FDA Approves Drug for Type 2 Diabetes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug for treating type 2 diabetes that can be used alone or combined with other oral diabetes drugs.

Januvia is the first in a new class of drugs, DPP-IV inhibitors, that assist the body control high blood sugar, the FDA said. The drug may be used alone with diet and exercise. It also could be used with other oral diabetes drugs to lower high blood sugar, when the other drugs, diet and exercise aren’t working, the FDA said.

About 14 million people in the United States are diagnosed with diabetes, the FDA said. Type 2 diabetes accounts for between 90 percent and 95 percent of the diagnosed cases.

Januvia works by extending the activity of proteins that support the release of insulin after a rise in blood sugar, the FDA said. The drug blocking an enzyme, DPP-IV, that breaks down these proteins. The proteins can continue their activity longer, which leads to better control of blood sugar levels.