Initial eGFR Changes with Ertugliflozin and Associations with Clinical Parameters: Analyses from the VERTIS CV Trial

INTRODUCTION: Using data from the ertugliflozin cardiovascular outcomes trial in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (VERTIS CV; NCT01986881), associations between the initial estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) “dip” with eGFR slope, glucosuria/natriuresis-related measures, and safety were investigated. METHODS: Patients were categorized into tertiles based on change in eGFR at week 6: >+1.00 mL/min/1.73 m² (tertile 1), >−5.99 and ≤+1.00 (tertile 2), and ≤−6.00 (tertile 3). eGFR slope after week 6 and week 18 was assessed by tertile. Glucosuria/natriuresis-related measures were also determined. Adverse events (AEs) were analyzed in the acute (baseline–week 6) and chronic periods (week 6–30 days after last dose of trial medication). RESULTS: In the ertugliflozin group, chronic eGFR slopes (95% CI, mL/min/1.73 m²/year; weeks 6–156) were −0.76 (−1.03, −0.50), −0.29 (−0.51, −0.07), and −0.05 (−0.26, 0.17) in tertiles 1, 2, and 3, respectively (p value <0.001), and approximately −1.5 mL/min/1.73 m²/year across tertiles in the placebo group (p value = 0.79). At week 18, least squares mean (LSM) changes from baseline in glycated hemoglobin (%) were −0.77, −0.71, and −0.67 in tertiles 1, 2, and 3, respectively, in the ertugliflozin group; a similar tertile-associated trend was observed for uric acid. At week 18, LSM changes from baseline in hematocrit (%) were 2.07, 2.33, and 2.55 in tertiles 1, 2, and 3, respectively, in the ertugliflozin group; similar tertile-associated trends were observed for blood pressure. All p_interaction values were <0.0001 for glucosuria- and natriuresis-related measures. Kidney-related AEs were reported more frequently in tertiles 3 and 2 in the chronic period for both placebo- and ertugliflozin-treated groups. In both periods and in all tertiles, incidences of AEs did not differ between placebo- and ertugliflozin-treated groups. CONCLUSION: With ertugliflozin, the tertile with the largest initial dip in eGFR had a slower rate of chronic eGFR decline. Initial eGFR changes were associated with changes in both glucosuria- and natriuresis-related measures.