Post hoc analysis of SCORED trial sheds positive light on Inpefa for heart failure

At this year’s American Heart Association Scientific Session, positive results were presented from Lexicon Pharmaceuticals’s SCORED analysis of Inpefa (sotagliflozin), providing insight into the drug’s ability to significantly reduce the risk of heart failure (HF) in as little as three months. According to a post hoc analysis of the SCORED study, the use of Inpefa was shown to reduce the risk of total cardiovascular (CV) deaths, hospitalisations, or urgent visits by 29% compared to placebo. Furthermore, the study also found a 23% reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) compared to placebo. GlobalData believes that this analysis could be of high clinical value to cardiologists looking to find an optimal treatment of choice for patients, which may bolster the current use of the drug among patients with HF.

SCORED was a large randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multicentre Phase III study to demonstrate the effects of Inpefa when added to standard of care in 10,584 patients with type 2 diabetes, moderately impaired renal function, and risk of CV disease. Key opinion leaders interviewed by GlobalData emphasised that sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are taking precedence over established older classes, because they are effective, and physicians don’t have to be wary of major side effects when discharging patients from the hospital. Inpefa has had to compete with already well-established SGLT2 inhibitors, Forxiga (dapagliflozin) and Jardiance (empagliflozin). In addition, the widespread use of generic HF drugs continues to make it difficult for high-priced branded therapies to fully penetrate the market. Data from the post hoc analysis potentially shows clinical and commercial benefits of Inpefa over other SGLT2 inhibitors.

Lexicon is a biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialisation of innovative treatments for human diseases. Lexicon is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas, US. The company’s only HF agent is Inpefa and the drug was approved in May 2023 for HF. GlobalData believes the class effect of the SGLT2 inhibitors in HF will benefit the marketing strategies of Inpefa in worsening HF.