AstraZeneca reports promising results for drug in patients with diabetes and a prior heart attack

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AstraZeneca is reporting positive results from a  sub-analysis of a late-stage trial that showed that Farxiga reduced the relative risk of cardiovascular events by  16 percent for patients with type 2 diabetes who had an earlier heart attack.

compared to placebo in patients with type-2 diabetes (T2D) who had a prior heart attack (myocardial infarction).

In another pre-specified sub-analysis, Farxiga compared to placebo reduced the relative risk of hospitalization for heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes. 

The data were presented at the American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) 68th Annual Scientific Session in New Orleans.

Elisabeth Björk, AstraZeneca senior vice president, head of late Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, R&D BioPharmaceuticals, said: “These data build upon the existing evidence of the cardio-renal effects of Farxiga, with important new evidence on heart failure and MACE. Heart failure is one of the most common early cardiovascular complications of type-2 diabetes. Despite advances in healthcare, it remains as life-threatening and prevalent as the combined incidence of the top-four most common forms of cancer. Therefore, more needs to be done for patients.”

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AstraZeneca has been seeing successes in its research and development pipeline, despite numerous setbacks as it works to find replacements for drugs that lost patent protection.

The company employs 1,500 in northern Delaware but has no research sites in the state after moving out of the mental illness drug market. 

Thomson Reuters estimated that Farxiga could see annual sales of $2.7 billion by 2023, up from the current figure of $1.4 billion. 

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