AstraZeneca on expanding its diabetes research franchise

AstraZeneca is hoping to build a strong focus on cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic (CVRM) diseases. Richard Staines spoke with Joris Silon about this increasingly important part of its business.

One of Pascal Soriot’s first big decisions after taking over as CEO of AstraZeneca was to take control of a long-standing diabetes alliance with Bristol-Myers Squibb.

The deal signed in 2014 gave AZ full control over what is turning out to be one of its most important drugs – Forxiga/Farxiga (dapagliflozin), an SGLT-2 inhibitor that was initially used as a way of controlling blood sugar in patients with diabetes.

But as science has moved on, it emerged that the drug was far more versatile than this – and data under review by regulators shows it can be used to reduce risk of hospitalisation for heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes, and even those without diabetes and certain other risk factors.

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