JW Pharmaceutical announced on Tuesday that it presented clinical trial results for its type 2 diabetes treatment, Anagliptin (brand name Guardlet), and the combination drug with empagliflozin, Empagard, at the recent European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD 2026) annual meeting.
The Phase 3 clinical trial focused on patients with type 2 diabetes who had inadequate blood sugar control despite using a combination of metformin and empagliflozin.
Researchers compared the efficacy and safety of the Empagard combination therapy (metformin + Empagard) against a control group maintaining the existing dual therapy (metformin + empagliflozin).
Results showed that the triple therapy provided superior blood sugar control compared to the existing dual therapy, establishing clinical evidence supporting the potential for enhanced treatment through the combination of metformin and Empagard.
Notably, Empagard showed promise as a valuable treatment option for patients with inadequate blood sugar control on existing therapies, offering the possibility of expanding to triple therapy.
At the EASD conference, Professor Kim Sang-yong from Chosun University Hospital’s Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism presented the findings.
He emphasized the blood sugar reduction and improvement in pancreatic beta-cell function observed in patients who received Empagard after failing dual therapy, underscoring that the triple therapy using Empagard is an effective and safe treatment option.
Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterized by increased insulin resistance and decreased insulin secretion, resulting in persistently high blood sugar levels.
For patients whose blood sugar remains poorly controlled with the existing dual therapy of metformin and empagliflozin (an SGLT-2 inhibitor), additional treatment options with proven efficacy and safety are needed.
SGLT-2 inhibitors lower blood sugar by preventing glucose reabsorption in the kidneys, leading to sugar excretion through urine. Empagliflozin is a prominent example of an SGLT-2 inhibitor.
The 24-week clinical trial, conducted at 26 hospitals in South Korea, revealed that the Empagard group experienced a 0.81% reduction in HbA1c levels, a key diabetes management indicator, compared to a 0.24% reduction in the control group, demonstrating superior blood sugar-lowering effects.
The rate of patients reaching the target blood sugar level (HbA1c below 7.0%) was significantly higher in the Empagard group at 55.7%, more than double the control group’s 25.5%. Improvements in pancreatic beta-cell function and reductions in fasting blood sugar were also observed.
Safety-wise, the Empagard group showed a similar rate of adverse effects compared to the control group, with no reported cases of severe hypoglycemia.
JW Pharmaceutical plans to leverage these clinical results to strengthen the market position of Guardlet and Empagard in the diabetes treatment sector and expand evidence-based clinical marketing.
A JW Pharmaceutical spokesperson stated that this clinical data provides meaningful confirmation of Empagard’s excellent blood sugar control and safety based on real-world clinical evidence. It remains committed to offering diverse treatment options and reliable clinical data for diabetes patients.
