FDA approves Qtern
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Qtern (dapagliflozin and saxagliptin), a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibitor fixed-dose combination for the once-daily treatment of adult patients with type 2 diabetes.
Before you start taking Qtern:
Tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had
inflammation of your pancreas (pancreatitis)
stones in your gallbladder (gallstones)
a history of alcoholism
high blood triglyceride levels
It is not known if having these medical problems will make you more likely to get pancreatitis with Qtern.
Stop treatment and contact your healthcare provider right away if you have pain in your stomach area (abdomen) that is severe and will not go away. The pain may be felt going from your abdomen through to your back. The pain may happen with or without vomiting. These may be symptoms of pancreatitis.
Heart failure. Heart failure means your heart does not pump blood well enough.
Before you start taking Qtern:
Tell your healthcare provider if you
have ever had heart failure or have problems with your kidneys.
Contact your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms:
increasing shortness of breath or trouble breathing, especially when you lie down
swelling or fluid retention, especially in the feet, ankles or legs
an unusually fast increase in weight
unusual tiredness
These may be symptoms of heart failure.
Dehydration. Qtern can cause some people to become dehydrated (the loss of body water and salt). Dehydration may cause you to feel dizzy, faint, lightheaded, or weak, especially when you stand up (orthostatic hypotension). You may be at a higher risk of dehydration if you:
have low blood pressure
take medicines to lower your blood pressure, including water pills (diuretics)
are 65 years of age or older
are on a low salt diet
have kidney problems
Vaginal yeast infection.
Women who take Qtern may get vaginal yeast infections. Symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection include:
vaginal odor
white or yellowish vaginal discharge (discharge may be lumpy or look like cottage cheese)
vaginal itching
Yeast infection of the penis (balanitis). Men who take Qtern may get a yeast infection of the skin around the penis. Certain men who are not circumcised may have swelling of the penis that makes it difficult to pull back the skin around the tip of the penis. Other symptoms of yeast infection of the penis include:
redness, itching, or swelling of the penis
rash of the penis
foul smelling discharge from the penis
pain in the skin around the penis
Talk to your healthcare provider about what to do if you get symptoms of a yeast infection of the vagina or penis. Your healthcare provider may suggest you use an over-the-counter antifungal medicine.
Bladder cancer. In studies of dapagliflozin in people with diabetes, bladder cancer occurred in a few more people who were taking dapagliflozin than in people who were taking other diabetes medications. There were too few cases to know if bladder cancer was related to dapagliflozin. You should not take Qtern if you have bladder cancer. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms:
blood or a red color in your urine
pain while you urinate
Do not take Qtern if you:
are allergic to dapagliflozin, saxagliptin, or any of the other ingredients.
Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction to Qtern may include:
swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and throat that may cause difficulty in breathing or swallowing
difficulty with swallowing or breathing
skin rash, itching, flaking or peeling
raised red patches on your skin (hives)
If you have any of these symptoms, stop taking Qtern and contact your healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.
have severe kidney problems, or are on dialysis.
Before you start treatment, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
have type 1 diabetes or have had diabetic ketoacidosis (increased ketones in your blood or urine).
have kidney problems.
have liver problems.
have a history of urinary tract infections or problems urinating.
have or have had bladder cancer.
are going to have surgery.
are eating less due to illness, surgery or a change in your diet.
have or have had problems with your pancreas, including pancreatitis or surgery on your pancreas.
drink alcohol very often, or drink a lot of alcohol in the short term (binge drinking).
are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Qtern may harm your unborn baby. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to control your blood sugar.
are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Qtern passes into your breast milk. Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby during treatment.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.
Qtern side effects
Qtern may cause serious side effects, including:
Ketoacidosis (increased ketones in your blood or urine). Ketoacidosis has happened in people who have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, during treatment with dapagliflozin, one of the active ingredients in Qtern. Ketoacidosis is a serious condition, which may need to be treated in a hospital. Ketoacidosis may lead to death. Ketoacidosis can happen with dapagliflozin even if your blood sugar is less than 250 mg/dL. Stop taking treatment and call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms:
nausea
tiredness
vomiting
trouble breathing
stomach area (abdominal) pain
If you get any of these symptoms during treatment, if possible check for ketones in your urine, even if your blood sugar is less than 250 mg/dL.
Kidney problems. Sudden kidney injury has happened to people taking dapagliflozin. Talk to your healthcare provider right away if you:
reduce the amount of food or liquid you drink for example, if you are sick and cannot eat or
you start to lose liquids from your body when vomiting, diarrhea or being in the sun too long.
Serious urinary tract infections. Serious urinary tract infections that may lead to hospitalization have happened in people who are taking dapagliflozin. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any signs or symptoms of a urinary tract infection such as a burning feeling when passing urine, a need to urinate often, the need to urinate right away, pain in the lower part of your stomach (pelvis), or blood in the urine. Sometimes people also may have a fever, back pain, nausea or vomiting.
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). When either of the medicines in Qtern, saxagliptin or dapagliflozin, are taken with another medicine that can cause low blood sugar, such as a sulfonylurea or insulin, this can increase your risk of getting low blood sugar. Tell your healthcare provider if you take other diabetes medicines. Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar may include:
shaking or feeling jittery
hunger
change in mood
sweating
headache
confusion
rapid heartbeat
drowsiness
irritability
change in vision
weakness
Increased fats in your blood (bad cholesterol or LDL).
Joint pain. Some people who take medicines called DPP-4 inhibitors like saxagliptin, may develop joint pain that can be severe. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have severe joint pain.
Skin reaction. Some people who take medicines called DPP-4 inhibitors, one of the active ingredients, may develop a skin reaction called bullous pemphigoid that can require treatment in a hospital. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you develop blisters or the breakdown of the outer layer of your skin (erosion). Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop treatment.
The most common side effects of Qtern include:
upper respiratory tract infection
urinary tract infection
dyslipidemia abnormal amounts of fats in the blood
These are not all of the possible side effects of Qtern.
Source: drugs.com
