The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new medicine called Xigduo XR for people with type 2 diabetes. This pill combines two common diabetes drugs: dapagliflozin and extended-release metformin. It is taken once a day and is meant to be used along with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control. The approval covers adults and children aged 10 years and older with type 2 diabetes.
Xigduo XR is not just for blood sugar. In adults, the dapagliflozin part of the pill has additional approved uses. It can help reduce the risk of serious kidney problems, heart failure, and related hospitalizations in certain patients. Specifically, it is approved for adults with chronic kidney disease who are at risk of getting worse, for adults with heart failure, and for adults with type 2 diabetes who have heart disease or are at high risk for it.
This approval is important because it offers a fixed-dose combination in one pill. That may make it easier for patients to stick to their treatment plan, since they only need to take one tablet instead of two separate medicines. However, the drug is not recommended for people with type 1 diabetes, and it is only for type 2 diabetes because of the metformin component.
Before starting Xigduo XR, doctors should check kidney function and fluid status. The dose will depend on what the patient is already taking and how well their kidneys work. As with any medicine, patients should talk to their doctor about whether Xigduo XR is right for them and what side effects to watch for.
