October 30, 2013

Oral Diabetes Medications – Mixed Medications


Part 3 of 3 parts

I have not covered the mixed medications before, but I need to. There is no class for these medications, but there are brand names and generic names. Normally two classes are used to make up these mixed oral medications - also know as combination diabetes pills.

The first one is Actoplus Met, which is pioglitazone plus metformin. The second is a continuation of the first, which is Actoplus Met XR or long acting. The third is Avandamet, which is rosiglitazone plus metformin. I am not sure if these are still on the market. They have or share the warnings of the class Thiazolidinedione. The second class is Biguanide. This applies to the next two; however, the second class is Sulfonylurea.

The first is Avandaryl, which is a combination of rosiglitazone and glimepiride. The second is Duetact, which is a combination of pioglitazone and glimepiride.

The next mixed is from a Sulfonylurea and Biguanide and is named Glucovance. This is from glyburide and metformin. One type helps your body make more insulin. The other type lowers the amount of glucose made by your liver and helps your insulin work the way it should.

Janumet is a combination of Januvia (sitagliptin), a DPP-4 inhibitor and a Biguanide (metformin). One type helps your body make more insulin when it is needed, especially right after meals. It also helps keep your liver from putting stored glucose into your blood. The other type lowers the amount of glucose made by your liver and helps your insulin work the way it should.

Metaglip is as combination of a Sulfonylurea (glyburide) and a Biguanide (metformin).
The glyburide helps your body make more insulin and metformin lowers the amount of glucose made by the livers and helps your insulin work the way it should.

Kombiglyze is a combination DPP-4 (saxagliptin) and a Biguanide (metformin).

I know there may be other mixed medications, but my sources do not list them and I have not located the press releases for any additional.


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