Pioglitazone and rosiglitazone for diabetes

Abstract

Pioglitazone (Actos-Takeda) and rosiglitazone (Avandia-GlaxoSmithKline) belong to a new class of oral antidiabetic medicines (the glitazones or thiazolidinediones). Both are licensed in the UK for "oral combination treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in [narrowly defined groups of] patients with insufficient glycaemic control despite maximal tolerated dose of oral monotherapy with either metformin or a sulphonylurea". They are not licensed for use as monotherapy, in combination with insulin, or as part of triple therapy with metformin or a sulphonylurea. What can pioglitazone and rosiglitazone offer in the management of patients with type 2 diabetes?