3 new drugs approved for type 2 diabetes in US

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved three new related products for use with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes: Nesina (alogliptin) tablets, Kazano (alogliptin and metformin hydrochloride) tablets, and Oseni (alogliptin and pioglitazone) tablets.

Alogliptin is a new active ingredient, while metformin hydrochloride and pioglitazone are already FDA-approved for the management of type 2 diabetes. As the most common form of the disease, type 2 diabetes affects about 24 million people and accounts for more than 90 percent of diabetes cases diagnosed in the United States.

People with type 2 diabetes are either resistant to insulin or do not produce enough insulin, resulting in high blood sugar levels. Over time, high blood sugar levels can increase the risk for serious complications, including heart disease, blindness, and nerve and kidney damage.

“Controlling blood sugar levels is very important in the overall treatment and care of diabetes,” said Mary Parks, M.D., director of the Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products in the FDA?s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. ?Alogliptin helps stimulate the release of insulin after a meal, which leads to better blood sugar control.?

Nesina, Kazano, and Oseni were studied as stand-alone therapies (monotherapies) and in combination with other type 2 diabetes therapies, including sulfonylureas and insulin. They should not be used to treat people with type 1 diabetes or those who have increased ketones in their blood or urine (diabetic ketoacidosis).

Nesina, Kazano, and Oseni are distributed by Takeda Pharmaceuticals America, Inc., Deerfield, Ill.

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, USA


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