Invokana bests placebo for several risks with type 2 diabetes patients

Results from the CANVAS Program showed Invokana (canagliflozin) compared to placebo actually can reduce combined risk of cardiovascular (CV) death, myocardial infarction (MI), and nonfatal stroke, in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at risk for or with a history of CV disease.

According to Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies’s presentation at the American Diabetes Association’s summit in San Diego, the results also showed canagliflozin treatment was connected with a reduced risk for hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) and showed potential renal protective effects.

The CANVAS Program is the first program to assess the efficacy, safety, and durability of canagliflozin in more than 10,000 patients with T2DM, who had either a prior history of CV disease, or at least two CV risk factors.

“The CANVAS results are important because they show clear benefit of canagliflozin over current standard-of-care treatments,” said Bruce Neal, principal investigator of the CANVAS and CANVAS-R trials. He added that  the CANVAS Program showed consistent reductions across all components of the primary study outcome – CV death, MI and stroke – indicating efficacy of canagliflozin for all the main CV risks likely to affect patients with diabetes.

David Matthews, CANVAS Steering Committee co-chair, said that these data are promising as they suggest canagliflozin may offer potential benefits for patients with type 2 diabetes, who are also facing complications from, or are at risk for, hospitalization for heart failure or kidney disease.