Two in one diabetes pill given approval

AstraZenecan, a pharmaceutical and biologics company based in London, has received approval for a two-in-one diabetes pill.
The company made the announcement on Thursday 30 October 2014, stating their Xigduo XR drug had been given the green light by the Food and Drug Administration.
What is Xigduo XR?
Xigduo XR combines dapagliflozi, a diabetes treatment recently launched by AstraZenecan, and metformin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults.
Dapagliflozin blocks glucose absorption in the kidneys, while helping the body to release sugars through urine. Paired with metformin, which decreases glucose production, the Xigduo XR drug effectively lowers patients’ blood sugar levels.
Xigduo XR has been indicated as an additional therapy to exercise and diet for people with type 2 diabetes when treatment with dapagliflozin and metformin is appropriate.
Xigduo XR is the first once-daily combination tablet of an SGLT2 inhibitor – dapagliflozin – and metformin, to be approved in the Unites States. It has already been approved in Australia.
Type 2 diabetes treatment options
“The approval of once-daily Xigduo XR provides prescribers and adult patients with another treatment choice, supporting a more personalized approach to disease management,” said Elisabeth Björk, head of cardiovascular and metabolism, global medicines development, at AstraZeneca.
“The addition of Xigduo XR to our US diabetes portfolio is further evidence of AstraZeneca’s commitment to developing new treatment options for patients with type 2 diabetes”.