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IMPORTANCE Sodium-glucosecotransporter2(SGLT2)inhibitorsfavorablyaffectcardiovascular(CV) and kidney outcomes; however, the consistency of outcomes across the class remains uncertain. OBJECTIVE To perform meta-analyses that assess the CV and kidney outcomes of all 4 available SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors reduce the risk of hospitalization for heart failure (HHF). We assessed the effect of ertugliflozin on HHF and related outcomes. Methods: VERTIS CV, a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, randomized patients with T2DM and atherosclerotic cardiovascular (CV) disease to once-daily ertugliflozin 5 mg, 15 mg or placebo. Prespecified secondary analyses compared ertugliflozin (pooled doses) versus placebo on time to first event of HHF and composite of HHF/CV death, overall and stratified by prespecified characteristics. Cox proportional hazard modeling was used with the Fine and Gray method to account for competing mortality risk, and Andersen-Gill modeling to analyze total (first+recurrent) HHF and total HHF/CV death events. Results: 8246 patients were randomized to ertugliflozin (n=5499) or placebo (n=2747); n=1958 (23.7%) had a history of heart failure (HF) and n=5006 (60.7%) had pre-trial ejection fraction (EF) available, including n=959 with EF≤45%. Ertugliflozin did not significantly reduce first HHF/CV death (HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.75, 1.03). Overall, ertugliflozin reduced risk for first HHF (HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.54, 0.90; P =0.006). Prior HF did not modify this effect (HF: HR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.44, 0.90; no HF: HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.54, 1.15; P interaction=0.40). In patients with HF, the risk reduction for first HHF was similar for those with reduced EF≤45% vs preserved EF>45% or unknown. However, in the overall population, the risk reduction tended to be greater for those with EF≤45% (HR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.30, 0.76) versus EF>45% (HR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.58, 1.29). Effect on risk for first HHF was consistent across most subgroups, but greater benefit of ertugliflozin was observed in three populations with baseline eGFR<60mL/min/1.73m 2 , albuminuria, and diuretic use (each P interaction<0.05). Ertugliflozin reduced total events of HHF (RR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.56, 0.87) and total HHF/CV death (RR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.72, 0.96). Conclusions: In patients with T2DM with or without baseline HF, ertugliflozin reduced risk for first and total HHF and total HHF/CV death, adding further support for the use of SGLT2 inhibitors in primary and secondary prevention of HHF. Clinical Trial Registration: URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov Unique Identifier: NCT01986881

Performing planned or unplanned interim analyses on accumulating data in clinical trials is a frequent practice. In this paper, we propose a general one-parameter family of type I error probability spending functions to construct customized group sequential boundaries with unequal increments in information time. This proposed family generalized the spending functions of Lan and DeMets1 and Kim and DeMets.2 We give an example to illustrate the use of this family.

Aims/hypothesis In previous work, we reported the HR for the risk (95% CI) of the secondary kidney composite endpoint (time to first event of doubling of serum creatinine from baseline, renal dialysis/transplant or renal death) with ertugliflozin compared with placebo as 0.81 (0.63, 1.04). The effect of ertugliflozin on exploratory kidney-related outcomes was evaluated using data from the eValuation of ERTugliflozin effIcacy and Safety CardioVascular outcomes (VERTIS CV) trial (NCT01986881). Methods Individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus and established atherosclerotic CVD were randomised to receive ertugliflozin 5 mg or 15 mg (observations from both doses were pooled), or matching placebo, added on to existing treatment. The kidney composite outcome in VERTIS CV (reported previously) was time to first event of doubling of serum creatinine from baseline, renal dialysis/transplant or renal death. The pre-specified exploratory composite outcome replaced doubling of serum creatinine with sustained 40% decrease from baseline in eGFR. In addition, the impact of ertugliflozin on urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) and eGFR over time was assessed. Results A total of 8246 individuals were randomised and followed for a mean of 3.5 years. The exploratory kidney composite outcome of sustained 40% reduction from baseline in eGFR, chronic kidney dialysis/transplant or renal death occurred at a lower event rate (events per 1000 person-years) in the ertugliflozin group than with the placebo group (6.0 vs 9.0); the HR (95% CI) was 0.66 (0.50, 0.88). At 60 months, in the ertugliflozin group, placebo-corrected changes from baseline (95% CIs) in UACR and eGFR were −16.2% (−23.9, −7.6) and 2.6 ml min−1 [1.73 m]−2 (1.5, 3.6), respectively. Ertugliflozin was associated with a consistent decrease in UACR and attenuation of eGFR decline across subgroups, with a suggested larger effect observed in the macroalbuminuria and Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes in Chronic Kidney Disease (KDIGO CKD) high/very high-risk subgroups. Conclusions/interpretation Among individuals with type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic CVD, ertugliflozin reduced the risk for the pre-specified exploratory composite renal endpoint and was associated with preservation of eGFR and reduced UACR. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01986881 Graphical abstract