Efficacy, Mechanisms and Safety of SGLT2 Inhibitors in Kidney Transplant Recipients (INFINITI2019)

Efficacy, Mechanisms and Safety of SGLT2 Inhibitors in Kidney Transplant Recipients: The INFINITI Study

This study will be a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial comparing the SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin to placebo in 52 kidney transplant recipients (KTR) with or without pre-existing type 2 diabetes (T2D) or post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM). The primary outcome of the trial is to determine if dapagliflozin is superior to placebo in reduction of blood pressure in KTR.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Type 2 Diabetes; Kidney Transplant Recipients; Post-transplant Diabetes Mellitus
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Dapagliflozin 10 MG Oral Tablet; Drug: Placebo Matching Dapagliflozin Oral Tablet

Detailed Description

Kidney transplantation is the renal replacement therapy of choice for patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). It has been well established that kidney transplantation improves patient survival and quality of life, and results in significant savings to the health care system.

Despite the survival benefit conferred by transplantation, KTR still face a number of challenges, especially in patients with diabetes. First, KTR still have a higher risk of mortality than their age-matched counterparts without kidney disease. This mortality risk is even greater amongst KTR with diabetes. Furthermore, mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be an important problem after transplantation. Another major challenge faced by KTR is the continuing risk of developing graft failure over time. Unfortunately, in the subgroup of KTR with diabetes, the incidence of graft failure is 50% higher than the general kidney transplant recipient population, and recurrent diabetic kidney disease (DKD) occurs in almost half of allografts after transplantation. Current strategies in the management of graft dysfunction and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are focused on optimizing immunosuppression and control of hypertension and dyslipidemia. Accordingly, there is an important unmet need for cardio- and renoprotective strategies to address premature death and graft loss in the KTR population.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are glucose lowering agents that are effective in the treatment of T2D, resulting not only in improved glycemic control, but also weight loss, blood pressure and albuminuria reduction. Several clinical trials have shown significant benefits of SGLT2i on cardiovascular and renal outcomes. Given the glucose-dependent and independent effects of SGLT2i, as well as the accumulating evidence demonstrating cardiorenal protection in non-KTR, the use of these agents in KTR is attractive - especially since traditional renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors are not effective. Moreover, the use of SGLT2i as a cardiorenal protective therapy may be of particular value in KTR given the high burden of comorbidities such as diabetes, CVD and hypertension, as well as the ongoing challenges of premature death and graft loss in this population.

This study will be a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial comparing the SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin to placebo in 52 KTR with or without pre-existing T2D or PTDM. The primary outcome of the trial is to determine if dapagliflozin is superior to placebo in reduction of blood pressure in KTR. The secondary outcomes of this study include metabolic, vascular, renal and transplant-specific measures. These outcomes have been included to elucidate the potential mechanisms responsible for blood pressure lowering, and putative cardio- and renoprotective effects in KTR. Safety outcomes will also be assessed.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 52
• Phase: Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Ontario
    • Toronto, Ontario, Canada
      • Renal Physiology Laboratory

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 19 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Male or females >18 years old ≥ 6months after kidney transplantation;
2. In patients with T2D or PTDM, HbA1c <12.0%;
3. eGFR ≥30 ml/min/1.73m^2 (as per the CKD-EPI equation);
4. BMI ≤45kg/m^2;
5. Blood pressure ≤160/90 and ≥90/60 at screening.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Diagnosis of type 1 diabetes;
2. Presence of severe peripheral vascular disease (i.e. prior amputation, gangrene, non-healing ulcer or ischemic rest pain);
3. Presence of acute coronary syndrome, stroke or transient ischemic attack in the 3 months prior to screening;
4. Prior episode of graft pyelonephritis in the 1 month prior to screening;
5. Episode of acute graft rejection in the 3 months prior to screening;
6. Initiation of a new immunosuppressive agent or discontinuation of an immunosuppressive agent in the 1 month prior to screening;
7. Untreated urinary or genital tract infection;
8. Severe hypoglycemia within 3 months of screening, or hypoglycemia unawareness;
9. Pre-menopausal women who are nursing, pregnant, or of child-bearing potential and not practicing an acceptable method of birth control;
10. Participation in another trial with an investigational drug within 30 days of informed consent;
11. Alcohol or drug abuse within 3 months prior to informed consent that would interfere with trial participation;
12. Any ongoing clinical condition that would jeopardize subject safety or study compliance based on investigator judgement.
13. Patients currently using antipsychotic medications.
14. Use of SGLT2 inhibitors within 1 month of starting the study.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Dapagliflozin Tablets; Patients will be randomized to therapy with dapagliflozin 10mg PO daily for 12 weeks.	Drug: Dapagliflozin 10 MG Oral Tablet; Dapagliflozin will be administered in a dose of 10 mg/day for 12 weeks.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo Matching Dapagliflozin Tablets; Patients will be randomized to therapy with placebo matching dapagliflozin tablets PO daily for 12 weeks.	Drug: Placebo Matching Dapagliflozin Oral Tablet; Placebo will be administered for 12 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP)	SBP	Change from baseline SBP at 12 weeks of treatment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Fasting Plasma Glucose	Fasting plasma glucose	Change from baseline fasting plasma glucose at 12 weeks of treatment
Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c)	HbA1c	Change from baseline HbA1c at 12 weeks of treatment
Carotid-femoral Pulse Wave Velocity	Measured using a Sphygmocor device	Change from baseline arterial stiffness at 12 weeks of treatment
Systemic Vascular Resistance	Measured using non-invasive cardiac output monitor (NICOM)	Change from baseline systemic vascular resistance at 12 weeks of treatment
Measured GFR	GFR	Change from baseline GFR (based on plasma iohexol clearance) at 12 weeks of treatment
Proximal Tubular Natriuresis	Measured by fractional excretion of exogenous lithium (FELi)	Change from baseline proximal tubular natriuresis at 12 weeks of treatment
UACR	Albuminuria	Change from baseline albuminuria at 12 weeks of treatment
Weight	Weight	Change from baseline weight at 12 weeks of treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Health Network, Toronto
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Sunita KS Singh, MD MSc FRCPC, University Health Network, Toronto General Hospital

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Sridhar VS, Kugathasan L, Lytvyn Y, Liu H, Deng Y, Lovblom LE, Nardone M, Yuen DA, Chen Y, Hua J, Aronson Y, Mohsen M, Kim SJ, Udell JA, Perkins BA, Stevens J, Touw DJ, Heerspink HJL, Cherney DZI, Singh SKS. Efficacy, Mechanisms, and Safety of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2026 Apr 1;21(4):664-679. doi: 10.2215/CJN.0000000951. Epub 2025 Dec 12.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 15, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 30, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): August 30, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 21, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 8, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): July 16, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 8, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 5, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Endocrine System Diseases; Metabolic Diseases; Glucose Metabolism Disorders; Diabetes Mellitus; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Sodium-Glucose Transporter 2 Inhibitors; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Hypoglycemic Agents; dapagliflozin
• Other Study ID Numbers: 19-5342

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No