Introduction
Dapagliflozin (trade name EU: Forxiga, U.S.: Farxiga) has been approved in Germany since November 2012 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults who can't reduce their blood sugar levels enough through diet and exercise alone. Since March 2019, it has also been available for adults with type 1 diabetes who are overweight.
Diabetes is a metabolic disease that affects many different parts of the body. In patients with type 1 diabetes, the can only produce insulin in small quantities or not at all. They therefore have to inject insulin regularly. In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas still produces enough insulin at first, but the body’s cells gradually lose the ability to absorb and use the insulin. If the blood sugar levels can't be lowered enough by diet changes and exercise, medications are used to regulate them.
Dapagliflozin is a treatment option for people with type 2 diabetes who don’t tolerate the standard medication metformin. Dapagliflozin may also be used in addition to other blood-sugar-lowering drugs (including insulin) if they don't provide adequate control of blood sugar levels. People with type 1 diabetes may use dapagliflozin in addition to insulin if their is above 27 kg/m² and if insulin alone can't lower blood sugar levels enough.