Sitagliptin Tablets
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
50mg · 100mg
Sitagliptin tablets for type 2 diabetes. They belong to a class that boosts insulin release only when blood sugar is high.
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Sitagliptin
One sitagliptin product sits on this shelf, the Januvia tablet in 50 mg and 100 mg strengths, taken alongside diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.
Key points
- The label warns that acute pancreatitis, including haemorrhagic and necrotising forms, has been reported with sitagliptin; the medicine should be stopped if pancreatitis is suspected.
- When sitagliptin is combined with insulin or a sulfonylurea, the risk of hypoglycaemia rises above placebo, and a lower dose of the partner medicine may be needed.
- Sitagliptin is a DPP-4 inhibitor used as an adjunct to diet and exercise for type 2 diabetes, not for type 1.
How does Sitagliptin work?
Sitagliptin is believed to work by slowing the breakdown of incretin hormones, the signals your gut releases after eating to prompt the pancreas to produce insulin. The enzyme it blocks normally clears these hormones within minutes of a meal. Keeping them active longer means the body releases more insulin only when blood sugar is already elevated, rather than pushing a fixed amount regardless of what you have eaten.
This glucose-dependent action is what separates the DPP-4 inhibitor class from older diabetes medicines in Diabetes Management that stimulate insulin release whether or not you have eaten.