Key takeaways:
Farxiga (dapagliflozin) is a Type 2 diabetes treatment that can also treat heart failure in people with or without diabetes. It belongs to a class of medications called sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors.
Experts don’t fully understand how Farxiga helps with heart failure. One possible explanation is that it takes stress off the heart by removing extra fluid and salt from the body.
There are several ways to save on Farxiga. GoodRx can help you access brand-name Farxiga at an exclusive cash price of $288. GoodRx can also help you save on the cost of generic Farxiga. Manufacturer savings cards and patient assistance programs are available as well.
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In the recent past, there have been a lot of advancements when it comes to treating heart failure. Notably, researchers found that some medications approved for Type 2 diabetes are also beneficial for people living with heart failure. Farxiga (dapagliflozin) is one example.
When Farxiga initially earned its FDA approval for heart failure, it was the first medication in its class to do so. Since then, others in its class have also proven helpful for the condition. But if you’re curious how Farxiga helps treat heart failure, we’ve got you covered. Below, we’ll explore what you need to know if you’re taking Farxiga for this condition.
What is Farxiga?
Farxiga is a once-daily oral tablet that belongs to a class of medications called sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. Other common SGLT2 inhibitors include Jardiance (empagliflozin) and Invokana (canagliflozin). These medications work in the kidneys and help the body get rid of extra blood sugar (glucose) by urinating.
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What is Farxiga used for?
Farxiga has four FDA-approved uses. The table below details the conditions it treats and the benefits it has for people living with those conditions.
Health condition | Benefit |
|---|---|
Adults and children ages 10 and older with Type 2 diabetes | Lowers blood sugar and betters diabetes management |
Adults with heart failure | Lowers risk of urgent care visits, hospitalization, and death |
Adults with chronic kidney disease | Lowers risk of worsening kidney function, end-stage kidney disease, death, and hospitalization for heart failure |
Adults with Type 2 diabetes who also have heart disease or who are at risk of developing heart disease | Lowers risk of hospitalization for heart failure |
How does Farxiga help heart failure?
Farxiga may help manage heart failure by taking stress off the heart. Clinical trials have shown that Farxiga helps lower the risk of heart failure complications, such as death or hospital stays. What’s more, it provides significant benefits regardless of a person’s ejection fraction. An ejection fraction is a way to measure how much blood is pumped out by the heart.
Researchers have investigated how SGLT2 inhibitors, such as Farxiga, may help improve heart failure. Farxiga works in your kidneys to help get rid of extra blood sugar. But they also help remove extra sodium (salt) and fluid, which helps take stress off the heart. Some other possible ways Farxiga may help with heart failure include lowering blood pressure, lowering levels of heart-related inflammation, and stopping the heart from changing shape over time.
Even with all these theories, experts still don’t fully understand how Farxiga helps heart failure. Researchers are still figuring out which explanation is the most accurate, or if there are other reasons. For now, we might not know how Farxiga helps heart failure — we just know it does.
Does Farxiga only treat heart failure for people with Type 2 diabetes?
No, you can take Farxiga for heart failure even if you don’t have Type 2 diabetes.
While heart failure is a common health condition that affects people living with diabetes, the studies that evaluated Farxiga for heart failure included people with and without Type 2 diabetes. Study participants experienced heart failure benefits regardless of whether they had diabetes.
Farxiga dosage for heart failure
The typical Farxiga dosage for heart failure is one 10 mg tablet by mouth once a day. You can take it with or without food. But it’s best to take Farxiga in the morning. This medication can cause you to urinate more often than usual. Taking it early in the day can help keep you from getting up during the night to go to the bathroom.
What are the side effects of Farxiga for heart failure?
The possible side effects of taking Farxiga for heart failure are similar to when people take it for Type 2 diabetes or kidney disease.
Possible side effects include:
Yeast infections around the genitals (more common for women than men)
Cold-like symptoms
Having to urinate more often
What to expect: Learn more about notable Farxiga (dapagliflozin) side effects — from nausea to yeast infections — and how to manage them.
Does Farxiga cause weight loss? Check out the answer to this and other frequently asked questions about Farxiga.
What’s the best time to take Farxiga? Pharmacists discuss this and other tips for taking Farxiga so you can get the most out of your medication.
