Drugs normally used to treat chronic conditions have been found to make no difference in treating seriously ill Covid-19 patients, according to an analysis of multiple trials. SGLT2 (Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2) inhibitors are drugs normally used to treat conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart failure and kidney disease. Several research groups across the world decided to test its use on seriously ill Covid-19 patients due to their potential effectiveness in reducing inflammation and protecting blood cells.Researchers at the Institute of Regeneration and Repair at the University of Edinburgh working with the WHO’s REACT (Rapid Evidence Appraisal for COVID-19 Therapies) working group, conducted a prospective meta-analysis of multiple international trials. They examined the use of SGLT2 inhibitors on people with Covid-19 in hospitals to see if it would help them get better and prevent them from dying from the illness. We wanted to generate comprehensive evidence on whether SLGT2 inhibitors would reduce deaths in hospitalised patients with Covid-19. However, we found that SLGT2 inhibitors make no difference and do not help prevent seriously ill hospital patients with Covid-19 from dying. Importantly, we also observed that SGLT2 inhibitors are safe to administer in acutely unwell patients, which again is important information that was uncertain before our study. Professor Manu Shankar-Hari Chair of Translational Critical Care Medicine, at the IRR’s Centre for Inflammation Research The REACT Working Group collaborates with researchers conducting clinical trials globally to generate evidence to support clinical practice guidelines so that they are comprehensive and can be applied to different healthcare systems.The findings have been published in The Lancet – Diabetes and Endocrinology. The team from the Institute’s Centre for Inflammation Research worked with teams of researchers on trials on over 6,000 eligible hospital patients with Covid-19 by giving them oral doses of the SLGT2 inhibitors or providing standard care or placebo tests over 28 days. The scientists were looking to see if the inhibitors prevented hospital patients with Covid-19 from dying. At the time of designing this study, there was limited information on the use of SGLT2 inhibitors in Covid-19. Only one completed trial (DARE-19) reported no safety issues, while two others (ACTIV-4a and RECOVERY) were still recruiting participants. The Lancet – Diabetes and Endocrinology Article Professor Manu Shankar-Hari Research Group Publication date 17 Oct, 2024
