List of Medications for Diabetes

• Insulins
• Insulin sensitizers (reduce insulin resistance)
• Biguanides
• Thiazolidinediones
• Secretagogues (stimulate insulin release)
• Sulfonylureas
• Meglitinides
• Agents that slow the digestive/absorptive process:
• Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors
• Glucagon Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Agonists
• Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 (DPP-4) Inhibitors
• Amylin Analogues
• Sodium-Glucose Transporter-2 (SGLT-2) Inhibitors
• Combination Products

This comprehensive listing includes antihyperglycemic agents that can be used for glycemic control in diabetes.

New Antihyperglycemics

Class	Generic/Brand/Approval year
SGLT-2 inhibitor	Canagliflozin (Invokana), 2013
DPP-4 inhibitor	Alogliptin (Nesina, Vipidia), 2013
SGLT-2 inhibitor	Dapagliflozin (Farxiga), 2014
SGLT-2 inhibitor	Empagliflozin (Jardiance), 2014
GLP-1 receptor agonist	Albiglutide (Tanzeum), 2014
GLP-1 receptor agonist	Dulaglutide (Trulicity), 2014
Inhaled insulin powder	Afrezza, 2014

Insulins

Generic	Brand Name
Rapid Acting Insulins
Insulin aspart	Novolog
Insulin glulisine	Apidra
Insulin lispro	Humalog
Insulin human	Afrezza Inhalation Powder
Short Acting Insulins
Regular insulin	Humulin R, Novolin R
Intermediate Acting Insulins
Insulin NPH	Hagedorn NPH , Humulin N, Novolin N
Long Acting Insulins
Insulin detemir	Levemir
Insulin glargine	Lantus
Premixed Insulins
Insulin aspart protamine/ insulin aspart	NovoLog 50/50, NovoLog 70/30
Insulin lispro protamine/ insulin lispro	Humalog 50/50, Humalog 75/25

Sensitizers

Sensitizers increase the sensitivity of target organs to insulin.

Biguanides

Biguanides improve peripheral glucose uptake and utilization.

Generic	Brand Name
Metformin	Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, Riomet, Fortamet

Phenformin and Buformin where withdrawn due to lactic acidosis risk.

Thiazolidinediones (Glitazones)

Thiazolidinediones work through the improvement of insulin sensitivity by acting on adipose, muscle, and liver to increase glucose utilization and decrease glucose production.

Generic	Brand Name
Rosiglitazone	Avandia
Pioglitazone	Actos

Secretagogues

Secretagogues increase insulin secretion by the pancreas.

Sulfonylureas

Sulfonylureas stimulate insulin release by inhibiting the KATP channel of the pancreatic beta cells. Sulfonylureas are useful only in Type II diabetes, as they work by stimulating endogenous release of insulin.

Generic	Brand Name
First-generation
Acetohexamide	Dymelor
Chlorpropamide	Diabinese
Tolazamide	Tolinase
Tolbutamide	Orinase
Second-generation
Glipizide	Glucotrol, Minidiab, Glibenese
Glyburide (glibenclamide)	Diabeta, Micronase, Glynase, Daonil, Euglycon
Glimepiride	Amaryl
Gliclazide	Uni Diamicron
Glyclopyramide	Deamelin-S
Gliquidone	Glurenorm

Meglitinides

Meglitinide derivatives stimulate insulin secretion from pancreatic cells, lowering blood glucose levels.

Generic	Brand Name
Nateglinide	Starlix
Repaglinide	Prandin, NovoNorm

Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors

Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors are not technically hypoglycemic agents because they do not have a direct effect on insulin secretion or sensitivity. These medications slow the digestive and absorptive process, preventing postprandial glucose raise.

Generic	Brand Name
Acarbose	Precose, Glucobay
Miglitol	Glyset
Voglibose	Basen

Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 (GLP-1) Agonists

GLP-1 analogs decrease both fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels without causing hypoglycemia 3. Also, GLP-1 analogs may promote modest weight loss.

