Jardiance Special Precautions

General: JARDIANCE should not be used in patients with type 1 diabetes or for the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis.
Diabetic ketoacidosis: Cases of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a serious life-threatening condition requiring urgent hospitalization, have been reported in patients treated with empagliflozin, including fatal cases. In a number of reported cases, the presentation of the condition was atypical with only moderately increased blood glucose values, below 14 mmol/l (250 mg/dl).
The risk of diabetic ketoacidosis must be considered in the event of non-specific symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, anorexia, abdominal pain, excessive thirst, difficulty breathing, confusion, unusual fatigue or sleepiness.
Patients should be assessed for ketoacidosis immediately if these symptoms occur, regardless of blood glucose level. If ketoacidosis is suspected, JARDIANCE should be discontinued, patient should be evaluated, and prompt treatment should be instituted.
Patients who may be at higher risk of ketoacidosis while taking JARDIANCE include patients on a very low carbohydrate diet (as the combination may further increase ketone body production), patients with an acute illness, pancreatic disorders suggesting insulin deficiency (e.g., type 1 diabetes, history of pancreatitis or pancreatic surgery), insulin dose reduction (including insulin pump failure), alcohol abuse, severe dehydration, and patients with a history of ketoacidosis. JARDIANCE should be used with caution in these patients. When reducing the insulin dose (see Dosage & Administration), caution should be taken. In patients treated with JARDIANCE consider monitoring for ketoacidosis and temporarily discontinuing JARDIANCE in clinical situations known to predispose to ketoacidosis (e.g. prolonged fasting due to acute illness or surgery).
Use in patients with renal impairment: JARDIANCE should not be initiated in patients with an eGFR <60mL/min/1.73m². JARDIANCE should be discontinued if eGFR falls below 45mL/min/1.73m². In patients with moderate impairment and eGFR ≥45mL/min/1.73m², close monitoring of renal function is recommended. JARDIANCE should not be used in patients with ESRD or in patients on dialysis as it is not expected to be effective in these patients (see Pharmacology: Pharmacokinetics under Actions and Dosage & Administration).
Monitoring of renal function: Due to the mechanism of action, the efficacy of JARDIANCE is dependent on renal function. Therefore, assessment of renal function is recommended as follows: Prior to JARDIANCE initiation and periodically during treatment, i.e. at least yearly (see Pharmacology: Pharmacokinetics under Actions and Dosage & Administration).
Prior to initiation of any concomitant medicinal product that may have a negative impact on renal function.
Hepatic injury: Cases of hepatic injury have been reported with JARDIANCE in clinical trials. A causal relationship between empagliflozin and hepatic injury has not been established.
Use in patients at risk for volume depletion: Based on the mode of action of SGLT-2 inhibitors, osmotic diuresis accompanying therapeutic glucosuria may lead to a modest decrease in blood pressure (see Pharmacology under Actions). Therefore, caution should be exercised in patients for whom an empagliflozin-induced drop in blood pressure could pose a risk, such as patients with known cardiovascular disease, patients on anti-hypertensive therapy with a history of hypotension or patients aged 75 years and older.
In case of conditions that may lead to fluid loss (e.g. gastrointestinal illness), careful monitoring of volume status (e.g. physical examination, blood pressure measurements, laboratory tests including haematocrit) and electrolytes is recommended for patients receiving empagliflozin. Temporary interruption of treatment with JARDIANCE should be considered until the fluid loss is corrected.
Urinary tract infections: In the pooled placebo-controlled double-blind trials of 18 to 24 weeks duration, the overall frequency of urinary tract infection reported as adverse event was higher than placebo in patients treated with empagliflozin 10 mg and similar to placebo in patients treated with empagliflozin 25 mg (see Side Effects). Complicated urinary tract infections (including serious urinary tract infections, pyelonephritis or urosepsis) occurred at a similar frequency in patients treated with empagliflozin compared to placebo. However, temporary interruption of JARDIANCE should be considered in patients with complicated urinary tract infections.
Elderly patients: The effect of empagliflozin on urinary glucose excretion is associated with osmotic diuresis, which could affect the hydration status. Patients aged 75 years and older may be at an increased risk of volume depletion. A higher number of these patients treated with JARDIANCE had adverse reactions related to volume depletion as compared to placebo (see Side Effects).
Therapeutic experience in patients aged 85 years and older is limited. Initiation of JARDIANCE therapy in this population is not recommended (see Dosage & Administration).
Cardiac failure: Experience in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I-II is limited, and there is no experience in clinical studies with JARDIANCE in NYHA class III-IV.
Urine laboratory assessments: Due to its mechanism of action, patients taking JARDIANCE will test positive for glucose in their urine.
Lactose: The tablets contain lactose. Patients with rare hereditary problems of galactose intolerance, the Lapp lactase deficiency, or glucose-galactose malabsorption should not take this medicinal product.
Effects on ability to drive and use machines: JARDIANCE has minor influence on the ability to drive and use machines. Patients should be advised to take precautions to avoid hypoglycaemia while driving and using machines, in particular when JARDIANCE is used in combination with a sulfonylureanylurea.