New and Future Medications for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

摘要

With almost 30 million individuals predicted to be diagnosed by the year 2025, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has become one of the most prevalent diseases in the United States. Because of the progressive dysfunction of the pancreatic β-cells and increasing insulin resistance over time, the need for treatments with different mechanisms or addition of medications to a regimen is becoming commonplace. Because of this, developing new medications to treat T2DM has been the focus of a lot of recent research and drug development. Molecular substrates such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4), and the sodium glucose transporter-2 (SGLT2) have all become new therapeutic targets. GLP-1 agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors are 2 of the newest classes of Food and Drug Administration-approved medications for diabetes. By increasing GLP-1 to supraphysiologic levels (GLP-1 agonists) and delaying endogenous GLP-1 degradation (DPP-4 inhibitors), these drugs increase insulin secretion and decreaseglucagonproduction. SGLT2 inhibitors, the newest antihyperglycemic class, promote glycosuria by inhibiting sodium and glucose reabsorption in the proximal tubule of the renal nephron.