excretion were lower in patients with moderate or severe renal impairment as compared to patients with normal and mild renal impairment. The steady-state 24-hour urinary glucose excretion was highly dependent on renal function, and 85, 52, 18, and 11 g of glucose/day was excreted by patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and normal renal function or mild, moderate, or severe renal impairment, respectively. There were no differences in the protein binding of dapagliflozin between renal impairment groups or compared to healthy subjects. The impact of haemodialysis on dapagliflozin exposure is not known.
Sitagliptin: Compared to normal healthy control subjects, plasma AUC of sitagliptin (50 mg) was increased by approximately 1.2-fold and 1.6-fold in patients with mild renal impairment (eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m
2 to <90 mL/min/1.73 m
2) and patients with moderate renal impairment (eGFR ≥45 mL/min/1.73 m
2 to <60 mL/min/1.73 m
2), respectively. Because increases of this magnitude are not clinically relevant, dosage adjustment in these patients is not necessary.
Plasma AUC of sitagliptin was increased approximately 2-fold in patients with moderate renal impairment (eGFR ≥30 mL/min/1.73 m
2 to <45 mL/min/1.73 m
2), and approximately 4-fold in patients with severe renal impairment (eGFR <30 mL/min/1.73 m
2), including in patients with ESKD on haemodialysis. Sitagliptin was modestly removed by haemodialysis (13.5% over a 3- to 4-hour haemodialysis session starting 4 hours post dose). To achieve plasma concentrations of sitagliptin similar to those in patients with normal renal function, lower dosages are recommended in patients with eGFR <45 mL/min/1.73 m
2 (see Precautions).
Hepatic impairment: Dapagliflozin: A single-dose (10 mg) dapagliflozin clinical pharmacology study was conducted in patients with mild, moderate, or severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh classes A, B, and C, respectively) and healthy matched controls in order to compare the pharmacokinetic characteristics of dapagliflozin between these populations. There were no differences in the protein binding of dapagliflozin between patients with hepatic impairment compared to healthy subjects. In patients with mild or moderate hepatic impairment, mean C
max and AUC of dapagliflozin were up to 12% and 36% higher, respectively, compared to healthy matched control subjects. These differences were not considered to be clinically meaningful and no dose adjustment from the proposed usual dose of 10 mg once daily for dapagliflozin is proposed for these populations. In patients with severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh class C) mean C
max and AUC of dapagliflozin were up to 40% and 67% higher than matched healthy controls, respectively. SIDAPVIA should not be used in patients with severe hepatic impairment (see Precautions).
Sitagliptin: In patients with moderate hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh score 7 to 9), mean AUC and C
max of sitagliptin increased approximately 21% and 13%, respectively, compared to healthy matched controls following administration of a single 100 mg dose of sitagliptin. These differences are not considered to be clinically meaningful. No dose adjustment for sitagliptin is necessary for patients with mild or moderate hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh score ≤9). There is no clinical experience in patients with severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh score >9). However, because sitagliptin is primarily renally eliminated, severe hepatic impairment is not expected to affect the pharmacokinetics of sitagliptin.
Age: Dapagliflozin: No dosage adjustment for dapagliflozin from the dose of 10 mg once daily is recommended on the basis of age.
The effect of age (young: ≥18 to <40 years [n=105] and elderly: ≥65 years [n=224]) was evaluated as a covariate in a population pharmacokinetic model and compared to patients ≥40 to <65 years using data from healthy subject and patient studies. The mean dapagliflozin systemic exposure (AUC) in young patients was estimated to be 10.4% lower than in the reference group (90% CI; 87.9, 92.2%) and 25% higher in elderly patients compared to the reference group (90% CI; 123, 129%). However, an increase exposure due to age-related decrease in renal function can be expected. There are insufficient data to draw conclusion regarding exposure in patients >70 years old.
Sitagliptin: No dose adjustment is required based on age. Age did not have a clinically meaningful impact on the pharmacokinetics of sitagliptin based on a population pharmacokinetic analysis of Phase 1 and Phase 2 data. Elderly subjects (65 to 80 years) had approximately 19% higher plasma concentrations of sitagliptin compared to younger subjects.
Paediatric and adolescent patients: Dapagliflozin: Pharmacokinetics in the paediatric and adolescent population have not been studied.
Sitagliptin: The pharmacokinetics of sitagliptin (single dose of 50 mg, 100 mg or 200 mg) were investigated in paediatric patients (10 to 17 years of age) with type 2 diabetes. In this population, the dose-adjusted AUC of sitagliptin in plasma was approximately 18% lower compared to historical data from adult patients with type 2 diabetes for a 100 mg dose.
No studies with sitagliptin have been performed in paediatric patients <10 years of age.
Gender: Dapagliflozin: No dosage adjustment from the dose of 10 mg once daily is recommended for dapagliflozin on the basis of gender. Gender was evaluated as a covariate in a population pharmacokinetic model using data from healthy subject and patient studies. The mean dapagliflozin AUCss in females (n=619) was estimated to be 22% higher than in males (n=634) (90% CI; 117, 124).
