FDA approves Janssen’s Invokamet for diabetes

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved US health care giant Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals’ Invokamet, a fixed-dose therapy combining canagliflozin and metformin hydrochloride in a single tablet, for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes.

Invokamet provides the clinical attributes of Invokana (canagliflozin), the first sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor available in the USA, together with metformin, which is commonly prescribed early in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Invokamet is the first fixed-dose combination of an SGLT2 inhibitor with metformin approved in the USA, says Janssen.

"Invokamet combines, in one tablet, two complementary therapeutic approaches proven effective for managing type 2 diabetes," said Richard Aguilar, medical director of Diabetes Nation, adding: "Canagliflozin works with the kidney to promote the loss of glucose in the urine, whereas metformin decreases the production of glucose in the liver and improves the body's response to insulin."