Janssen’s Invokana receives draft guidance

Janssen has received National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) draft guidance for its Invokana medicine.

Use of Invokana (canagliflozin) will be limited initially, as it still needs to receive final positive guidance from NICE – a process that will evaluate its cost-effectiveness and suitability for use in the NHS in England and Wales.

The pharma division of Johnson & Johnson said it will now market Invokana (canagliflozin) in its approved indication to help type 2 diabetes patients, who are unresponsive to other treatments, lower their blood sugar levels.

Invokana's NICE draft guidance supports the use of the drug as another option to treat some type 2 diabetes patients in the UK, but only as part of a dual therapy regimen in combination with metformin and if the patient has a significant risk of hypoglycaemia.

The drug can also be used as part of a triple therapy regimen in combination with metformin and a sulfonylurea.