New Drug Treatment Options for Diabetes
Recall of metformin extended release
In May 2020, the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended that some makers of metformin extended release remove some of their tablets from the U.S. market. This is because an unacceptable level of a probable carcinogen (cancer-causing agent) was found in some extended-release metformin tablets. If you currently take this drug, call your healthcare professional. They will advise whether you should continue to take your medication or if you need a new prescription.
When you have diabetes, your body has difficulty managing insulin. Insulin is a hormone your pancreas produces that helps your body use glucose (sugar) from the food you eat.
“Your cells use the blood sugar in your bloodstream for energy. If your body doesn’t make enoughinsulin or you don’t use it properly, the blood sugar stays in your blood”
Having high blood glucose levels for too long can damage parts of your body.
There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. People with type 1 diabetes cannot make their own insulin. People with type 2 diabetes can make insulin, but their bodies are not able to use it properly.
The only medication that works for type 1 diabetes isinsulin, and it comes in different types.
There are a lot of medications that can be used to treat type 2 diabetes. Some people with type 2 diabetes may need to take more than one medication.
There are new diabetes drug options and drugs that are currently being developed, as well as medications used for both types of diabetes.
Several new diabetes drugs have been developed. These include drugs that are injected.
New oral drugs
Except for Steglatro, which contains only one drug, the new oral drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes are all combination drugs. They each combine two drugs used on their own to treat type 2 diabetes.
All of the medications are brand-name drugs.
Xigduo XR
Xigduo XR, which comes as a 24-hour extended-release oral tablet, was approved for use in 2014. Xigduo XR combines metformin with dapagliflozin.
The body tissues are more sensitive to the drug.
Dapagliflozin blocks some of the glucose in your body from reentering your blood through your kidneys. This causes your body to get rid of more glucose through your urine.
Synjardy
Synjardy, which is also available as Synjardy XR and comes as an oral tablet, was approved for use in 2015. It combines the drugs metformin and empagliflozin. Empagliflozin works in a similar way to dapagliflozin.
Glyxambi
Glyxambi, which comes as an oral tablet, was approved for use in 2015. It combines the drugs linagliptin is a drug. and empagliflozin.
The breakdown of hormones in your body can tell your pancreas to make and releaseinsulin. It slows the release of blood sugar into your body.
Steglujan
Steglujan, which comes as an oral tablet, was approved in late 2017. It combines ertugliflozin and sitagliptin.
The same mechanism is used by Ertugliflozin.
Sitagliptin blocks the breakdown of certain hormones in your body that tell your pancreas to make and release insulin. It also slows your digestion, which slows the absorption of glucose into your blood.
Segluromet
Segluromet, which comes as an oral tablet, was approved in late 2017. It combines ertugliflozin and metformin.
Steglatro
Steglatro, which comes as an oral tablet, was approved in late 2017. It’s a brand-name form of the drug ertugliflozin. It works through the same mechanism as empagliflozin.
The combination drugs in this list are used to treat type 2 diabetes.
New injectables
Generic drugs are not available as brand-name drugs. They are used to treat both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
These drugs contain a type of insulin, a GLP-1 agonist, or both. The different types of injected insulin act as a replacement for the insulin your body doesn’t make or can’t use properly.
When your blood sugar is high, your pancreas releases moreinsulin, which is a Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. They slow down the absorption of sugar.
Tresiba
Tresiba, which was approved in 2015, is a brand-name version of the drug insulin degludec. It’s used to treat both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Tresiba is a long-acting insulin that lasts up to 42 hours. This is longer than commonly used insulin. It’s injected once daily.
Basaglar and Toujeo
Basaglar and Toujeo are two new forms of insulin glargine. They’re used to treat both type 1 and type 2 diabetes and are both injected once daily.
Basaglar is a long-acting insulin drug that was approved in 2015. It’s similar to another insulin glargine drug called Lantus. It lasts for 24 hours.
Toujeo is a more concentrated form of insulin glargine. It was approved for use in 2015 and lasts for 36 hours.
Xultophy
Xultophy was approved in 2016. It’s only used to treat type 2 diabetes. Xultophy is injected once per day.
Xultophy combines three drugs: long-actinginsulin, and GLP-1 agonists.
