Type 2 diabetes treatment now approved for people with kidney problems

A type 2 diabetes drug will now also be available for people with kidney problems after being approved for use in Europe.

Xultophy, or insulin degludec/liraglutide is a once-daily single injection combination of Tresiba (insulin degludec) and Victoza (liraglutide), is designed to improve control of blood sugar levels for people with type 2 diabetes.

Existing treatment options had been very limited for people with type 2 diabetes who also suffer from kidney disease.

Xultophy could provide a welcome additional treatment option for people with kidney problems

The recent approval of the drug by the European Commission will now provide an additional treatment option for people with kidney problems and covers all 28 European Union member states, in addition to Norway and Iceland.

Kidney disease is a common long-term complication of type 2 diabetes and requires frequent monitoring of blood glucose levels and kidney function. It is estimated that around 40% of people with type 2 diabetes could develop some form of kidney disease.

Andrew Boulton, Professor of Medicine at the University of Manchester and Consultant Physician at Manchester Royal Infirmary, said: “The label expansion of Xultophy (insulin degludec/liraglutide) is a very important milestone as the current treatment options are very limited for people with type 2 diabetes, and especially for those living with obesity, who also suffer from moderate renal impairment.”

Find out more about Xultophy on the NICE website

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