According to the company, Actos directly targets insulin resistance, a condition characterized in patients with type 2 diabetes, by improving the sensitivity to insulin mainly in the muscles, fat cells and the liver. Biguanides act primarily by reducing the amount of glucose produced by the liver.
In a randomized, double-blind, comparative study, in which the clinical usefulness of biguanides monotherapy was compared with that of Actos/biguanides concomitant therapy, the latter showed a statistically significant difference in improving HbA1c – an indicator of glycemic control – without increasing the risk of hypoglycemia.
In addition to the currently authorized concomitant therapy with sulfonylurea or alpha-GI, this additional indication for Actos of concomitant therapy with biguanides provides a further option to pursue superior glycemic control, the company said.