Jardiance Adverse Reactions

Summary of the safety profile: Type 2 diabetes mellitus: A total of 15,582 patients with type 2 diabetes were included in clinical studies to evaluate the safety of empagliflozin, of which 10,004 patients received empagliflozin, either alone or in combination with metformin, a sulphonylurea, pioglitazone, DPP-4 inhibitors, or insulin.
In 6 placebo-controlled trials of 18 to 24 weeks duration, 3,534 patients were included of which 1,183 were treated with placebo and 2,351 with empagliflozin. The overall incidence of adverse events in patients treated with empagliflozin was similar to placebo. The most frequently reported adverse reaction was hypoglycaemia when used with sulphonylurea or insulin (see Description of selected adverse reactions as follows).
Heart failure: The EMPEROR studies included patients with heart failure and either reduced ejection fraction (N = 3726) or preserved ejection fraction (N = 5985) treated with 10 mg empagliflozin or placebo. Approximately half of the patients had type 2 diabetes mellitus.
The most frequent adverse drug reaction was volume depletion (empagliflozin 10 mg: 11.4%; placebo: 9.7%).
The overall safety profile of Jardiance was generally consistent across the studied indications.
Tabulated list of adverse reactions: Adverse reactions classified by system organ class and MedDRA preferred terms reported in patients who received empagliflozin in placebo-controlled studies are presented in the table as follows (Table 16).
The adverse reactions are listed by absolute frequency. Frequencies are defined as very common (≥1/10), common (≥1/100 to <1/10), uncommon (≥1/1,000 to <1/100), rare (≥1/10,000 to <1/1,000), or very rare (<1/10,000), and not known (cannot be estimated from the available data). (See Table 16.)

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Description of selected adverse reactions: Hypoglycaemia: The frequency of hypoglycaemia depended on the background therapy in the respective studies and was similar for empagliflozin and placebo as monotherapy, add-on to metformin, add-on to pioglitazone with or without metformin, as add-on with linagliptin and metformin and as adjunct to standard care therapy and for the combination of empaglilfozin with metformin in drug-naïve patients compared to those treated with empagliflozin and metformin as individual components. An increased frequency was noted when given as add-on to metformin and a sulphonylurea (empagliflozin 10 mg: 16.1%, empagliflozin 25 mg: 11.5%, placebo: 8.4%), and as add-on to basal insulin with or without metformin and with or without a sulphonylurea (empagliflozin 10 mg: 19.5%, empagliflozin 25 mg: 28.4%, placebo: 20.6% during initial 18 weeks treatment when insulin could not be adjusted; empagliflozin 10 mg and 25 mg: 36.1%, placebo 35.3% over the 78-week trial) and add-on to MDI insulin with or without metformin (empagliflozin 10 mg: 39.8%, empagliflozin 25 mg: 41.3%, placebo: 37.2% during initial 18 weeks treatment when insulin could not be adjusted; empagliflozin 10 mg: 51.1%, empagliflozin 25 mg: 57.7%, placebo: 58% over the 52-week trial).
In the EMPEROR heart failure studies, similar frequency of hypoglycaemia was noted when used add-on to sulphonylurea or insulin (empagliflozin 10 mg: 6.5%, placebo: 6.7%).
Major hypoglycaemia (event requiring assistance): No increase in major hypoglycaemia was observed with empagliflozin compared to placebo as monotherapy, add-on to metformin, add-on to metformin and a sulphonylurea, add-on to pioglitazone with or without metformin, add-on to linagliptin and metformin, as adjunct to standard care therapy and for the combination of empaglilfozin with metformin in drug-naive patients compared to those treated with empagliflozin and metformin as individual components. An increased frequency was noted when given as add-on to basal insulin with or without metformin and with or without a sulphonylurea (empagliflozin 10 mg: 0%, empagliflozin 25 mg: 1.3%, placebo: 0% during initial 18 weeks treatment when insulin could not be adjusted; empagliflozin 10 mg: 0%, empagliflozin 25 mg: 1.3%, placebo 0% over the 78-week trial) and add-on to MDI insulin with or without metformin (empagliflozin 10 mg: 0.5%, empagliflozin 25 mg: 0.5%, placebo: 0.5% during initial 18 weeks treatment when insulin could not be adjusted; empagliflozin 10 mg: 1.6%, empagliflozin 25 mg: 0.5%, placebo: 1.6% over the 52-week trial).
