Study finds Onglyza effective as Januvia in treating Type 2 diabetes

PRINCETON, N.J. A late-stage clinical trial found that a diabetes treatment combined with metformin worked just as well as a similar drug.

Results from an 18-week phase 3 study in adults with Type 2 diabetes with inadequate glycemic control on metformin therapy alone found that the addition of treatment with Onglyza (saxagliptin) 5 mg per day was equally effective to the addition of treatment with Januvia (sitagliptin) 100 mg per day in reducing hemoglobin levels in patients.

This study was submitted to the European Medicines Agency as part of the marketing authorization application for Onglyza. Complete findings from this study will be submitted for publication in the first half of 2010.

Onglyza was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in late July.

"We are pleased with the findings from this study, which support that the addition of ONGLYZA to metformin lowers HbA1c in adults with inadequate glycemic control despite treatment with metformin,” said Andre Scheen, MD, Head of the Division of Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolic Disorders and Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Academic Hospital, Liege, Belgium.

Onglyza is a drug marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca. Januvia is a trademark of Merck & Co.