TY - JOUR T1 - Three new drugs for type 2 diabetes JF - Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin JO - Drug Ther Bull SP - 49 LP - 52 DO - 10.1136/dtb.2008.06.0014 VL - 46 IS - 7 A2 - , Y1 - 2008/07/01 UR - http://dtb.bmj.com/content/46/7/49.abstract N2 - Relevant BNF section: 6.1.2.3For many patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, metformin plus appropriate treatment for cardiovascular risk factors form the cornerstone of drug therapy.1 However, the progressive impairment of both the secretion and action of insulin in the condition mean that high blood glucose concentrations usually worsen over time, so necessitating escalation of hypoglycaemic therapy.1 Three drugs in two new classes that act on the hormonal regulation of insulin secretion have been launched recently for use as add-in therapies in patients with type 2 diabetes: ▼exenatide (Byetta – Eli Lilly), ▼sitagliptin (Januvia – MSD), and ▼vildagliptin (Galvus – Novartis). Here we consider whether they have a role in the management of such individuals. ER -