Diabetes combination drugs receive approval in the US

Mon, 06 Feb 2012
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States have approved a new combination treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes. Drug manufacturers Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim announced that the treatment, a combination of metformin and a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor for type 2 diabetes called Jentadueto has got the nod from the regulator.

Jentadueto combines linagliptin with the older agent to produce a drug that is taken twice daily pill to help patients improve their glycaemic control, along with changes to both diet and exercise. It was found to improve glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels as compared to a placebo. The announcement means that the treatment follows other combinations of metformin and DPP-4 inhibitors, such as sitagliptin and saxagliptin.

The approval for Jentadueto came after a 24-week controlled trial involving nearly 800 adults that had type 2 diabetes and poor glycaemic control. It assessed the combination of linagliptin (Tradjenta) with metformin as separate tablets, with side effects shown to include a stuffy or runny nose and sore throat, as well as for use in combination with a sulfonylurea.

One problem was that patients treated with Jentadueto and a sulfonylurea as compared to patients offered a placebo plus metformin and a sulfonylurea were more likely to suffer from hypoglycaemia.

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