Japanese Diabetes Drug OK'd By FDA

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. has obtained approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its new drug for diabetes treatment and will begin selling it in October, the company said Tuesday.

The new product, Actoplus Met, is a single tablet that combines Takeda's two existing diabetes drugs, Actos and Metformin. It will be sold in the United States by Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America Inc.

Actos is a key diabetes drug used to improve insulin resistance and Metformin is another diabetes drug used to control the level of glucose produced by the liver.

The new drug will mean that type 2 diabetes patients no longer need to take two tablets for the same treatment, said Matsutaka Matsumoto of Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.

"We will continue to maximize the added value of Actos and to strengthen our franchise in the area of diabetes treatment in the U.S.," says Kiyoshi Kitazawa, general manager of Takeda's pharmaceutical development division.