BRIEF—Indian approval for Farxiga in chronic kidney disease

The Indian business of British pharma major AstraZeneca has secured approval for the anti-diabetic drug Farxiga (dapagliflozin), for adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

The approval for Farxiga, which is marketed in Europe under the Forxiga brand, is based on results from the DAPA-CKD trial.

A novel SGLT2 inhibitor, the therapy has gone from strength to strength since its first approval, now bringing in over a billion dollars per quarter globally for AstraZeneca.

CKD is one of the leading causes of hospitalization in India, with an estimated ten million patients with stage 4 disease in the country.

Indian medical affairs vice president Anil Kukreja said: “Today, there is a paradigm shift in the usage of leading diabetic drugs for a wider scope and we see huge potential for this segment.”