When you have diabetes, your body has trouble managing insulin. Insulin is a substance produced by your pancreas that helps your body use the glucose (sugar) from the food you eat. Insulin moves glucose from your bloodstream into your cells, which use it for energy. But if your body doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use it properly, the glucose 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 can’t make their own insulin. People with type 2 diabetes can make insulin, but their bodies aren’t able to use it properly.
While the only medication used to treat people with type 1 diabetes is insulin, it comes in different types. People with type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, have a larger range of medication options. In fact, they may need to take more than one type of medication to treat their condition.
Read on to learn about new diabetes drug options and drugs that are currently being developed, as well as medications commonly used for both types of diabetes.
New medications for diabetes
In recent years, several new diabetes drugs have been developed. These include oral drugs as well as injectables.
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.
These medications are all brand-name drugs that don’t have generic forms.
Xigduo XR
Xigduo XR, which comes as a 24-hour extended-release oral tablet, was approved for use in 2014. Xigduo XR combines metfomin with dapagifiozin. Metformin helps make body tissues more sensitive to insulin. Dapagliflozin blocks some of the glucose in your system from reentering your blood through your kidneys. It also causes your body to get rid of more glucose through your urine.
Synjardy
Synjardy, which comes as an oral tablet, was approved for use in 2015. It combines the drugs metformin and empaglifiozin Empagliflozin works in a similar way to dapagliflozin.
Glyxambi
Glyxambi, which also comes as an oral tablet, was approved for use in 2015. It combines the drugs linagliptin and empagliflozin. Linagliptin 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 release of glucose into your blood.
Steglujan
Steglujan, which comes as an oral tablet, was approved in late 2017. It combines ertugliflozin and sitagliptin.
Ertugliflozin works through the same mechanism as empagliflozin. 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. Like the combination of drugs in this list, Steglatro is used to treat type 2 diabetes.
New injectables
These new brand-name injectables are not available as generic drugs. They’re used to treat either type 2 diabetes, or 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. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists help your pancreas release more insulin when your glucose level is high. They also slow down glucose absorption during digestion.
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. Toujeo is a more concentrated form of insulin glargine. It was approved for use in 2015.
Xultophy
Xultophy was approved in 2016. It’s only used to treat type 2 diabetes. Xultophy is injected once per day.
Xultophy combines insulin degludec, a long-acting insulin, and liraglutide, a GLP-1 agonist.
Soliqua
Soliqua was approved in 2016. It’s only used to treat type 2 diabetes. It’s injected once per day.
Soliqua combines the drug insulin glargine with lixisenatide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist.
Ozempic
Ozempic was approved in late 2017. It’s only used to treat type 2 diabetes. Ozempic is a brand-name version of the GLP-1 agonist called semaglutide. It’s 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 called lixisenatide. It’s injected once daily.
Ryzodeg
Ryzodeg was approved in 2016 but is not yet available. It’s designed to be used to treat both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Ryzodeg combines insulin degludec with insulin aspart. It’s meant to be injected once or twice daily.
Diabetes medications in development
In addition to these new medications, several diabetes drugs are currently in development. These drugs include:
- 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 liquid insulin that is intended to be inhaled at mealtime. It’s designed to treat both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
0 Comments