JW Pharmaceutical: Empagard Reduces HbA1c by 0.81% in Phase 3 Clinical Trial

24-Week Clinical Trial with Metformin Combination
Target HbA1c Achievement Rate at 55.7%... More Than Twice That of Control Group

JW Pharmaceutical announced on October 6 that it presented the phase 3 clinical trial results for Empagard, a combination drug of anagliptin (brand name Gardlet) and empagliflozin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, at the recent European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD 2026) Annual Scientific Meeting.

This phase 3 trial targeted patients with type 2 diabetes whose blood sugar levels were insufficiently controlled even with combined therapy of metformin and empagliflozin. The study compared the efficacy and safety between a control group that continued using metformin with empagliflozin monotherapy, and a treatment group that switched to a combination of metformin plus Empagard.

The site of the Phase 3 clinical trial results announcement for the diabetes treatment drug 'Empagard'. JW Pharmaceutical

The clinical trial, conducted over 24 weeks at 26 hospitals across Korea, found that the Empagard group saw a 0.81% reduction in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c)—a key indicator of diabetes management—compared to baseline, demonstrating a significantly greater glucose-lowering effect than the control group (which had a 0.24% reduction). The proportion of patients reaching the target HbA1c (≤7.0%) was also more than twice as high in the Empagard group at 55.7%, compared to 25.5% in the control group. Additional benefits included improvements in pancreatic beta cell function and reductions in fasting blood glucose.

In terms of safety, the incidence of adverse events was similar between the Empagard group and the control group, and no cases of severe hypoglycemia were reported.

At EASD, Professor Kim Sangyong of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Chosun University Hospital presented the clinical results. Professor Kim explained that triple therapy using Empagard could be an effective and safe treatment option for patients who have not achieved glycemic control with conventional dual therapy.

Professor Kim stated, "When Empagard was administered to patients whose blood sugar could not be controlled with existing medication combinations, we observed a remarkable blood glucose-lowering effect and improvements in pancreatic beta cell function," adding, "It is expected to provide a new treatment option for patients whose therapeutic choices were previously limited."

Based on these clinical results, JW Pharmaceutical plans to strengthen the market position of Empagard and Gardlet as diabetes treatments, and expand marketing efforts utilizing the clinical evidence.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.