Lilly and BI Get FDA Green Light for Combo Type 2 Diabetes Drug

The FDA has approved Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim’s combination treatment Glyxambi as an adjunct to diet and exercise for adults with type 2 diabetes.

Glyxambi (empagliflozin/linagliptin) is the only diabetes medicine that combines elements of two specific mechanisms of action, the companies said. Lilly and BI’s Jardiance (empagliflozin) expels blood sugar through urine, while BI’s Tradjenta (linagliptin) stimulates the pancreas to create more insulin and the liver to produce less glucose.

That’s important because approximately half of people with type 2 diabetes never manage to adequately control their blood sugar, says Lilly spokesman Mike Mason.

In a Phase III trial, patients on both Glyxambi and high-dose metformin managed to reduce their blood sugar levels from 8 percent to between 6.7 to 6.9 percent. By contrast, patients on Jardiance or Tradjenta alone saw their glucose levels only drop to 7.3 to 7.4 percent. — Lena Freund