Merck & Co Inc has said that Januvia, its oral, once-daily medicine for type 2 diabetes has shown promise in combating the disease and had significantly reduced blood sugar levels. This was true when the drug was used alone or in conjunction with two commonly used therapies (metformin or pioglitazone).
Merck presented the results of the Phase III trials at the American Diabetes Association's annual meeting. Treatment with Januvia was also found to improve measures of beta cell function.Beta cells are found in pancreas and are responsible for producing and releasing insulin. The deficiency of this hormone causes diabetes. Merck said that in the studies, "Januvia had an overall incidence of side effects comparable to placebo and was generally well tolerated."
