Vokanamet: new combination oral hypoglycaemic

Vokanamet (canagliflozin/metformin) is indicated in adults aged 18 years and older with type II diabetes mellitus as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycaemic control in patients:

• not adequately controlled on their maximally tolerated doses of metformin alone
• receiving maximally tolerated doses of metformin along with other glucose-lowering medicinal products including insulin, when these do not provide adequate glycaemic control 
• already being treated with the combination of canagliflozin and metformin as separate tablets.

As an inhibitor of SGLT2 glucose transporters in the kidney, canagliflozin has a complementary glucose-lowering action to that of metformin.

Vokanamet is taken as a single tablet twice daily with food, and is available in two presentations containing 50mg canagliflozin plus either 850mg or 1g metformin. The initial strength of tablet should be selected on the basis of the patient’s current metformin dose.

When adding Vokanamet to a regimen containing insulin or a sulfonylurea, prescribers should consider lowering the dose of insulin and/or sulfonylurea to reduce the risk of hypoglycaemia.

View Vokanamet drug record

Further information: Janssen-Cilag

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