WIREDGOV

NICE has published final guidance recommending three drugs for treating type 2 diabetes.

The three drugs can all be used on their own if a person can’t use metformin or other specific drugs[1], and diet and exercise alone isn’t controlling their blood glucose levels.

Around 3 million people in the UK have type 2 diabetes. An estimated 31,000 people may be eligible for the three recommended treatments: canagliflozin (Invokana), dapagliflozin (Forxiga) and empagliflozin (Jardiance). The cost of a course of treatment over one year with each drug is around £475.

Professor Carole Longson, director of the NICE Centre for Health Technology Evaluation, said: “Type 2 diabetes is long-term condition that has a serious impact on people who live with it, and the treatments given should be tailored for the individual.

“For many people whose blood glucose levels aren’t controlled by diet and exercise alone, metformin is the first drug treatment that they’ll be offered. But some people may experience nausea and diarrhoea, and they may not be able to take it if they have kidney damage. For people who can’t take a sulfonylurea or pioglitazone, then the three drugs recommended in this guidance can be considered.  This is as an alternative to the separate group of drugs called dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors.

“The committee agreed that people with diabetes and their clinicians would value having an additional treatment option to help manage their type 2 diabetes – which this positive guidance provides.”

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