AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion recommending approval of Xigduo (dapagliflozin and metformin hydrochloride) for adults aged 18 and older with type 2 diabetes mellitus as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycaemic control in patients inadequately controlled on their current metformin-based treatment regimen or who are currently being treated with the combination of dapgliflozin and metformin as separate tablets.

Xigduo combines dapagliflozin (tradename Forxiga), a selective and reversible inhibitor of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), and metformin hydrochloride in a twice daily tablet. This is the first CHMP recommendation for a SGLT2 and metformin hydrochloride fixed dosage combination. The CHMP's positive opinion will now be reviewed by the European Commission, which has the authority to approve medicines for the European Union. The final decision will be applicable to all 28 European Union member countries plus Iceland and Norway.

Xigduo combines Forxiga and metformin hydrochloride, two anti hyperglycaemic products with complementary mechanisms of action to improve glycaemic control. Forxiga, the first medicine in the SGLT2 class to gain regulatory approval, is currently approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in the European Union, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Mexico and New Zealand.

The kidney plays an important role in maintaining normal glucose balance by filtering and reabsorbing glucose from circulation. SGLT2, a sodium-glucose cotransporter found predominantly in the kidney, is responsible for the majority of glucose reabsorption. In patients with type 2 diabetes, the capacity of the kidney to reabsorb glucose is increased by approximately 20 per cent, further exacerbating the hyperglycemia associated with the disease. Selective inhibition of SGLT2 reduces the reabsorption of excess glucose and enables its removal via the urine.

AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb are working in collaboration to research, develop and commercialize a versatile portfolio of innovative treatment options for diabetes and related metabolic disorders that aim to provide treatment effects beyond glucose control.

AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of cardiovascular, metabolic, respiratory, inflammation, autoimmune, oncology, infection and neuroscience diseases.

Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases.