A new medicine called sotagliflozin has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and it could help people with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease lower their risk of heart attacks and strokes.
A major global study, led by a doctor from Mount Sinai, found that this drug can protect the heart in people who are at high risk.
Sotagliflozin is part of a group of drugs called SGLT inhibitors. These drugs help lower blood sugar by blocking certain proteins in the body. Most SGLT drugs only block one protein, called SGLT2. But sotagliflozin blocks both SGLT1 and SGLT2. This makes it different from other diabetes medications.
The new study, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, is the first to show that blocking both proteins gives extra protection for the heart. Because of these results, more doctors may start using this drug to help prevent heart attacks and strokes in people with diabetes or kidney disease.
The lead researcher, Dr. Deepak L. Bhatt, explained how the drug works. It blocks SGLT1, which is found in the kidneys, gut, heart, and brain, and SGLT2, which is mainly in the kidneys. This combination seems to help protect the heart better than drugs that only block one of these proteins.
The clinical trial was called SCORED. It involved over 10,000 patients from different countries. All the patients had type 2 diabetes, long-term kidney problems, and other risks for heart disease. Some were given sotagliflozin, and others were given a fake pill (called a placebo). The researchers followed them for about 16 months.
The results were impressive. People who took sotagliflozin had a 23% lower chance of having a heart attack, stroke, or dying from heart disease compared to those who took the placebo. This means that sotagliflozin does more than just control blood sugar and kidney disease—it can also protect the heart.
Dr. Bhatt says this drug gives doctors a new option for helping people with serious health risks. Sotagliflozin was already approved for reducing deaths from heart disease and for lowering hospital visits for heart failure. Now, this study shows it may also help prevent heart attacks and strokes.
This research offers strong proof that sotagliflozin is more than just a diabetes medicine. It may be an important tool for fighting heart disease in people who already have diabetes and kidney problems. These people are more likely to have heart issues, so a medicine that helps in multiple ways is very valuable.
One reason sotagliflozin may work better is because it blocks both SGLT1 and SGLT2. Other drugs in the same group only block one protein and haven’t shown as much success in stopping heart attacks or strokes. This dual effect could be what makes sotagliflozin so powerful.
Still, more studies are needed to understand how this drug works over the long term and whether it could help even more people. Scientists will continue to test it and learn more. If future research confirms these benefits, it could change how doctors treat diabetes and heart problems.
For now, the news is hopeful. Millions of people may be able to manage their blood sugar and protect their hearts with this new medicine.
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