Alogliptin for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic progressive disease, and over time patients often need to be treated with more than one type of antidiabetic agent in order to maintain control of blood glucose levels. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors are one of the newer classes of antidiabetic drugs used in the treatment of diabetes. These oral incretin-based therapies are effective at improving glycemic control, have a low risk of hypoglycemia, are weight neutral, and can be administered in combination with other antidiabetic agents. This article summarizes the pharmacological and pharmacokinetic properties of alogliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, and also evaluates its clinical efficacy, safety and tolerability in the treatment of patients with Type 2 diabetes.