Sitagliptin: A Review in Type 2 Diabetes

The dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor sitagliptin (Januvia®; Glactiv®; Tesavel®; Xelevia™) is approved in more than 130 countries worldwide as monotherapy and in combination with other antihyperglycaemic drugs for the treatment of adult patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Extensive clinical experience has firmly established the glycaemic efficacy of oral sitagliptin (±other antihyperglycaemic drugs) in a broad spectrum of patients with T2D, including obese, elderly and renally impaired patients and those with established cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD). Sitagliptin is generally well tolerated, with most adverse events being of mild to moderate intensity and relatively few patients discontinuing treatment because of these events. Sitagliptin treatment was not associated with an increased risk for the known CVD risk factors of hypoglycaemia and bodyweight gain. Of note, in the TECOS CV safety trial in patients with T2D and established CVD, sitagliptin was noninferior to placebo in terms of the risk of the 4-point major adverse cardiac event (MACE) outcome, with no increased risk in hospitalization for heart failure. Albeit discussion is equivocal regarding the potential increased risk of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer with incretin-based therapies (including sitagliptin), no causal link between incretin-based drugs and these events has been established to date. With its convenient once-daily oral regimen, low potential for pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions and good efficacy and safety profiles, including CV safety, sitagliptin remains an important option in the management of patients with T2D.