FDA accepts application for extended-release Janumet

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration has accepted a regulatory approval application for a drug to treat Type 2 diabetes made by Merck, the drug maker said Tuesday.

Merck announced the acceptance of its application for extended-release Janumet, which combines in a single pill the active ingredient sitagliptin with extended-release metformin, a drug commonly prescribed for Type 2 diabetes.

Janumet belongs to the class known as DPP-4 inhibitors, which also includes Onglyza (saxagliptin), made by Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca. Merck also makes an immediate-release formulation of the drug.