Empagliflozin consistently improves outcomes for patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) compared to a placebo, according to new data from the recently completed EMPEROR-Preserved phase III clinical trial.
The SGLT2 inhibitor, manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company, is commonly sold under the name Jardiance. This is the latest in a series of EMPEROR studies aimed at exploring the safety and effectiveness of empagliflozin as a heart failure treatment.
Nearly 6,000 patients were included in the analysis. The full results are scheduled to be presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2021 in August.
“Building on previous results from the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial, and the EMPEROR-Reduced trial in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, the EMPEROR-Preserved findings demonstrate that empagliflozin reduces cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure and has the potential to transform the care of people living with heart failure,” cardiologist Stefan Anker, MD, PhD, principal investigator of the EMPEROR-Preserved trial, said in a prepared statement.
“No approved therapies have been clinically proven to improve outcomes specifically for people with HFpEF, leaving a significant unmet medical need in this already prevalent and increasingly common form of heart failure,” added Mohamed Eid, MD, MPH, MHA, vice president of clinical development and medical affairs, cardio-metabolism & respiratory medicine for Boehringer Ingelheim. “The totality of the data from the EMPEROR-Preserved trial marks a possible new chapter in heart failure, supporting the potential of Jardiance to become the first SGLT2 inhibitor to treat a defined population of adults with heart failure with either preserved or reduced ejection fraction.”
Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly are expected to seek key regulatory approvals throughout the rest of 2021.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.