New class of drugs for type 2 diabetes

The oral medication can be used alone or with two other commonly used drugs to better control the disease.

By Susan J. Landers, AMNews staff. Nov. 6, 2006.

Washington -- The Food and Drug Administration approved Januvia, or sitagliptin phosphate, Oct. 17 for use in treating type 2 diabetes. The drug, the first in a new class known as DPP-4 inhibitors, operates by enhancing the body's own ability to lower blood sugar levels.

Another drug in the same class, Galvus, or vildagliptin, is now in the approval pipeline. The drug is a product of Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes, accounting for about 90% to 95% of the nation's nearly 21 million cases, according to the American Diabetes Assn. That number is expected to grow as levels of obesity increase.

Januvia, manufactured by Merck & Co., is to be used, in addition to diet and exercise, either alone or in combination with two other commonly prescribed oral diabetes medications, metformin or a PPAR (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor) gamma agonist.

Trials will be conducted to determine the safety of its use with insulin or a sulfonylurea, said Mary Parks, MD, director of the FDA's Division of Metabolism and Endocrine Products, in a news briefing.

Possible side effects include upper respiratory tract infections, sore throat, and some gastrointestinal complaints such as diarrhea and nausea, Dr. Parks said.