The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has expanded the approval of Jardiance (empagliflozin), marking a significant advancement in heart failure treatment. This latest authorization makes Jardiance the first and only medication approved for improving outcomes across the full spectrum of heart failure patients, regardless of their left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) status.
The expanded indication builds upon Jardiance's 2021 approval for reducing cardiovascular death and hospitalization risk in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction. This breakthrough addresses a critical need in cardiovascular medicine, particularly for the approximately three million adults in the United States living with preserved ejection fraction, a condition with historically limited treatment options.
Clinical Trial Results Support Expansion
The FDA's decision was supported by compelling data from the EMPEROR-Preserved phase III trial, a large-scale international study involving 5,988 adults with heart failure and LVEF over 40%. The trial demonstrated that a once-daily 10mg dose of Jardiance achieved:
- 21% relative risk reduction in the composite primary endpoint of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure (3.3% absolute risk reduction, HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.69-0.90)
- 27% reduction in the relative risk of first and recurrent hospitalizations for heart failure
"In its phase 3 trials, empagliflozin has shown a statistically significant and clinically meaningful benefit in patients with heart failure across the spectrum of ejection fraction," noted Dr. Javed Butler, Chairman of the Department of Medicine at the University of Mississippi.
Addressing a Major Public Health Challenge
Heart disease affects more than 650,000 people annually in the United States, and despite advances in treatment across multiple drug classes, mortality remains a significant concern. Dr. Norman Stockbridge, director of the Division of Cardiology and Nephrology in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, emphasized the importance of this approval: "While Jardiance may not be effective in all patients with heart failure, this approval is a significant step forward for patients and our understanding of heart failure."
Evolution of Jardiance's Therapeutic Applications
Originally approved in 2014 for improving glucose control in adults with type 2 diabetes, Jardiance's therapeutic applications have expanded significantly. The drug, developed by Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim, is now approved for:
- Improving glucose control in adults with type 2 diabetes when combined with diet and exercise
- Reducing cardiovascular death risk in adults with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease
- Treating heart failure across the full spectrum of ejection fraction
This latest approval coincides with American Heart Month, providing healthcare providers with an additional tool to combat heart disease and improve patient outcomes across a broader population of heart failure patients.
