Urinary tract and genital infections with dapagliflozin and empagliflozin across type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease: An indication- and sex-stratified disproportionality analysis of eudravigilance reports

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are widely used in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), chronic heart failure (CHF), and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although their cardiovascular and renal benefits are well established, urogenital infections remain a relevant safety concern. Comparative post-marketing data on dapagliflozin (DAPA) and empagliflozin (EMPA) across therapeutic indications are limited. A retrospective pharmacovigilance analysis of the EudraVigilance database (January 2021-July 2025) was conducted using a case/non-case approach. Cases were defined as individual case safety reports (ICSRs) containing at least one urogenital infection-coded reaction and a confirmed indication (T2DM, CHF, or CKD). The primary analysis was restricted to reports originating from the European Economic Area (EEA), where reporting rules are identical for both drugs; reports with unspecified patient age were excluded. Among 16,102 EEA ICSRs, 8156 adult reports with a confirmed indication were analyzed, of which 1109 met the case definition. Non-EEA reports were analyzed separately as a sensitivity analysis. Urogenital infection reporting did not differ between DAPA and EMPA, overall (ROR 0.91; 95% CI 0.80-1.03) or within any indication (T2DM: 13.9% vs 14.9%, ROR 0.92; 95% CI 0.79-1.07; CHF: 11.5% vs 12.6%, ROR 0.90; 95% CI 0.69-1.18; CKD: 11.0% vs 6.7%, ROR 1.73; 95% CI 0.75-3.99). For both drugs, reporting was higher in T2DM than in CHF (DAPA ROR 1.25; 95% CI 1.00-1.56; EMPA ROR 1.22; 95% CI 0.99-1.51), a difference confined to female patients (DAPA 1.38; EMPA 1.56) and, in the endpoint disaggregation, to genital mycotic infections (DAPA 2.24; EMPA 1.79) rather than non-mycotic urogenital infections. Female sex was the strongest determinant of urogenital infection reporting for both drugs (ROR female/male 1.85 for DAPA and 1.58 for EMPA). In non-EEA reports, an apparent excess of urogenital infection reporting with DAPA over EMPA (ROR 1.85; 95% CI 1.59-2.16) was explained by a different composition of the reports forwarded for the two drugs rather than by a drug effect. Urogenital infection reporting with SGLT2 inhibitors depends on indication and sex rather than on the molecule, and between-drug comparisons in EudraVigilance are sensitive to the geographic origin of reports.

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Journal
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy
Published
2026-10-31
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2026.119976
Primary Topic
Pharmacovigilance and Adverse Drug Reactions
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article
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article

Urinary tract and genital infections with dapagliflozin and empagliflozin across type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease: An indication- and sex-stratified disproportionality analysis of eudravigilance reports

Francesco Baratta, Agnese Graziosi, Fabiana Morroni, Maria Antonietta Riemma et al.
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Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy
Pharmacovigilance and Adverse Drug Reactions
article

Urinary tract and genital infections with dapagliflozin and empagliflozin across type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease: An indication- and sex-stratified disproportionality analysis of eudravigilance reports

Francesco Baratta, Agnese Graziosi, Fabiana Morroni, Maria Antonietta Riemma, Daniele Pastori, Alice Schianchi, Gianluca Gazzaniga, Danila Gurgone, Giulia Sita, Chiara Veronese, Elena Mele, Fabrizio Oliva, Arianna Pani
article en

Abstract

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are widely used in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), chronic heart failure (CHF), and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although their cardiovascular and renal benefits are well established, urogenital infections remain a relevant safety concern. Comparative post-marketing data on dapagliflozin (DAPA) and empagliflozin (EMPA) across therapeutic indications are limited. A retrospective pharmacovigilance analysis of the EudraVigilance database (January 2021-July 2025) was conducted using a case/non-case approach. Cases were defined as individual case safety reports (ICSRs) containing at least one urogenital infection-coded reaction and a confirmed indication (T2DM, CHF, or CKD). The primary analysis was restricted to reports originating from the European Economic Area (EEA), where reporting rules are identical for both drugs; reports with unspecified patient age were excluded. Among 16,102 EEA ICSRs, 8156 adult reports with a confirmed indication were analyzed, of which 1109 met the case definition. Non-EEA reports were analyzed separately as a sensitivity analysis. Urogenital infection reporting did not differ between DAPA and EMPA, overall (ROR 0.91; 95% CI 0.80-1.03) or within any indication (T2DM: 13.9% vs 14.9%, ROR 0.92; 95% CI 0.79-1.07; CHF: 11.5% vs 12.6%, ROR 0.90; 95% CI 0.69-1.18; CKD: 11.0% vs 6.7%, ROR 1.73; 95% CI 0.75-3.99). For both drugs, reporting was higher in T2DM than in CHF (DAPA ROR 1.25; 95% CI 1.00-1.56; EMPA ROR 1.22; 95% CI 0.99-1.51), a difference confined to female patients (DAPA 1.38; EMPA 1.56) and, in the endpoint disaggregation, to genital mycotic infections (DAPA 2.24; EMPA 1.79) rather than non-mycotic urogenital infections. Female sex was the strongest determinant of urogenital infection reporting for both drugs (ROR female/male 1.85 for DAPA and 1.58 for EMPA). In non-EEA reports, an apparent excess of urogenital infection reporting with DAPA over EMPA (ROR 1.85; 95% CI 1.59-2.16) was explained by a different composition of the reports forwarded for the two drugs rather than by a drug effect. Urogenital infection reporting with SGLT2 inhibitors depends on indication and sex rather than on the molecule, and between-drug comparisons in EudraVigilance are sensitive to the geographic origin of reports.

Biomedicine & PharmacotherapyVol. 204
University of Milan (IT), University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" (IT), Policlinico Umberto I (IT), Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda (IT), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (CH), Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori (IT), University of Glasgow (GB), Sapienza University of Rome (IT), University of Bologna (IT)
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 14%
Pharmacovigilance and Adverse Drug Reactions
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