LLY Eli Lilly and Co

By Ron Winslow 

A new diabetes drug marketed by Eli Lilly & Co. and Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH sharply reduced the risk of heart-related death in a large clinical trial, researchers said, marking the first time a diabetes medicine has shown such a benefit against cardiovascular disease.

In the 7,020-patient study, those taking Jardiance had a 14% lower risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke or dying of cardiovascular disease than those taking a placebo. The risk of death from heart-related causes alone was reduced by 38%, researchers said, while death from any cause was reduced by 32%.

Silvio Inzucchi, professor of medicine at Yale University School of Medicine and director of the Yale Diabetes Center, said the reduction in heart-related death was "impressive." Studies looking at the cardiovascular effect of other diabetes drugs have been "neutral," Dr. Inzucchi said. "It's been very depressing," he said. "This is the first time we've had a positive result."

Dr. Inzucchi was the senior author of the study, which was published online Thursday by the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Inzucchi also presented the findings at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Stockholm.

Lilly and closely held Boehringer Ingelheim had previously announced that the trial had shown a survival benefit, but the details weren't disclosed until they were presented at the meeting.

The magnitude of the benefit surprised not only researchers but also investors, who drove Lilly shares up 6.47% to $89.91. Leerink Partners called the results "exceedingly positive" and predicted changes in treatment guidelines that could increase use of Jardiance.

The drug, which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in August 2014, is a member of a class of drugs called SGLT-2 inhibitors. Other SGLT-2s including Invokana from Johnson and Johnson and Farxiga from AstraZeneca plc could also get a boost from the findings, Leerink said.

Nearly 30 million Americans have diabetes, the vast majority the type 2 version, which is often associated with being overweight or obese. While treatment focuses on lowering blood sugar, cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death among diabetics, yet lowering glucose hasn't been shown to affect heart risk.

Dr. Inzucchi said blood sugar reduction in the study was modest and not likely the reason for the benefit. "It's something about the drug itself, " he said. Interestingly, he noted, the drug didn't reduce risk of a heart attack or stroke. He speculated that the main benefit was likely related to effects that made it easier for the heart to beat. Patients in the study had a 35% reduction in risk of hospitalization for heart failure.

Write to Ron Winslow at ron.winslow@wsj.com

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 17, 2015 18:35 ET (22:35 GMT)

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