Diabetic people in England and Wales could soon be able to access a new drug which “significantly” reduces their blood sugar levels.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said that canagliflozin is a “useful” anti-diabetic drug.

In new draft guidance the organisation has recommended its use for some NHS patients who have type 2 diabetes when used in combination with other anti-diabetic drugs.

The drug, which is also called Invokana, works by blocking the re-absorption of glucose in the kidneys and it is instead passed out of the body in the urine, Nice said.

Manufacturers Janssen said that the treatment has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels in people for whom diet and lifestyle measures or treatment with other blood sugar-lowering medicines, do not work well enough.

Carole Longson, director of the Centre for Health Technology Evaluation at Nice said: “Type 2 diabetes can be difficult to treat and most people will eventually require a number of drugs, often used simultaneously.

“Canagliflozin represents a useful addition to the armoury of anti-diabetic drugs available to clinicians. Nice is therefore pleased to be able to recommend its use for some people with type 2 diabetes.”

Peter Barnes, medical director at Janssen UK, added: “With the relentless increase in the number of people with type 2 diabetes, there is an ongoing need for additional treatment options. Not only does canagliflozin provide a new once a day oral treatment to help control blood glucose levels, it offers real value to the NHS.”