Soliqua
Soliqua was approved in 2016. It’s only used to treat type 2 diabetes. It’s injected once per day.
The drug lixisenatide is a GLP-1 agonist.
Ozempic and Rybelsus
Ozempic was approved in late 2017. It’s only used to treat type 2 diabetes.
Ozempic and Rybelsus are the brands of the GLP-1 agonist. It is injected once per week.
Adlyxin
Adlyxin was approved in 2016. It’s only used to treat type 2 diabetes.
Adlyxin is a brand name version of the GLP-1 agonist. It is injected daily.
Several diabetes drugs are in the works. These drugs are used.
- Oral-Lyn: This brand-name drug comes as a fast-acting oral insulin spray. It’s designed to treat both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
- Dance 501: This aerosol device contains a liquid insulin that is intended to be inhaled at mealtime. It’s designed to treat both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Here is a list of the diabetes drugs that are used most often. Some of the drugs listed above are components of the newer combination medications listed below.
Oral medications
The drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes are listed. All come in pill form. Metformin is also an oral solution.
Biguanides such as metformin
Metformin is often the first drug used to treat type 2 diabetes. It works by slowing glucose production in your liver. It also makes your body tissues more sensitive to insulin, which helps the tissues absorb glucose.
Metformin is combined with other oral medications to reduce the number of tablets you need to take.
Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors
These drugs slow or block the breakdown of carbohydrates in your body. Carbohydrates are in starchy or sugary foods. This action slows the absorption of glucose into your bloodstream.
These drugs can be examples.
- Aose.
- Miglitol is a type of food.
Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-IV inhibitors)
The drugs block the breakdown of hormones in your body that help your body make and release hormones. The drugs slow your digestion and cause the release of sugar into your blood.
These drugs can be examples.
- Alogliptin is a drug.
- linagliptin is a drug.
- saxagliptin
- sitagliptin
Meglitinides
The drugs tell your body to make more blood sugar.
These drugs can be examples.
Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2)
Some of the blood sugar in your system can be blocked by these drugs. Your body gets rid of more glucose through urine.
These drugs can be examples.
- canagliflozin is a drug.
- dapagliflozin
- empagliflozin
- ertugliflozin
Sulfonylureas
The drugs cause your body to produce moreinsulin.
These drugs can be examples.
Thiazolidinediones
The drugs make your body tissues more sensitive to the drug. Your body uses more of the blood sugar in your blood.
Combination medications
Several combination medications have been available for a while. Older combination medications include some things.
- Duetact is a tablet that combines pioglitazone with glimepiride.
- Janumet is a tablet that combines sitagliptin with metformin.
- A generic drug that comes as a tablet combines metformin with glipizide is a drug. (brand-name Metaglip).
- The drug pioglitazone is available in tablet form in combination with metformin.
Injectable medications
The drugs come in different forms.
Insulin
“Injectedinsulin is a replacement for the type 1 diabetes that your body can’t use. It can be used to treat diabetes.”
There are different types ofinsulin. Some types act quickly. These types help control your blood sugar.
Other types act for a longer period. Your blood sugar level is controlled throughout the day and night by these types.
Some types of diabetes.
- The part is called insulin as part.
- The term is used for the type of diabetes that is called diabetes degludec.
- The drug is called insulin glargine.
Amylin analogue
pramlintide is taken before a meal. It helps to have less of the blood-thirsty drug. It is used to treat both types of diabetes.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 agonists)
When your blood sugar level is high, these drugs help your pancreas release moreinsulin. They slow down the absorption of sugar. These drugs are only used to treat type 2 diabetes.
These drugs can be examples.
- dulaglutide is a drug.
- Exenatide is a drug.
- A drug called liraglutide.
- semaglutide is a drug.
New drugs may provide benefits that are not available with most commonly used drugs, which is a reason why many effective diabetes drugs have been on the market for years.
All the side effects and interactions of new drugs are not currently known. Older drugs may cost more than newer drugs, and may not be covered by most insurance plans.
Your insurance plan may prefer certain drugs over others, or they may require you to do a trial of older, less expensive drugs before they cover the newer, more expensive drugs.
If you are considering new diabetes drug options, it is important to talk with your doctor. Discuss your medical history with your doctor.
You and your doctor can decide which new drugs are right for you.