It’s possible to become dehydrated while taking Farxiga. In severe cases, dehydration can lead to acute (sudden) kidney damage. Be sure to stay well hydrated while taking Farxiga. If you notice a sudden drop in how often or how much you urinate, contact your prescriber.
If you also have Type 2 diabetes, it’s important to be aware of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). On its own, Farxiga has a low risk of causing hypoglycemia. But when combined with certain other diabetes medications, such as insulin, this risk goes up. It’s best to have a plan in place for treating low blood sugar quickly if it happens to you.
Very rarely, people taking Farxiga have experienced life-threatening genital infections. If you develop swelling on or near the genitals, along with pain or fever, contact your prescriber.
How to save on Farxiga
There are ways to save on Farxiga, which is available as a brand-name medication and authorized generic. GoodRx can help you navigate between GoodRx coupons, copay savings cards, and patient assistance programs to save money on your prescription.
Save with GoodRx: Anyone with a valid prescription — whether you have insurance or not — can use GoodRx to purchase a 30-day supply of brand-name Farxiga at an exclusive cash price of $288. GoodRx can also help you save over 50% off the retail cost of the generic version.
Save with a copay savings card: If you have commercial insurance, you may be eligible to pay as little as $0 per month for Farxiga using a savings card from the manufacturer.
Save with a patient assistance program: If you’re uninsured or underinsured, you may be eligible for Farxiga’s patient assistance program, which offers the medication free of charge.
Frequently asked questions
Farxiga starts working for heart failure about 2 to 4 weeks after you start taking it. During clinical trials, people had lower rates of heart failure complications after this amount of time. They also reported fewer symptoms of the condition. Farxiga’s heart failure benefits should continue the entire time you take the medication.
If you stop taking Farxiga, heart failure symptoms may worsen or return. And your risks for heart failure complications will go back up.
Studies on Farxiga haven’t evaluated whether it can reverse heart failure. But in general, heart failure is a long-term condition. It’s not curable for many people. However, depending on the cause of heart failure, it may be reversible for some people with medications and lifestyle changes.
The most similar alternatives to Farxiga for heart failure include Jardiance and Inpefa (sotagliflozin). These medications work similarly to Farxiga.
Other heart failure medications include Entresto (sacubitril / valsartan), diuretics (water pills), and certain blood pressure medications. But it’s more likely that these medications would be used in addition to Farxiga instead of in place of it.
Farxiga starts working for heart failure about 2 to 4 weeks after you start taking it. During clinical trials, people had lower rates of heart failure complications after this amount of time. They also reported fewer symptoms of the condition. Farxiga’s heart failure benefits should continue the entire time you take the medication.
If you stop taking Farxiga, heart failure symptoms may worsen or return. And your risks for heart failure complications will go back up.
Studies on Farxiga haven’t evaluated whether it can reverse heart failure. But in general, heart failure is a long-term condition. It’s not curable for many people. However, depending on the cause of heart failure, it may be reversible for some people with medications and lifestyle changes.
The most similar alternatives to Farxiga for heart failure include Jardiance and Inpefa (sotagliflozin). These medications work similarly to Farxiga.
Other heart failure medications include Entresto (sacubitril / valsartan), diuretics (water pills), and certain blood pressure medications. But it’s more likely that these medications would be used in addition to Farxiga instead of in place of it.
The bottom line
Farxiga (dapagliflozin) is an oral medication that’s FDA approved to treat adults living with heart failure. It’s also approved for Type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. While researchers are still trying to explain how Farxiga helps heart failure, they know it significantly lowers your risk of hospital stays and death due to heart failure. Talk to your healthcare team to see if this once-daily tablet could be an option for you.
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References
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. (2024). Farxiga- dapagliflozin tablet, film coated [package insert].
Kemp, A. (2020). Farxiga approved in the US for the treatment of heart failure in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. AstraZeneca.
Kemp, A. (2023). Farxiga extended in the US to reduce risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalisation for heart failure to a broader range of patients. AstraZeneca.
Lopaschuk, G. D., et al. (2020). Mechanisms of cardiovascular benefits of sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. JACC Basic to Translational Science.
McMurray, J. J. V., et al. (2019). Dapagliflozin in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction. The New England Journal of Medicine.
Talha, K. M., et al. (2023). SGLT-2 inhibitors in heart failure: A review of current evidence. International Journal of Heart Failure.