In the EMPEROR heart failure studies, major hypoglycaemia was observed at similar frequencies in patients with diabetes mellitus when treated with empagliflozin and placebo as add-on to sulphonylurea or insulin (empagliflozin 10 mg: 2.2%, placebo: 1.9%).
Vaginal moniliasis, vulvovaginitis, balanitis and other genital infection: Vaginal moniliasis, vulvovaginitis, balanitis and other genital infections were reported more frequently in patients treated with empagliflozin (empagliflozin 10 mg: 4.0%, empagliflozin 25 mg: 3.9%) compared to placebo (1.0%). These infections were reported more frequently in females treated with empagliflozin compared to placebo, and the difference in frequency was less pronounced in males. The genital tract infections were mild or moderate in intensity.
In the EMPEROR heart failure studies, the frequency of these infections was more pronounced in patients with diabetes mellitus (empagliflozin 10 mg: 2.3%; placebo: 0.8%) than in patients without diabetes mellitus (empagliflozin 10 mg: 1.7%; placebo: 0.7%) when treated with empagliflozin compared to placebo.
Increased urination: Increased urination (including the predefined terms pollakiuria, polyuria, and nocturia) was observed at higher frequencies in patients treated with empagliflozin (empagliflozin 10 mg: 3.5%, empagliflozin 25 mg: 3.3%) compared to placebo (1.4%). Increased urination was mostly mild or moderate in intensity. The frequency of reported nocturia was similar for placebo and empagliflozin (<1%).
In the EMPEROR heart failure study, increased urination was observed at similar frequencies in patients treated with empagliflozin and placebo (empagliflozin 10 mg: 0.9%, placebo 0.5%).
Urinary tract infection: The overall frequency of urinary tract infection reported as adverse event was similar in patients treated with empagliflozin 25 mg and placebo (7.0% and 7.2%) and higher in empagliflozin 10 mg (8.8%). Similar to placebo, urinary tract infection was reported more frequently for empagliflozin in patients with a history of chronic or recurrent urinary tract infections. The intensity (mild, moderate, severe) of urinary tract infection was similar in patients treated with empagliflozin and placebo. Urinary tract infection was reported more frequently in females treated with empagliflozin compared to placebo; there was no difference in males.
Volume depletion: The overall frequency of volume depletion (including the predefined terms blood pressure (ambulatory) decreased, blood pressure systolic decreased, dehydration, hypotension, hypovolaemia, orthostatic hypotension, and syncope) was similar in patients treated with empagliflozin (empagliflozin 10 mg: 0.6%, empagliflozin 25 mg: 0.4%) and placebo (0.3%). The frequency of volume depletion events was increased in patients 75 years and older treated with empagliflozin 10 mg (2.3%) or empagliflozin 25 mg (4.3%) compared to placebo (2.1%).
Blood creatinine increased/Glomerular filtration rate decreased: The overall frequency of patients with increased blood creatinine and decreased glomerular filtration rate was similar between empagliflozin and placebo (blood creatinine increased: empagliflozin 10 mg 0.6%, empagliflozin 25 mg 0.1%, placebo 0.5%; glomerular filtration rate decreased: empagliflozin 10 mg 0.1%, empagliflozin 25 mg 0%, placebo 0.3%).
In placebo-controlled, double-blind studies up to 76 weeks, initial transient increases in creatinine (mean change from baseline after 12 weeks: empagliflozin 10 mg 0.02 mg/dL, empagliflozin 25 mg 0.01 mg/dL) and initial transient decreases in estimated glomerular filtration rates (mean change from baseline after 12 weeks: empagliflozin 10 mg -1.34 mL/min/1.73 m², empagliflozin 25 mg -1.37 mL/min/1.73 m²) have been observed. These changes were generally reversible during continuous treatment or after drug discontinuation (see Figure 6 under Pharmacology: Pharmacodynamics: Clinical Trials for the eGFR course in the EMPA-REG OUTCOME study under Actions).
Serum lipids increased: Mean percent increases from baseline for empagliflozin 10 mg and 25 mg versus placebo, respectively, were total cholesterol 4.9% and 5.7% versus 3.5%; HDL-cholesterol 3.3% and 3.6% versus 0.4 %; LDL-cholesterol 9.5% and 10.0% versus 7.5%; triglycerides 9.2% and 9.9% versus 10.5%.
Haematocrit increased: Mean changes from baseline in haematocrit were 3.4% and 3.6% for empagliflozin 10 mg and 25 mg, respectively, compared to 0.1% for placebo. In the EMPA-REG Outcome study, haematocrit values returned towards baseline values after a follow-up period of 30 days after treatment stop.