US FDA strengthens existing warning on canagliflozin, dapagliflozin

Drug labels of both type 2 diabetes drugs to now include revised warnings on acute kidney injury and recommendations to minimise risks

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has strengthened the existing warning about the risk of acute kidney injury for the type 2 diabetes medicines canagliflozin (Invokana, Invokamet) and dapagliflozin (Farxiga, Xigduo XR). Based on recent reports, it has revised the warnings in the drug labels to include information about acute kidney injury and added recommendations to minimise this risk.

The US FDA has recommended patients to immediately seek medical attention if they experience signs and symptoms of acute kidney injury. Healthcare professionals have been advised to consider factors that may predispose patients to acute kidney injury prior to starting them on canagliflozin or dapagliflozin. These include decreased blood volume; chronic kidney insufficiency; congestive heart failure; and taking other medications such as diuretics, blood pressure medicines called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Assess kidney function prior to starting canagliflozin or dapagliflozin and monitor periodically thereafter. If acute kidney injury occurs, promptly discontinue the drug and treat the kidney impairment.