More information about 3-Epi Empagliflozin (R)-Furanose
Empagliflozin, sold under the brand name Jardiance among others, is an antidiabetic medication used to improve glucose control in people with type 2 diabetes, used to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease, used to reduce the risk of death and hospitalization in people with heart failure and low ejection fraction, and used to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure in adults. It can be prescribed instead of metformin and has benefits over sulfonylureas. It may be used together with other medications such as metformin or insulin. It is not recommended for type 1 diabetes. It is taken by mouth.
Common side effects include urinary tract infections, fungal infections of the groin, and joint pains. Rarer but more serious side effects include a skin infection of the groin called Fournier's gangrene and a form of diabetic ketoacidosis with normal blood sugar levels. Use in pregnancy and breastfeeding is not recommended. Use is not recommended in those with significant kidney disease, though it may help slow the progression of mild kidney problems. Empagliflozin is an inhibitor of the sodium glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2), and works by increasing sugar lost in the urine.
Empagliflozin was approved for medical use in the United States and in the European Union in 2014. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. In 2019, it was the 146th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 4\u00a0million prescriptions.
