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Empagliflozin/Linagliptin: A Review in Type 2 Diabetes

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Abstract

Empagliflozin/linagliptin (Glyxambi®) is a once-daily sodium glucose co-transporter type 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor and dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4 inhibitor fixed-dose combination product that is approved in the USA as an adjunct to diet and exercise in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) when treatment with both empagliflozin and linagliptin is appropriate. This article reviews the clinical efficacy and tolerability of oral empagliflozin/linagliptin in patients with T2D and summarizes the pharmacological properties of the agents. Results of two randomized controlled trials of 52 weeks’ duration in adults with T2D demonstrated that empagliflozin/linagliptin improved glycaemic control significantly more than linagliptin when administered as initial therapy (whereas results vs. empagliflozin were mixed in this setting) and significantly more than linagliptin or empagliflozin when administered as an add-on therapy to metformin. In addition to glycaemic control, empagliflozin/linagliptin provided significant weight loss compared with linagliptin in both trials. Empagliflozin/linagliptin was generally well tolerated in patients with T2D, with a low risk of hypoglycaemia and no reports of exacerbations of, or hospitalizations for, heart failure during the trials. As the first SGLT2 inhibitor/DPP-4 inhibitor fixed-dose combination available, empagliflozin/linagliptin is a useful new option for patients with T2D.

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Acknowledgments

During the peer review process, the manufacturer of empagliflozin/linagliptin was also offered an opportunity to review this article. Changes resulting from comments received were made on the basis of scientific and editorial merit.

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    Esther S. Kim & Emma D. Deeks

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  1. Esther S. Kim
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Correspondence to Esther S. Kim.

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The preparation of this review was not supported by any external funding.

Conflict of interest

Esther Kim and Emma Deeks are salaried employees of Adis/Springer, are responsible for the article content and declare no relevant conflicts of interest.

Additional information

The manuscript was reviewed by: M. Abdul-Ghani, University of Texas Health and Science Center at San Antonio, Diabetes Division, San Antonio, TX, USA; D. S. H. Bell, Southside Endocrinology, University of Alabama Medical School, Birmingham, AL, USA; A. J. Scheen, University of Liège, Division of Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolic Disorders and Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Liège, Belgium.

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Kim, E.S., Deeks, E.D. Empagliflozin/Linagliptin: A Review in Type 2 Diabetes. Drugs 75, 1547–1557 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40265-015-0457-z

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