Lilly/Boehringer's long-acting diabetes pill approved in US

Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim’s Synjardy XR diabetes combination drug has been approved in the US, giving patients a convenient way of taking two complementary medicines in one tablet.

The long-acting drug combines the active ingredient in the companies’ Jardiance (empagliflozin) with the commonly used diabetes medicine, metformin.

The short-acting version of Synjardy was approved in the EU and US last year - the extended release version is the eighth medicine to come from a diabetes partnership between Lilly and Boehringer.

Most significantly, just last week the companies gained FDA approval to allow them to claim cardiovascular benefits for Jardiance. This is the first time ever a diabetes drug can make cardio-protective benefits, having proven to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in a key trial, and is Jardiance is now tipped to become the market leader.

Synjardy XR is the fourth FDA-approved treatment that contains empagliflozin. Metformin, a commonly prescribed initial treatment for type 2 diabetes, lowers glucose production by the liver and its absorption in the intestine.

The FDA approval of Syndardy XR is based on results from multiple clinical trials examining the co-administration of empagliflozin and metformin, alone or in combination with sulfonylurea, in the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes.

Paul Fonteyne, president and CEO of Boehringer in the US, said: “Adults with type 2 diabetes now have another convenient daily option to help them reach their glycaemic goals, whether they are already being treated or are just at the beginning of their treatment."