Pioglitazone/Metformin
Authors: Deeks, Emma D.1; Scott, Lesley J.
Source: Drugs, Volume 66, Number 14, 2006 , pp. 1863-1877(15)
Publisher: Adis International
Abstract:
▴ A fixed-dose pioglitazone/metformin tablet is approved in the US and the EU for the treatment of adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who currently have inadequate glycaemic control with metformin monotherapy. In the US, the combination tablet is also approved for the treatment of adult patients with type 2 diabetes who currently have inadequate glycaemic control with pioglitazone monotherapy and for those already receiving a combination of pioglitazone and metformin.▴ Bioequivalence, based on absorption and bioavailability parameters, has been established between the fixed-dose tablets and equivalent doses of pioglitazone and metformin coadministered as separate agents.▴ Combination therapy with pioglitazone plus metformin was significantly more effective at improving both glycaemic and lipid control than metformin plus placebo in patients with type 2 diabetes in a 16-week, well designed trial.▴ Pioglitazone plus metformin demonstrated similar antihyperglycaemic efficacy to that of rosiglitazone plus metformin in a well designed 12-month trial; however, pioglitazone plus metformin was the superior combination in terms of lipid control.▴ In several comparative trials of 1-3.5 years' duration, pioglitazone plus metformin was at least as effective as combination therapy with a sulphonylurea plus metformin in terms of antihyperglycaemic efficacy, but provided superior lipidaemic control with regard to levels of triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol.▴ Pioglitazone plus metformin was generally well tolerated in patients with type 2 diabetes, with adverse events common to metformin monotherapy observed at a similar incidence to that with metformin plus placebo.Keywords: Adis Drug Profiles; Diabetes mellitus; Metformin; Metformin/pioglitazone; Pioglitazone; Research and development; Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Document Type: Research article
Affiliations: 1: Wolters Kluwer Health | Adis, Auckland, New Zealand, an editorial office of Wolters Kluwer Health, Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, USA

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