Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca’s Forxiga to receive NHS funding

Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca have announced that NHS funding for their oral type 2 diabetes medicine Forxiga (dapagliflozin) has been made mandatory in England and Wales.

Eligible UK patients will be able to have their treatments paid for after the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended the use of Forxiga as a dual therapy in combination with metformin and insulin, with or without other oral antidiabetic drugs.

The drug has a novel mechanism of action that allows it to remove excess glucose from the body through the urine, thereby helping to control blood glucose and remove calories from the body, while providing weight loss as a secondary benefit.

Clifford Bailey, professor of clinical science at Aston University, said: "The availability of dapagliflozin on the NHS is a significant development for patients and healthcare professionals."

Clinical trials involving more than 4,500 type 2 diabetes patients have demonstrated the drug's safety and efficacy.

Last week, Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca reported data showing its benefits when used as an add-on to metformin plus sulfonylurea.