Safety and efficacy of dapagliflozin in patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis: a prespecified analysis of the DAPA-CKD trial

Background: \ud Despite renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system blockade and immunosuppressive treatment, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) often progresses to kidney failure. The objective of this pre-specified analysis of DAPA-CKD was to assess efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin in a small subgroup participants with FSGS confirmed by kidney biopsy.\ud \ud Methods: \ud In DAPA-CKD, patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 25–75 mL/min/1.73m2 and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) 200–5000 mg/g (22.6–565 mg/mol) were randomised to dapagliflozin 10mg once-daily or placebo as an adjunct to standard care, and followed for median 2.4 years. The primary composite endpoint was sustained eGFR decline ≥ 50%, end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), or kidney or cardiovascular death. The endpoint of interest for this analysis was eGFR slope (acute effects from baseline to Week 2 and chronic effects from Week 2 to end of treatment).\ud \ud Results: \ud Of 104 participants with biopsy-confirmed FSGS, 45 were randomised to dapagliflozin and 59 to placebo. Mean (SD) age was 54.0 (14.3) years, mean eGFR 41.9 (11.5) mL/min/1.73m2 and median (IQR) UACR 1248 (749–2211) mg/g. The primary outcome occurred in 4 (8.9%) and 7 (11.9%) participants randomised to dapagliflozin and placebo, respectively (HR 0.62, 95%CI 0.17–2.17). Dapagliflozin led to a larger acute reduction (SE) in eGFR compared to placebo (−4.5 [95% CI − 5.9-−3.1] vs − 0.9 [−2.1–0.4] mL/min/1.73m2 per 2 wks). Thereafter, mean rates of chronic eGFR decline with dapagliflozin and placebo were − 1.9 (−3.0-−0.9) and − 4.0 (−4.9-−3.0) mL/min/1.73m2/year, respectively (difference 2.0 [95%CI 0.6–3.5] mL/min/1.73m2/year). Adverse events leading to study drug discontinuation were similar in both groups; there were fewer serious adverse events with dapagliflozin.\ud \ud Conclusion: \ud Among DAPA-CKD participants with FSGS, dapagliflozin reduced the rate of chronic decline of eGFR compared to placebo, although this difference was not statistically significant.