FDA approves new drug for Type 2 diabetes

ROCKVILLE, Md. The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new treatment for diabetes.

The FDA announced Friday the approval of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s and AstraZeneca’s Onglyza (saxagliptin), a once-daily treatment for Type 2 diabetes in adults that is designed to be used with diet and exercise to control blood sugar levels.

Onglyza belongs to the class of drugs known as dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, also known as DPP-4 inhibitors, which stimulate the pancreas to make insulin after eating a meal. The class also includes Merck & Co.’s Januvia (sitagliptin).

“Keeping blood sugar levels in adequate control is essential to the good health of the 24 million people in the United States with Type 2 diabetes,” said Mary Parks, director of the Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “High blood sugar levels can cause blurry vision and excessive urination and eventually result in such serious conditions as kidney and eye disease.”