FDA Approves New Drug Treatments for Children With Type 2 Diabetes
By Anna Brooks
New drug treatments are now available for children with diabetes following the recent approval of Jardiance (empagliflozin) and Synjardy (empagliflozin and metformin hydrochloride) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
For the past 20 years, the only oral medication available for children with type 2 diabetes has been metformin. The FDA approval for children 10 and older of Jardiance (empagliflozin) and Synjardy (empagliflozin and metformin hydrochloride), which have been prescribed for adults with type 2 diabetes since 2014 and 2015, respectively, marks a new class of medication for treating type 2 diabetes in youth.
The most recent data estimates that roughly 30,000 children and young people in the U.S. have type 2 diabetes, with rates projected to increase close to 5% per year.
“Compared to adults, children with type 2 diabetes have limited treatment options, even though the disease and symptom onset generally progresses more rapidly in children,” said Michelle Carey, associate director for therapeutic review for diabetes, lipid disorders, and obesity in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research in a press release.
Synjardy is a combination of metformin and empagliflozin – the active ingredient in Jardiance. Empagliflozin is an SGLT-2 inhibitor that helps control blood sugar by removing excess glucose through the urine by preventing the kidneys from reabsorbing glucose in urine. Both medications can now be recommended for children in combination with a healthy diet and exercise.
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