Sitagliptin: No dosage adjustment is necessary based on gender of the patient. Gender had no clinically meaningful effect on the pharmacokinetics of sitagliptin based on a composite analysis of Phase 1 pharmacokinetic data and on a population pharmacokinetic analysis of Phase 1 and Phase 2 data.
Race: Dapagliflozin: No dosage adjustment from the dapagliflozin dose of 10 mg once daily is recommended on the basis of race. Race (white, black [African descent], or Asian) was evaluated as a covariate in a population pharmacokinetic model using data from healthy subject and patient studies. Differences in systemic exposures between these races were small. Compared to whites (n=1,147), Asian subjects (n=47) had no difference in estimated mean dapagliflozin systemic exposures (90% CI range; 3.7% lower, 1% higher). Compared to whites, black (African descent) subjects (n=43) had 4.9% lower estimated mean dapagliflozin systemic exposures (90% CI range; 7.7% lower, 3.7% lower).
Sitagliptin: No dosage adjustment is necessary based on race. Race had no clinically meaningful effect on the pharmacokinetics of sitagliptin based on a composite analysis of Phase 1 pharmacokinetic data and on a population pharmacokinetic analysis of Phase 1 and Phase 2 data, including subjects of white, Hispanic, black, Asian, and other racial groups.
Body weight: Dapagliflozin: In a population pharmacokinetic analysis using data from healthy subjects and patient studies, systemic exposures in high-body-weight subjects (≥120 kg, n=91) were estimated to be 78.3% (90% CI; 78.2, 83.2%) of those of reference subjects with body weight between 75 and 100 kg. This difference is considered to be small, therefore, no dose adjustment from the proposed dose of 10 mg dapagliflozin once daily in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with high body weight (≥120 kg) is recommended.
Subjects with low body weights (<50 kg) were not well represented in the healthy subject and patient studies used in the population pharmacokinetic analysis. Therefore, dapagliflozin systemic exposures were simulated with a large number of subjects. The simulated mean dapagliflozin systemic exposures in low-body-weight subjects were estimated to be 29% higher than subjects with the reference group body weight. This difference is considered to be small, and based on these findings, no dose adjustment from the proposed dose of 10 mg dapagliflozin once daily in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with low body weight (<50 kg) is recommended.
Sitagliptin: No dosage adjustment is necessary based on Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI had no clinically meaningful effect on the pharmacokinetics of sitagliptin based on a composite analysis of Phase 1 pharmacokinetic data and on a population pharmacokinetic analysis of Phase 1 and Phase 2 data.
Toxicology: Preclinical Safety Data: Genotoxicity: Dapagliflozin: Dapagliflozin was positive in an
in vitro clastogenicity assay in the presence of metabolic activation. However, dapagliflozin was negative in the Ames mutagenicity assay and in a series of
in vivo clastogenicity studies evaluating micronuclei or DNA repair in rats at exposure multiples at least 2,100 times the human exposure at the MRHD. The weight of evidence from these studies, along with the absence of tumour findings in the rat and mouse carcinogenicity studies, support that dapagliflozin is not genotoxic.
Sitagliptin: Sitagliptin was not mutagenic or clastogenic in a battery of genetic toxicology studies, including the Ames bacterial mutagenicity assay, a chromosome aberration assay in Chinese hamster ovary cells, an
in vitro rat hepatocyte DNA alkaline elution assay (an assay which measures the compound's ability to induce single strand breaks in DNA), and an
in vivo mouse micronucleus assay.
Carcinogenicity: No carcinogenicity studies have been conducted with dapagliflozin and sitagliptin in combination.
Dapagliflozin: Dapagliflozin did not induce tumours in two-year carcinogenicity studies in mice or rats at oral doses up to 40 mg/kg/day and 10 mg/kg/day, respectively. These doses correspond to AUC exposure levels at least 78 times the human AUC at the MRHD of 10 mg/day.
Sitagliptin: A two-year carcinogenicity study was conducted in rats given oral doses of sitagliptin of 50, 150, and 500 mg/kg/day. There was an increased incidence of focal eosinophilic cellular alterations in the liver in both sexes at 150 mg/kg/day and at 500 mg/kg/day. There was an increased incidence of basophilic cellular alterations in females at 500 mg/kg/day. Eosinophilic and basophilic cellular alterations are regarded as preneoplastic lesions. There was an increase in hepatic adenomas and carcinomas in males, and hepatic carcinomas in females at 500 mg/kg/day. Systemic exposure in rats at 150 and 500 mg/kg/day are 19 and 58 times, respectively, that of humans at 100 mg/day. The no-observed effect level for induction of hepatic neoplasia in rats was 150 mg/kg/day, producing exposure approximately 19-fold higher than the human exposure at the 100 mg/day clinical dose. The increased incidence of hepatic tumours was likely secondary to chronic hepatic toxicity at this high dose. The clinical significance of these findings for humans is unknown.
In a two-year carcinogenicity study conducted in mice, sitagliptin did not increase tumour incidence at oral doses up to 500 mg/kg/day (approximately 68 times human exposure at the clinical dose of 100 mg/day).