Skip to content

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus develops when insulin stops working properly or the body makes too little of it, so glucose builds up in the blood. It mainly affects adults but can occur in children, and often produces no symptoms early on.

Rybelsus

Semaglutide

3mg · 7mg · 14mg

Semaglutide tablets for type 2 diabetes. It mimics a gut hormone to release more insulin and slow stomach emptying.

From$14.67/ tabletView

Metformin Tablets

Metformin

500mg · 850mg

Metformin tablets for type 2 diabetes. It reduces sugar output from the liver and helps the body respond better to its own insulin.

From$0.24/ tabletView

Empagliflozin Tablets

Empagliflozin

10mg · 25mg

Empagliflozin tablets for type 2 diabetes and heart failure. They lower blood sugar by letting the kidneys remove it in urine.

From$4.68/ tabletView

Dapasmart

Dapagliflozin

5mg · 10mg

Dapagliflozin tablets for type 2 diabetes and heart failure. It lowers blood sugar by letting the kidneys remove extra glucose in urine.

From$3.75/ tabletView

Sitagliptin Tablets

Sitagliptin

50mg · 100mg

Sitagliptin tablets for type 2 diabetes. They belong to a class that boosts insulin release only when blood sugar is high.

From$2.71/ tabletView

Victoza

Liraglutide

6mg

Liraglutide auto-injector for type 2 diabetes. It helps the body release insulin when blood sugar rises.

From$401.50/ auto-injectorView

Amaryl

Glimepiride

1mg · 2mg · 3mg · 4mg

Glimepiride tablets for type 2 diabetes. It stimulates insulin release from the pancreas, so it requires some remaining beta cell function to work.

From$0.70/ tabletView

Actos

Pioglitazone

15mg · 30mg · 45mg

Pioglitazone tablets for type 2 diabetes. It can cause fluid retention and weight gain, which is a known concern with this medicine.

From$0.81/ tabletView

Glucovance

Metformin, Glibenclamide

2.5mg + 400mg · 5mg + 500mg

Metformin and glibenclamide tablets for type 2 diabetes. The two drugs lower blood sugar by different routes, so one pill does the work of two separate ones.

From$1.16/ tabletView

Glucotrol Xl

Glipizide

2.5mg · 5mg · 10mg

Glipizide extended-release tablets for type 2 diabetes. The prolonged release keeps the pancreas nudged to make insulin steadily, rather than in one short burst.

From$0.16/ tabletView

Key points

  • Plenty of people have no symptoms at all and only find out through a screening test.
  • Losing a modest amount of weight, between a twentieth and a tenth of body weight, measurably improves blood sugar control in someone who is overweight.
  • Remission is possible: blood glucose can stay well controlled for at least three months without medicines after lifestyle change and weight loss.
  • More than one medicine is often needed, and some people eventually need insulin.

Medicines listed for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

The ten products listed for type 2 diabetes mellitus span several medicine classes. Metformin appears as a single-ingredient tablet and in a combination with glibenclamide. Semaglutide is available as an oral tablet (Rybelsus), while liraglutide is supplied as an auto-injector (Victoza). The SGLT2 inhibitors empagliflozin and dapagliflozin are both listed as tablets. Sitagliptin, a DPP-4 inhibitor, glimepiride and glipizide (sulfonylureas), and pioglitazone (a thiazolidinedione) round out the range. Some of these medicines also carry indications for heart failure or chronic kidney disease alongside diabetes.

Further reading