Linagliptin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors are a new class of antidiabetic agents that have been rapidly adopted since their introduction in 2006. There are now five agents in global use, with three approved for treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the USA. The results of Phase III clinical trials for linagliptin, a new addition to this class of inhibitors (approved by the FDA on 2 May 2011), have now been published. We reported on a 24-week Phase III trial of linagliptin administered as monotherapy in patients with T2D. This agent is characterized by a pharmacokinetic and metabolic profile that may have important implications for the choice of treatment in certain patient populations.