Generic	Brand Name
Short-acting GLP-1 analogs
Exenatide	Byetta
Lixisenatide	Lyxumia
Long-acting GLP-1 analogs
Liraglutide	Victoza
Prolonged-acting GLP-1 analogs
Albiglutide	Tanzeum
Dulaglutide	Trulicity
Exenatide once weekly	Bydureon
Under development
Taspoglutide	Phase III clinical trials 4

Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors (Gliptins)

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors inhibit DPP-4, the enzyme that inactivates incretin hormones GLP-1 and GIP.

Generic	Brand Name
Alogliptin	Nesina, Vipidia
Anagliptin	Suiny
Linagliptin	Trajenta
Saxagliptin	Onglyza
Sitagliptin	Januvia
Teneligliptin	Tenelia
DPP-4 inhibitors under development
Dutogliptin 5
Gemigliptin 6

Amylin Analogues

Pramlintide is a synthetic version of the naturally occurring pancreatic peptide amylin. Amylin and pramlintide lower postprandial glucose by lowering postprandial glucagon and delaying gastric emptying. Pramlintide is indicated for y Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics who use insulin.

Generic	Brand Name
Pramlintide	Symlin

Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors

SGLT-2 inhibitors is a relatively new drug class for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. SGLT-2 inhibitors block reabsorption of glucose in the kidney. dThe mechanism of action is insulin independent.

Generic	Brand Name
Canagliflozin	Invokana
Dapagliflozin	Forxiga, Farxiga
Empagliflozin	Jardiance
SGLT-2 inhibitors under development
Ertugliflozin
Ipragliflozin
Remogliflozin etabonate
Tofogliflozin

Other Anti-diabetic Drugs

Generic	Brand Name
Dopamine agonist
Bromocriptine	Parlodel, Cycloset
Bile acid sequestrant
Colesevelam	Welchol, Cholestagel, Lodalis

Combinations

Generic	Brand Name
Alogliptin + Metformin	Kazano
Dapagliflozin + Metformin	Xigduo XR
Glipizide + Metformin	Metaglip
Glyburide + Metformin	Glucovance
Linagliptin + Metformin	Jentadueto
Pioglitazone + Metformin	Actoplus Met, Actoplus Met XR
Repaglinide + Metformin	Prandimet
Rosiglitazone + Metformin	Avandamet
Saxagliptin + Metformin	Kombiglyze XR
Sitagliptin + Metformin	Janumet
Rosiglitazone + Glimepiride	Avandaryl
Pioglitazone + Glimepiride	Duetact
Alogliptin + Pioglitazone	Oseni
Simvastatin + Sitagliptin	Juvisync
Empagliflozin + Metformin	Synjardy

Resources

• 1. New FDA Approved Drugs CenterWatch
• 2. David A. Williams. Foye's Medicinal Chemistry. 7th Ed; LWW, 2012
• 3. Cho YM, Wideman RD, Kieffer TJ. Clinical application of glucagon-like Peptide 1 receptor agonists for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Endocrinol Metab (Seoul). 2013 Dec;28(4):262-74. Full text
• 4. Rosenstock J, Balas B, Charbonnel B, Bolli GB, Boldrin M, Ratner R, Balena R; T-emerge 2 Study Group. The fate of taspoglutide, a weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist, versus twice-daily exenatide for type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2013 Mar. PubMed
• 5. Pattzi HM, Pitale S, Alpizar M, Bennett C, O'Farrell AM, Li J, Cherrington JM, Guler HP; PHX1149-PROT202 Study Group. Dutogliptin, a selective DPP4 inhibitor, improves glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes: a 12-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2010 Apr;12(4):348-55. PubMed
• 6. Kim SH, Lee SH, Yim HJ. Gemigliptin, a novel dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor: first new anti-diabetic drug in the history of Korean pharmaceutical industry. Arch Pharm Res. 2013 Oct;36(10):1185-8. PubMed