Fixed-dose combination rosiglitazone/glimepiride in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Rosiglitazone and glimepiride are effective antihyperglycemic agents approved for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Primarily, rosiglitazone increases insulin sensitivity, while glimepiride stimulates insulin release from β-cells in the pancreas. Combination therapy is often required to achieve effective glycemic control. A fixed-dose formulation of rosiglitazone plus glimepiride has recently been approved in the EU and US for treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Much data demonstrate the advantages of the combination therapy compared with rosiglitazone or glimepiride as monotherapy. Rosiglitazone plus glimepiride is generally well tolerated in all studies and presents a tolerability profile similar to that of monotherapy with rosiglitazone and sulphonylurea. The aim of this review is to present this new fixed-dose combination, which represents a promising new strategy to obtain recommended glycemic control.