Home » Treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus » Antidiabetic drugs In order to have a clear picture about the origin, need and prospective usage of the Antidiabetic drugs we must understand the nature and etiology of the forms of diabetes that can be nullified by drug administration.

Drug based treatment for diabetes can be made possible only for two major forms of diabetes, that are:

1.The Type 1 diabetes mellitus: It is a caused by hyposecretion, or, low productivity of insulin, or, even complete lack of insulin in the body. This involves Intramuscular intake of insulin through injection. Insulin patches are also being developed for this purpose, though it is an idea still in the research stage being not widely available yet.
2.The Type 2 diabetes mellitus: It is mainly caused by defunct cells that have problems in receiving required influx of insulin and require administration of Antidiabetic drugs either singly, or, in combined therapeutic dosages for their treatment.

Drug administration is definitely not “the solution” for the ailment leading to imbalance in the blood glucose level, but is only one of the similar or more significant ways leading to the cure for diabetes. Even a decade back the two words, diabetes and drugs did not go together. Initially the insulin and glucagon level dysfunctions were connected with the etiology but soon many other imminent reasons for the disease came into light and a wide variety of Antidiabetic drugs had to be developed addressing to various forms of Diabetes.

Let us list the common drugs for diabetes that are developed mainly for oral administration. The listing can also categorize drugs based on generation levels as with passing years more and more effective generations in the diabetes drugs lineage have been developed by combining many individual drugs and toxins.

• Insulin is the most basic form of input used in treatment for diabetes. Mostly it is given intramuscularly but in recent times it has been accepted as a constituent in combination with other drugs to be administered by oral intake.
• Sulfonylureas can be used as hypoglycemic oral medications and several generations have been developed in this group. The first generation includes Tolbutamide, Tolazamide, etc, whereas following generations include, Antidiabetic drugs like Glypizide, Glyburide, Glyclazide, etc. The sulfonylureas work by binding with the plasma proteins thereby releasing insulin endogenously.
• Biguanides help by decreasing the liver glucose output in the skeletal muscles.
• Meglitinides help in increasing the insulin production in the pancreas mobilizing the blood glucose level and is a promising cure for diabetes.
• Alpha Glucosidase Inhibitors can also prove to be potent Antidiabetic drugs. They donot directly affect the insulin, or, the blood glucose level but act indirectly by decelerating the digestion of starch in the small intestine.
• Peptide and Amylin analogues can be used and most of them are genetically engineered using recombinant DNA technology.
• In many developing countries prospects for curing the Type 2 diabetes mellitus are sought into herbal extracts that have definitely proved to be promising fundamental inhibitors of such complications in the past.

The platform for Antidiabetic drugs is wide and it's horizons are vast and still largely unexplored. More and more research will follow, symposiums will be organized and eventually people will make out a way to know the nooks and niches of this disease.

We will keep on with informations for the common mass to increase the awareness about the malady that has been a global concern and still will continue to be in the near future. For more informations on the Antidiabetic drugs please be with us at Treatment for Type 2 diabetes mellitus in About Diabetes.